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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.

~ Matthew 11:28-29

 

Good morning dear sister!

What a glorious invitation from Jesus himself! For you and for me! Just think, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, sent by God his Father, is inviting you to come to Him today!

The people Jesus was calling to way back then were much the same people He is calling to right now. Throughout the eons of mockers, scorners and wickedness, Jesus continues to search out the humble, the hungry, and the downtrodden to offer them an invitation like no other!

God’s love for us is so deep that He sent His beloved Son to look for us! He receives all who are willing to come to Him! Although He promises to give whoever comes to Him rest, He doesn’t promise that burdens will no longer be an issue, but promising instead to bear them Himself, giving us rest! 

Why would Jesus use the example of a yoke, a piece of equipment meant for working animals? The yoke actually helps the intended work to be done! It keeps the animals walking in the same direction as they combine their strength for their labor.

The concept of being yoked is apparent in our daily lives as humans too! Our burdens are lightened when we share them with someone and even more so when a friend is willing to come alongside us. Although there is no physical yoke, the two friends are walking the same path, sharing the burden. 

In the same way, Jesus urges us to take His yoke upon ourselves so that He may share the burden with us and walk together with us. When we take His yoke, He bears the weight of our burden! Does the burden magically disappear? Not necessarily, but He teaches us how to handle it in a God pleasing manner it when He says “take my yoke upon you and learn from me”.

The first thing we learn is humility. Humbling Himself before the Father, Jesus spent many hours in prayer during His ministry, giving up His will in order to accomplish the will of his Father. Yoked with Jesus, we trod the same path of prayer and self sacrifice.

It can be scary to sacrifice our pride, our sense of self-sufficiency and achievement, but when we do, we discover the One with whom we are yoked is gentle and humble of heart. Learning this, we can pray with confidence to discern God’s will before taking any action and follow God’s direction even though the cost may seem to be great. Remember, we are not walking alone!

When we walk through life with someone, we learn a lot about their character and the way they think. Jesus says as we walk with him, we will learn of His character too! Being yoked with the great Teacher, we also learn about ourselves! As our own shortcomings are illuminated in His holy light, we can depend on His training, strength and wisdom to get us through the rough terrain. We will find ourselves becoming more and more like Him, gentle and humble of heart as we walk side by side with our Savior!

Isn’t it an amazing thought to be walking with Jesus? Even more amazing is that yoke, the personal bond we have with Him, will always keep us on the same path that He’s walking, even if we’re tempted to be distracted! We will not lose our way if we stay close to Him!

Jesus knows the way! He admonishes us that the road which leads to eternal life is narrow and difficult, and there are few who find it. (Mt. 7:13-14) What comfort and encouragement to know that we can trod that path with confidence with Him, knowing we are walking side by side with the One who not only knows the way, but IS the way! 

So, my beloved sister, is your soul in need of rest? Make it a practice every day to walk in step with the Lord, giving your burdens to Him. He is strong, your burden is not too heavy for Him! 

We can depend on His strength, and His goodness as we walk with Him. Allow Him to sustain you, He promises to never let the righteous be moved! (Ps. 55:22)

Keep loving Jesus and moving forward!

With love, your sister, Celeste