yoke | What's The Good Word?

How clear is our vocation, Lord, when once we heed Your call:

To live according to Your Word and daily learn, refreshed, restored,

That You are Lord of all and will not let us fall.

But if, forgetful, we should find Your yoke is hard to bear;

If worldly pressures fray the mind, and love itself cannot unwind

Its tangled skein of care; our inward life repair.

We marvel how Your saints become in hindrances more sure;

Whose joyful virtues put to shame the casual way we wear Your name

And by our faults obscure Your pow’r to cleanse and cure.

In what You give us, Lord, to do, together or alone,

In old routines or ventures new, may we not cease to look to You,

The cross You hung upon– all You endeavored done.

~Fred Pratt Green, 1903-2000

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Lord, may we indeed look to You in these troubled times to see the depth of Your love for us as shown to us by the Cross. There You gave Your life for us as You bore the wrath of Your Father who turned His face from You when all He could see was mankind’s sins obscuring His beloved Son. The Holy forsaking the unholy mess that was You. And now, You come alongside us in our times of trouble and shoulder our griefs and our burdens willingly, faithfully, lovingly. Thank You, Lord Jesus. May Your strength be ours. May Your light be light in us and keep us ever faithful to You! In Your name we pray, Amen.

Photo by Kevin Carden

Genesis 32:13-34:31; Matthew 11:7-30; Psalm 14:1-7; Proverbs 3:19-20

“Come unto me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

As Jesus was teaching the crowds, perhaps he noticed a team of oxen in the field nearby laboring to pull the heavy plow to break up the hard soil. Very aware of the heavy burden of the Law which the Jewish rabbis “celebrated” as the ticket to get close to God, Jesus offered his way–his yoke. Jesus preached repentance of sins and the forgiveness of sins.

A forgiven heart is a light heart and one that bears the load of serving Christ who is yoked beside.

Ask yourself–what yoke are you carrying? Is it heavy or light? If you’re pulling a load of unconfessed sin, Jesus says,”Come…take my yoke…learn from me…find rest.” Find forgiveness.

Lord God, search our hearts this day. Forgive us the sins which are known to us…and those which are hidden deep within. With hearts made light through forgiveness, may we come alongside you to work–to spread the Good News and make disciples of all nations. Thank you for pulling for us and with us! In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.