Today's Scripture
Letting Go – Matthew 11:28-30
28 “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Larry Dickenson's Devotion
| What Does the Passage say? |
| In Chapter 11, two penetrating questions set up Jesus special invitation.
Vs 3 – John the Baptist’s disciple approach with the first question, “Are you the one [Messiah] or should we look for someone else?” Vs 7 – Jesus questions the crowd, “What did you go out to see [when you went out to John]?” Jesus then strangely praises God that His message and John’s message had been hidden from the “wise and learned”. Finally in verses 28-30, Jesus issues His invitation to the people who were weary and burdened to come to Him and find rest.
|
| What Does it Mean to Me/ Us |
| I believe the focus of this passage is the “yoke”. In Jesus’ time a yoke would have been a rigid wooden piece that joined two or more animals, such as oxen, together so that their combined power could be directed into a singular, positive direction. Otherwise, the animals would certainly have pulled in different directions, diminishing their power and increasing the work.
Jesus uses that image to describe life in His kingdom, inviting us to accept His yoke. But importantly, he emphasizes that taking on His yoke will bring rest and release from our burdens because He will be yoked to us as well. How mighty Jesus is to be able to give us all rest and release!! Yet his invitation is only offered to those who accept that their weariness and burdens come from trying to live out our lives without Him; by trying to do it all ourselves and missing the abundance of His grace, acceptance and strength. Take Jesus’ yoke, walk beside Him and let Him carry your wearying and burdensome life-loads! What an offer! |
| Prayer
Lord Jesus, what a joy that your invitation to give You our weariness and burdens and find rest is renewed each day! That in our daily walks, we can be yoked with You, so that You can carried our load as well. Have mercy on us, when we fail to hear your invitation and cling to our weariness and burdens instead of going with You into the abundant life You have prepared. May Your Holy Spirit grow in us so that we remain yoked to you moment by moment. Amen
|
Click to subscribe to our Daily Devotion.
You will receive a devotion in your inbox every morning.