Resting Souls

February 2, 2021

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

~Matthew 11:29

Jesus calls us out of stressful situations and instructs us to take His yoke upon ourselves. A yoke is a wooden crosspiece that is used over the shoulders of two animals that is then attached to a cart behind them that is being pulled. Do you feel like you have so many things you are "pulling behind you," right now. Perhaps you feel as though you have a yoke sitting on your shoulder and it is truely weighing you down. The Lord tells us to take His yoke and we will find true rest for our souls. When we are carrying the weight of this world and trying to over accomplish tasks each day we can wind up drained of energy, time and motivation. Notice the yoke is a wooden cross like shaped piece. The way I see it is Jesus is telling us to take His cross upon our backs. Jesus went to the cross and took our burdens for us. When we take up His cross and follow Him we will find true peace and rest in Him. "Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." (Matthew 16:24)

As the animals that are yoked together, we are yoked with our fellow brothers and sisters, connected by one glorious cross. With this cross we may suffer rejection, persecution and tests; but without it we will never truely have restful souls. We will begin to be yoked to the world and feel all the effects of it; mentally, physically and spiritually. Jesus is the only one who can truely give us peace. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

(John 14:27)

He gives us so much more then this world could ever supply us with. When we take His yoke upon us we are able to do one thing at a time that He is asking us to do, the rest is up to Him for He is in control. When we take the yoke of this world upon us we are taking on too large of a load we can't handle and assuming we are in full control. Our bodies will be worn out. Our spirits will feel weak.

"He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength."

(Isaiah 40:29)

He promises our constant help. He promises to take our burdens, for He already did this on the cross. He bore our curse, this includes stress and fatigue. I can recall many times feeling the devil trying to take me down with fatigue that suddenly came on. I began to pray to the Lord for His divine energy and every time I ask, the Lord always comes through. If He does not give me the energy after praying for it again and again, I know Jesus is telling me to rest. "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

Jesus knows how important it is for our bodies to have rest. He took time to rest His body plenty of times so that He could be focused and well for His mission, after all He still was a human man. "But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38)

Jesus was resting in the middle of the storm, the disciples were focusing on all of the chaos around them. The response they gave Jesus was blame, yet Jesus still woke up from his nap and rebuked the storm for them. This is what the Lord is willing to teach us, the power of faith and trusting in His word. When we take His yoke upon us we are giving Him control and saying "I know I can't do this without You, You will make it much lighter on me." He cares for us and wants us to be at peace and for our bodies to be well. He wouldn't have sacrificed Himself if He did not want this for us. When we start to feel bombarded with so many things we "have to get done," let us stop and pray about them, figure out if it is really necessary for us with the Lord. We know that busyness is a tactic of satan, if he can keep us constantly stressing over things that are not useful for the kingdom then he can sit back and giggle as we run around like a mad person. When we come to the Lord and tell Him, "this day is for You, guide me in the things I need to get done for You," we will find ourselves in His will and in His strength. Ask the Lord for understanding and a clear mind. He wants to guide You on the path that is right and light. "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

(Matthew 11:30)

We have to stop taking on the world as if we are God, we have to understand Jesus is here for us to work with side by side. He did not go to be with the Father and leave us on our own. He went to be with the Father to send His Spirit to dwell in us as a guide and comforter each and everyday, so we can do His works and rest in Him when we need it.

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever." (John 14:16)

We have direct contact with heaven everyday as we abide in not only Jesus and the Father but the Holy Spirit Himself is there to help us have rest for our souls. The yoke of Christ is light my friends, I insist on using His instead of the world's as we focus on each day one day at a time with Jesus in mind, for Jesus warns us; " Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew 6:34)

If we are too busy worrying and trying to take control of everything without reaching out, we will end up in deep stressful situations which can really harm our body, spirit and soul; but Jesus promises with His yoke we will have rest for our souls. Take it my friends. Go to Him.

Prayer:

Father God, thank you for reminding me through Your Son that I do not have to take on so much at once. Thank you for Your yoke that allows me to truely feel lighter then this world has me feeling. I pray for Your divine strength today and if there is anything I am to do for You, that is what I wish to accomplish. I pull down every stronghold of busyness or tension the enemy may try upon me today in Jesus Name. I know I am blessed and at peace as I follow You each day. I give You praise for always coming to my rescue just as You did for Your disciples in the storm. There is nothing too big for You to handle and this is why I choose to take Your yoke upon me, to take up my cross and follow You. I know there is no other that can give me what I need. I want to live my day out one day at a time, not thinking of what is ahead, for I know You have it all planned out already. May all the honor and glory be to You as You truely take control over my life and guide me with Your Holy Spirit. Fill me each day with that precious oil so I can show the world how to truely rest in You. In Your Mighty Name I pray, Jesus Christ, my King. Amen.