"Come to Me...and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me (or, 'Let me lead you through life'),..and you will find rest for your souls....You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you have have life." (From Matthew 11 & John 5)
When I come to Jesus, take Jesus', "yoke upon," me (for me, it is primarily the Scriptures), then and only then can I, "....find rest..." Otherwise, life will be one constant frustration, a continual flow of anxiety, one constant restless battle with attempting to run my own life. Contrast that with, "....My yoke."
Jesus invites, "....all you who labor and and are heavy laden..," to, "Take my yoke upon you." Contrary to popular opinion, this, "yoke," is designed to lighten the load, "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." How so very different from our yokes and the accompanying burdens. Now I have shared before that when an older ox and a younger ox are joined in the same yoke, the older one really does the pulling. If the young ox stays right beside the older ox, the younger one does not feel the strain of the "load." If life is difficult and burdensome, I'm probably either not in, "[Jesus'] yoke," or attempting to "pull ahead," or a life of, "I'll take if from here."
The statement of Jesus to those listening to His amazing claims in John 5 is, "But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life." Why do so many prefer isms, ideas, "latest-teaching" fascination to, "Come to Me," to a Person, the "Personal God, Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit?
Meditate on it. The Creator, Sustainer of the Universe inviting them that day, and inviting you and me today to get in, stay in, live in, "My yoke," with and in Him. What a life!
Father, in Jesus' Name, I have pulled far too much of life's burden over my lifetime. I "come to [You]," anew this moment. Amen.
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* Berlin/Wittenberge Mission: October 28-November 15
* DC: July 13, 2017
When I come to Jesus, take Jesus', "yoke upon," me (for me, it is primarily the Scriptures), then and only then can I, "....find rest..." Otherwise, life will be one constant frustration, a continual flow of anxiety, one constant restless battle with attempting to run my own life. Contrast that with, "....My yoke."
Jesus invites, "....all you who labor and and are heavy laden..," to, "Take my yoke upon you." Contrary to popular opinion, this, "yoke," is designed to lighten the load, "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." How so very different from our yokes and the accompanying burdens. Now I have shared before that when an older ox and a younger ox are joined in the same yoke, the older one really does the pulling. If the young ox stays right beside the older ox, the younger one does not feel the strain of the "load." If life is difficult and burdensome, I'm probably either not in, "[Jesus'] yoke," or attempting to "pull ahead," or a life of, "I'll take if from here."
The statement of Jesus to those listening to His amazing claims in John 5 is, "But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life." Why do so many prefer isms, ideas, "latest-teaching" fascination to, "Come to Me," to a Person, the "Personal God, Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit?
Meditate on it. The Creator, Sustainer of the Universe inviting them that day, and inviting you and me today to get in, stay in, live in, "My yoke," with and in Him. What a life!
Father, in Jesus' Name, I have pulled far too much of life's burden over my lifetime. I "come to [You]," anew this moment. Amen.
******************************
* Berlin/Wittenberge Mission: October 28-November 15
* DC: July 13, 2017
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
