Don’t Worry… Be Happy
Choose Your Yoke – Part VII
Scripture Reading: Matthew 11:25-30 NLT
Key Verses: Matthew 11:29-30 NLT
“Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
I close this week’s devotionals with the last phrase that Jesus said in today’s Key Verse: “For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Jesus was comparing His yoke with the yokes that His listeners were wearing. He knew people’s sinful ways were a burden to them. Jesus understood that the evil one is constantly trying to rob people of peace and rest. Remember Jesus’s clear warning about the intentions of the evil one:
“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy…” (John 10:10a)
It would be so nice if we could clearly see these purposes when the devil is tempting us to do something bad that looks so good. The very nature of temptation is to make something bad look good. The evil one is expert in dressing up things to look so good in the moment but destroy us in the end.
The reason Jesus said that His yoke is easy is because He understood that yoking ourselves to Him means we have available to us the power of God to help us fight temptations.
Read about God’s Word when it comes to the evil one tempting His children:
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure. (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT)
From now on, I hope you understand that you do not have to cave to temptation. Ask God to give you the power to overcome. Do not let the devil deceive you twice.
First, the devil tries to get you to cave to temptation, and second, he tries to get you to justify it. This only weakens your resolve to stand strong against temptation the next time.
If we believe Jesus, then we must keep telling ourselves that we have no excuse to cave to any temptation. God knows what we can manage, and he does not allow the evil one to tempt us beyond that! I pray for us the prayer that the Apostle Paul prayed for the Ephesian Christ-followers:
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him. (Ephesians 1:19a NLT)
Most of us do not live like this verse is true. Has God really made His incredible power available to us? If we believe that the answer is “yes”, then it means we can be done with sin and live a life pleasing to Him… and to us.
Do not allow yourself to live below the standard that Jesus died for you to have. Live in victory!
Father, I know that You forgive me when I cave into sin, thank You for that. I know that You give me the power to defeat sin and strongholds, as I walk with Jesus. It is in His Name I pray, amen.