DAY 36: Take HIS Yoke!

“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.” - Matthew 11:29-30 

Jesus called us to rest in Him and IMMEDIATELY afterwards He tells us to take His yoke! What gives?? 

First, let’s look at what a yoke is. From Wikipedia: “A yoke is a wooden beam, normally used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs.” 

Basically, a yoke is an implement designed to tie two working animals together. Jesus told us to take HIS yoke, which means work with HIM. When we do this, He says we will find REST for our souls. This is absolutely contradictory to everything we know about work, isn’t it? Normally we associate working with being being exhausted, but Jesus is telling us that working with HIM will produce REST. 

In common English, Jesus is saying: “Work with me and learn from me and you’ll find rest. My work is actually refreshing and the weight I place on you is LIGHT." 

Take 5 minutes, get with the Holy Spirit and ask this question: “Is my soul at rest?” So many of us are harried, frazzled, stressed and burnt out. Do a real assessment of the health of your SOUL (mind, will, emotions). Things like confusion, indecision and emotional instability are symptoms of a soul that is NOT at rest. 

Now, for the next 10 minutes, find a place where you can lay down and rest and take HIS yoke on you. How do you do that?? Simply agree with HIS plans for your life and lay down your own. You might have 50 things on your schedule today, but He just has ONE. (He wants to be with you!) Learn from Him. He is gentle and humble, not loud, pushy, rude or in a hurry. Enjoy Him and resolve to walk out the rest of your day yoked to HIM. 

How different was THIS day??