“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 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. For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’” (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT)
What do you envision when you close your eyes and imagine being “yoked” with Jesus? Think of a pair of oxen yoked together, pulling a plow. Think of the implications. They’re partnered, literally connected. Where one goes, the other must go. There’s no “doing there own thing,” or going their own way.
Think of the implications for you and me if we’re serious about our walk with Jesus. What if every morning when your eyes opened to the opportunity of a new day, your first thought was: “Thank You, Lord, for this new day. What do You have prepared for me? How can I most fully and appropriately conform my life to Your will and liking? I want Your will, not mine! I want to walk in Your footsteps, not mine! I want what You want for me. Nothing more, nothing less!” Might it change the trajectory of your whole day? Your whole life?
The purpose of a yoke is two-fold. First, to take away control. When I’m yoked with Jesus the only option I have is to try to stay still and be dragged along, or take the next step, in step with my Master. The moment we relinquish control of our lives to Jesus; from that moment we’ll begin to grow in His likeness. When our heart beats with desire to be like Him, our lives will conform more perfectly to His desires and will.
That relates to the second purpose of a yoke, which is to teach or train. Jesus said: “Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you…” There is no more effective training than “on-the-job training.” We can read the Bible day and night, but until we allow the Lord Jesus to “yoke” us to Himself and begin to walk by His side, we’ll have no frame of reference from which to govern our life.
The Bible isn’t just filled with meaningful and helpful stories and guidelines, it’s filled with life! Life that lives and breathes and has it’s being in and through each one who is bold enough and brave enough to lay down control of their lives and yoke themselves to the God of Creation. There is no greater honor or privilege than to walk in harmony with the Creator of the Universe!
The gift of God’s Holy Spirit living within us gives us 24-7 access to His leadership and training. There is not a second of my day I’m alone or expected to find my own way. I, you, don’t have a way! It’s HIS way! That’s the beauty of being yoked with Him. We don’t have to think about which way to go or how to do something He’s asked of us.
We simply comply with the Holy Spirit’s directives and walk in His power and might. “But how?” you might ask. One step at a time! Begin each day with a decision to rely on God’s strength and guidance, then moment by moment make the decision to rely on Him. He will guide and inform you. Is it a decision regarding something at work? Pause and in your mind breath a prayer of dependence upon the Lord: “Father, this is catching me by surprise, but I know nothing catches You by surprise. Please order my steps and direct my mind!” And He will! Regardless of the circumstances, if we trust Him, He will respond accordingly.
There’s no greater freedom than to be yoked with the Lord Jesus.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 