Matthew 11:28-30

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Key definitions:

Rest: cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength.

Yoke: (harness, collar, coupling, tack) a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the neck and attached to a plow or cart that is pulled.

Meek: patient, long suffering, forbearing, resigned, gentle

Lowly: humble.

God recognizes where you are and what you go through. Because he walked in the fleshly bod just as we do, he knows the frustration, temptations, vulnerability, anger, and pain we face on a daily basis. Hebrews 4:15, explains this clearly.

The Exchange: Because he knows and understands, he wants to offer the world a way out. God offers us a way to live a life that is insulated.

Yes we will still face the same day to day struggles. However, when we put on the Lord Jesus, he bears the burdens for us. He gives us his all powerful word (Bible), and increases our faith was we walk with him and gain experience. We learn of him – who he is and what he has done for us.

The Exchange: benefits include peace, rest, and confidence.

God is a burden bearer. Through faith, we place the “load” of our lives on him by placing the situations of our lives at his feet. We trust him to work it out, to lead and guide us, to help us make decisions. His ultimate goal is for us to peace – rest for our souls.

When we wear his yoke, we give him permission to steer our lives. But remember his yoke is easy. It is not a physical burden to us. By doing this, God does all the “heavy lifting” of our lives, so to speak. Our ease comes from trusting him to do what his word says he will. It is a faith walk. Romans 1:17 explains this.

It is challenging to allow God to lead us. It is something we must work at and practice. It is a choice we must make every day. When we come to him, we are making an exchange – his will for our own. But the great thing about God – he knows you have plans and goals. He said if we seek him and his will FIRST the he would give us the desires of our heart. There is room to please God and go for your own goals too. It just needs to be done in the proper order. Priority

Life will still have it’s struggles, and pitfalls, ups and downs, good times and bad. However, life with God is easier than it is without him. Peace and knowledge of him makes it all worth while. In the end, heaven is our goal. A life well lived makes it possible.

Have a blessed day