While writing in my prayer journal, God brought a scripture to mind. You see, I have this heavy burden. Sometimes it feels like it is weighing me down. We all have burdens,. Some are small, but some are like heavy boulders that we try to carry around all day long on our shoulders! Its something that last and last and lasts . It seems like there will never be an end to it. We ponder, why do I have this burden? What am I learning through it? Mostly, we ask...How am I to carry this another day! It feels all consuming, all encompassing, like a goat eating and eating away, it gnaws at our minds and hearts. Yes, that is how I would describe my burden. I asked," Lord my God, please help me carry this burden!"
God brought to mind, a yoke. For those of you who don't know a yoke is a large wooden piece, sometimes with two holes in it. It would be placed over the heads of oxen, falling to the shoulder, to distribute weight between the two, so that they could work together to pull a heavy load.
Jesus says "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul." Matt. 11:29 In other words, all that time we spend worrying about our burden, we can vest into learning about who Jesus is and what is HIS yoke?
The scripture says Jesus is gentle and humble in heart. I can't think of a time where both of these tributes of our beloved Savior rang true more than when he was beaten and crucified. Isaiah 53:7 says this, "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth."Yes, God in the flesh, who could have called out a legion of angels to destroy all the people who were hurting Him, was silent. For you, for me, for those in the world whom He loved so much.
Let's learn from Jesus. Can we take our opression and affliction, not even in the same realm of Jesus', but can we take our portion and be silent? Can we not let it consume us? Can we not let it interfere with the good things God has planned before our creation, to do?
Matt. 11:28-30 says, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart. and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Again, what is the "yoke" of Jesus? He tells us to take THAT yoke and carry it.
The book of Isaiah addresses this very well, it says, "Is this not the fast that I have chosen? To loose the chains of injustice, to untie the chains of the yoke, and to set the oppressed free, and break every yoke?" What! You may say...what about my yoke? How can I break a yoke for someone else? Well, God tells us exactly how to do that.
"Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-when you see the naked to clothe them and not turn away from your own flesh and blood." Isaiah 58:7 That's how! God goes on to say, "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame..." Isaiah 58:9b-11a
God doesn't need us to do His work on earth, but I can't tell you the blessings that come from giving a little bit of yourself so that others can be free. Removing a yoke, is not something we do on our own. God is really doing the work through us. We just point others to Him and He takes care of them. His word tells us, "I led with cords of kindness, with ropes of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them." Hosea 11:4
How precious to think, that's exactly what God has done for each of us who have trusted in Him. He is, as the song "Good Father" says, a good, good Father!
As for my burden, well, I trust He'll remove that too. He is an awesome Abba, or daddy in english speak. In the meantime I'll obey HIs word and do as He leads in service to others. I'm so blessed to be His daughter! Praise You King Jesus for that privilem praise today as you contemplate your relationship with God. If you don't have a relationship with Him, please read my earlier blog, Plan of Salvation. God bless you all!