The Wednesday Word 7.20.2022

 

Matthew 11:28-29 New Living Translation

28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 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.

Do you wonder what Jesus meant when he says to “take my yoke upon you” in this passage? We know that a yoke was a contraption that hooked an animal up to a plow or some kind of cart, often in tandem. In one sentence he says come to him to get a break from exhaustion and in the very next to take on his yoke, a whole different kind of burden. I think the next verse helps to clarify. “30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Jesus wants us to “hook” up to him and relieve us of all the worries and fears of this life. Instead, he wants to give us purpose and hope for a better way to live.

We are all faced with the stresses of everyday life. Some are as a result of the natural world (i.e., a tornado ripping through your town or a random virus through your body) and some arise from our own missteps or the bad choices of others around us. Even the “small stuff” can get to us from time to time. Jesus wants something better for us than that. We will all face obstacles and trials. He wants to teach us how to navigate this life in a different way, with him as our aid and our guide. We must simply learn to rely on him for the answers…something to pray about.

Don’t forget to look for the Lord today. Vicki H.