Matthew 11: 28-30
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, 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 shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.
These are Jesus' words. He sees how we struggle under the heavy loads we carry in our lives, and He has compassion on us. He invites every one of us to come to Him. He wants to relieve our stresses, so that we will be free to do all the good He has planned for us to do.
A yoke is a specially carved piece of wood that would link two oxen together to pull a wagon. Jesus uses this picture to show us how He wants us to link with Him to let Him carry the load for us. That's what makes it easy and light for us.
He wants us to learn His strong gentleness that will give us precise control in our maneuverings of life.
And His humbleness of heart will keep us from promoting ourselves.
When we learn to trust Him to fight our battles for us, then we will be able to relax and not fret over the outcome.
Even when we are in the thick of the battle, when we see a thousand fall at our side and ten thousand at our right hand, and it doesn't touch us! (Psalm 90:7). This peace He gives goes beyond what we can understand. It keeps us calm while everyone else around us is losing it.
Have you ever experienced this kind of peace?
Too much stress is the cause of all kinds of diseases and conditions and syndromes people today suffer with. If they would only "come to Jesus" and let Him be Lord (Boss) over their lives, He would relieve their stress (weariness) and take their (heavy-laden) load upon Himself! This is what He's offering every single person alive.
He's not saying we won't have trials and troubles, but that He will be with us, taking the sting out of the worst and leading us in how to manage it all.
O my Father, thank You so much for Your love for me, who was Your enemy. Thank You for sending Your own Son to take my death for me, and give me His Life that will endure forever. Thank You for His taking upon Himself all my trials and problems and sorrows, for teaching me how to trust You with my life through them all, and not worry about any of it.
Thank You, Father, for being faithful to do everything You have said You would do for me, in my life right now and forevermore, causing me to receive the Life of Your Spirit (be born again, from above, John 3:3), and granting me such privileges to be able to learn of You and understand so much of Your ways!
Thank You for helping me keep my cool in the midst of turmoil. Thank You for letting me curl up in Your lap and rest in Your arms. I have found that Your yoke is easy, and Your load is light, with You carrying the brunt of it for me.
And You have given me rest for my soul, in my spirit.
O Father, please grant all Your children to learn of You and Your ways, to trust You implicitly, to handle their lives with serpentine wisdom and dove-like gentleness (Matthew 10:16) when they face attack and/or persecution.
Strengthen Your people, Lord God Almighty, to face the enemy and stand up under the attacks. You have given us Your armor to put on (Ephesians 6:13-17); let each of Your soldiers be garbed in Your protection, and maintain Your peace.
And may the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony give all of us Your victory over the enemy (Revelation 12:11).
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
