Wendy Pope
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest ([relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls." Matthew 11:28-29 (AMP)
The writer of Hebrews describes me perfectly in 5:11, "but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn." I describe myself to many as SLD, Spiritually Learning Disabled. When God is trying to teach me something and sees that I am just not getting it, He - through His grace and mercy - allows me to live it. Can anyone else relate?
Recently I was asked to speak at church and the theme of the day was taking on the yoke of the Lord. In preparation, God taught me the lesson and is still teaching me the lesson of trusting Him enough to lay down all the things that are going on in my life. I must allow His perfectly fitting yoke to lead me to a place of blessed rest in the assurance that He is in control.
Let's examine today's key scripture and see what the Lord's yoke is like. The Lord's yoke is:
· Easy
· Light
· A place to learn
· A place to find rest, relief, ease, refreshment, recreation and blessed quiet
· Useful, good (not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing), comfortable, gracious, and pleasant
That sounds like a yoke that I would like to wear. How about you? Contrary to modern fashion designers who claim "one size fits all" on the label of their garment, God's yoke is truly "one size fits all." Eugene Peterson translates our key verse this way:
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly" (MSG).
Try it on His yoke. Keep it on. Don't go shopping for another garment to wear such as pride, control, or self-sufficiency. This garment never wears out and doesn't need to be laundered. The God of the universe is inviting you wear His yoke and to keep company with Him. Come on! Try it on for size!
Dear Lord, I want to surrender control of all things to You right now. Lovingly and gently place Your yoke upon me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Do you know Him?
i am not but i know I AM by Louie Giglio
Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Intended to Bear by Max Lucado
Move Me Aside by Linsdey Kane
Application Steps:
Write down the three things that are troubling you most. Read them aloud. Pray today's prayer aloud, replacing the words “all things” with your three things. As you dress each day, symbolically put on the yoke of the Lord and read today's key verse.
Reflections:
Describe the yoke you are currently wearing.
What hinders you from wearing the Lord's light yoke?
Power Verses:
Psalm 25:9, "He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way." (NIV)
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 will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.’" (NASB)
Colossian 1:29, "To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me." (NIV)
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest ([relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls." Matthew 11:28-29 (AMP)
The writer of Hebrews describes me perfectly in 5:11, "but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn." I describe myself to many as SLD, Spiritually Learning Disabled. When God is trying to teach me something and sees that I am just not getting it, He - through His grace and mercy - allows me to live it. Can anyone else relate?
Recently I was asked to speak at church and the theme of the day was taking on the yoke of the Lord. In preparation, God taught me the lesson and is still teaching me the lesson of trusting Him enough to lay down all the things that are going on in my life. I must allow His perfectly fitting yoke to lead me to a place of blessed rest in the assurance that He is in control.
Let's examine today's key scripture and see what the Lord's yoke is like. The Lord's yoke is:
· Easy
· Light
· A place to learn
· A place to find rest, relief, ease, refreshment, recreation and blessed quiet
· Useful, good (not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing), comfortable, gracious, and pleasant
That sounds like a yoke that I would like to wear. How about you? Contrary to modern fashion designers who claim "one size fits all" on the label of their garment, God's yoke is truly "one size fits all." Eugene Peterson translates our key verse this way:
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly" (MSG).
Try it on His yoke. Keep it on. Don't go shopping for another garment to wear such as pride, control, or self-sufficiency. This garment never wears out and doesn't need to be laundered. The God of the universe is inviting you wear His yoke and to keep company with Him. Come on! Try it on for size!
Dear Lord, I want to surrender control of all things to You right now. Lovingly and gently place Your yoke upon me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Do you know Him?
i am not but i know I AM by Louie Giglio
Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Intended to Bear by Max Lucado
Move Me Aside by Linsdey Kane
Application Steps:
Write down the three things that are troubling you most. Read them aloud. Pray today's prayer aloud, replacing the words “all things” with your three things. As you dress each day, symbolically put on the yoke of the Lord and read today's key verse.
Reflections:
Describe the yoke you are currently wearing.
What hinders you from wearing the Lord's light yoke?
Power Verses:
Psalm 25:9, "He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way." (NIV)
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 will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.’" (NASB)
Colossian 1:29, "To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me." (NIV)
Labels: Balance, Contentment, Overcoming
5 Comments:
Wow? that is just what I needed to hear. I ahve been hurt in the past by church and am tired of religion. My family and I don't have a good fit for a church home and I feel like I am waffling around and in turn so is my family particularly my children.
My yoke that i am carrying is heavy, it is one of perfection that is weighted down even more when I can't meet this unobtainable goal. it is riddled with the weight of failure, jaded spirit, dissolutionment, and heartbreak from being in church ministry. I want to get the yoke that God offers here. I want to learn the un forced rythmns of grace.
Dear God,
I surrender control and lay down my desire for the perfect church, my battle to be the perfect mom, and my desire to do it all on my own. Lovingly and gently place your yoke upon me. Help me commit. show me how it works. Forgive me for loud talk, harsh words, and judgemental spirit. Give me the understanding I need to be a good mom. I don't want ot do it on my own. I can't I am failing. I am hurting my children emotionally every time I lose my temper and I don't want to do that. Be with me and give me patience and words of grace and mercy. I commit to meeting you in the morning. I choose you. Help me tonight as I have alot of work. Give me the drive to get it done in a timely manner and organized.
amen
What an amazing devotion! How true it is that God knows just what you need just when you need it. My heart is so very heavy with burdens. The idea that I can just give it all to You and "Lighten Up" is wonderfully appealing to me. I accept it in all it's fullness and thank God from the bottom of my heart for the privilege and opportunity to do so. Help me Lord to remember to do this each and every day until I have fully exchanged my burdens for Your beautiful yoke.
This was just what I needed to read right now. I am always picking up the world's yoke and forgetting that God's yoke is a perfect fit.
My daughter's name is Ella and God always seem to use my daughter to communicate with me. I thank the Lord for my children and I need the easy load. I need to "Lighten Up"
This is my prayer as well-->"Dear God,
I surrender control and lay down my desire for the perfect church, my battle to be the perfect mom, and my desire to do it all on my own. Lovingly and gently place your yoke upon me. Help me commit. show me how it works. Forgive me for loud talk, harsh words, and judgemental spirit. Give me the understanding I need to be a good mom. I don't want ot do it on my own. I can't I am failing. I am hurting my children emotionally every time I lose my temper and I don't want to do that. Be with me and give me patience and words of grace and mercy. I commit to meeting you in the morning. I choose you. Help me tonight as I have alot of work. Give me the drive to get it done in a timely manner and organized." In Jesus name Amen!
Thanks Wendy! and for the anonymous prayer.
My sister's in Christ, thank you for sharing and praying. I too have the same godly desires and earthly struggles. And your boldness in the name of Jesus encourages me to continue to press toward God's calling.
Dear God,
I have failed and sinned and praying for your continued compassion, forgiveness, deliverance, wisdom, grace and mercy, to be in me and with me and my family. Help me to remove the yoke of this world, that I so struggle with and to put on your loving and gentle yoke daily. To focus on you Lord and not the world. Returning to a committed daily fellowship with you. So that your will for me as a mother, wife, sister, aunt, cousin, friend and christian will be as you called it to be. Lead me O Lord to be the example of Christ that you have ordain me to be. I surrender control of my family, my job and my life to you Father. Knowing you can do all things but fail. Praying for this change and growth in the name of the father, and of the son and by the aid of the holy spirit.
Amen
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