HIS YOKE AND HIS BURDEN.(Matt 11:29-30)

Matthew 11:29-30 Take My yoke on you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.

 

With reference to the verse above, since the yoke comes before the learning (of God’s wisdom) I’d say it sort of correlates with Proverbs 11:2- “with the lowly is wisdom”. This implies that, His yoke is humility... How’s humility a yoke? You think of it. If we were to stay humble every single day of our lives, we’d feel uncomfortable a lot of times. That “uncomfortable feeling” is the yoke, but it’s also the sin-nature’s way of discouraging you from being humble. And it only decreases by growing in humility, developing a meek and lowly heart. The verse goes on saying, “learn of me… and you shall find rest for your souls”. This learning isn’t just about reading God’s Word, and going to some church/ religious gathering to learn about His word. It’s about living the way Christ lived, talking and responding the way He did, picking up your cross and following diligently the examples He has set for you and I. As you do this, you become more like Him; and like His mind was at peace/ Rest when He was here on Earth, you will also begin to experience the same in your mind, circumstances, your everyday life, and even more, Eternal Rest.

 

“My burden is light”, literally, this means Christ’s burden isn’t heavy/ difficult to bear. From another point of view;

Psalm 119:130 says “The entrance of His Word gives light…” which means His burden is His Word.

But 1 John 5:3 says “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are NOT burdensome.”

This means it’s not necessary the Word itself or the keeping of It, but the responsibility, persecutions, involved in keeping the Word, those are the burdens. Think of God’s disciples, apostles, the prophets, all servants of God; they all suffered persecution because of God’s Word (or law). These persecutions are one of the devil’s ways of trying to discourage God’s faithful from keeping, preaching, or living God’s Word.

Why does God allow these persecutions?

1. They keep you from developing a proud heart/attitude. (2 Corinthians 12:7)... “Revelation that hasn’t been tested by persecution will make you proud.”- Pastor Olubi Johnson.
2. Our sufferings/ persecutions will be the legal basis for the devil and his cohorts eternal punishment and banishment.”

How do you overcome these persecutions? By Grace which comes through humility.

2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may overshadow me.

James 4:6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says, God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.

So next time you’re facing a persecution or difficult situation, just get down on your knees, confess and forsake your sins (from a humble heart) and commit the situation into God’s hands and ask for Grace to overcome the circumstance. 

Don’t always ask God to just take your problems away, only spiritual babes do that, He expects you to fight back whenever the devil strikes, not to run away from the devil in fear. You are more than a conqueror, and an over comer. You shouldn’t be scared of the devil but he should be scared of you. In fact, the devil IS SCARED OF YOU!!!

Grace be with you. Amen!!