Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me… —Matthew 11:29
“Whom the Lord loves He chastens…” (Hebrews 12:6). How petty our complaining is! Our Lord begins to bring us to the point where we can have fellowship with Him, only to hear us moan and groan, saying, “Oh Lord, just let me be like other people!” Jesus is asking us to get beside Him and take one end of the yoke, so that we can pull together. That’s why Jesus says to us, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). Are you closely identified with the Lord Jesus like that? If so, you will thank God when you feel the pressure of His hand upon you.
“…to those who have no might He increases strength” (Isaiah 40:29). God comes and takes us out of our emotionalism, and then our complaining turns into a hymn of praise. The only way to know the strength of God is to take the yoke of Jesus upon us and to learn from Him.
“…the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Where do the saints get their joy? If we did not know some Christians well, we might think from just observing them that they have no burdens at all to bear. But we must lift the veil from our eyes. The fact that the peace, light, and joy of God is in them is proof that a burden is there as well. The burden that God places on us squeezes the grapes in our lives and produces the wine, but most of us see only the wine and not the burden. No power on earth or in hell can conquer the Spirit of God living within the human spirit; it creates an inner invincibility.
If your life is producing only a whine, instead of the wine, then ruthlessly kick it out. It is definitely a crime for a Christian to be weak in God’s strength.
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Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
Right after reading today’s devo an email notification came thru and uncharacteristically, I decided to open it then. It was a prayer request for a man who has an aggressive untreatable cancer and 1-3 months to live. He is continuing to work … and also has engaged hospice. It really put the issue of “burdens” and bearing up under them by sharing them with you into perspective. Mine seem kind of lightweight. I asked myself, What would I do? How would that be? Would I share that burden well with you?
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Journal Entry-JDV
Lord, thank you for the perspective. I can choose your yoke, where the burdens are easy and light. I can choose to be connected to You and allow You to live thorough me, or I can choose to hold on tightly to my own way of living and sense of control. Help me God choose You many times today; help me choose you when I am putting my day together, simply doing chores or errands, communicating, engaging others, or just resting. Help me be connected to You in all things.
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