Making the Deal
Taking the Yoke
Scripture Reading: Matthew 11:25-30
Key Verse: Matthew 11:29
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.
To make the “deal” with God means taking the yoke upon us that Jesus described. Each of us as individuals must learn what this “yoke” is all about and make a personal decision to apply it to our lives. As we look at this yoke, Jesus lets us know that His yoke is easy to understand and can be received by anyone because it’s light. This is good news for us and those we share it with. Everyone can do it; no one need be left out!
The first part of the yoke is simply coming to Jesus. If we do, we will find “rest” for our lives and souls. Coming to Jesus means to receive His teachings and His values. These are not weird or too heavy for us to bear. They are life-giving principles that will help us make sense of this world. Coming to Jesus means we will need to take time to read the Bible so that we’ll know what His teachings consist of and how to apply them to our daily lives. These “teachings” of Jesus form the “yoke” that we must put on our shoulders.
The other part of this yoke is what we walk away from, things in this world. As the yoke helped oxen stay in step, so walking with Jesus demands walking away from some worldly habits and/or addictions. As we walk in step with Jesus, we will be led down paths that glorify God. This “burden,” once felt, really isn’t a heavy burden. It all makes sense once our eyes have been opened by God’s Spirit.
Father, I choose to be yoked up with you. I want to walk today in a way that everyone will know I’m with you. In Jesus’ Name, amen.