Command 25 : Take My Yoke | Day 175 Find Ultimate Rest!In this command there are actually two levels of rest that are promised. The first level is given to us when we become believers in the Lord Jesus Christ: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). The second level of rest is not something given to us but is found by us when we fulfill the requirements of being yoked with Christ: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me ... and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30). Salvation gives rest between our spirits and God's Spirit. Christ's yoke allows us to find rest in our souls. In this command Jesus contrasts the heavy burdens that we bring to Him at salvation with the light burdens that we carry with Him in service. The burdens are light because we do not carry them in our own strength but by the power of God's grace, even as Paul testified: “I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (I Corinthians 15:10). Being yoked with Christ does not mean the absence of labors, fiery trials, tribulations, or reproaches. Rather, in the midst of them we will hear the words of Jesus: “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." We then can respond as Paul did, saying, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (II Corinthians 12:9). Vaughn Shoemaker was an award-winning cartoonist for a Chicago newspaper for many years. I remember one cartoon he drew of a mighty rushing waterfall. Over the fall extended a large branch from a tree, and in the branch was a nest with a mother bird sitting over her newly hatched chicks. Beneath the cartoon was the title "Peace." Over the years this cartoon was reprinted in the paper because it captured the fact that peace is not what is happening around us but what is taking place within us. Being yoked with Christ brings rest, even in the midst of toil and hardship. The rest that Christ offers is available to all who take His yoke and learn of Him. Consider some of the many benefits that we receive: We gain a leader we can trust; we no longer have to carry our own load; we receive clear direction for each day's work; we never again walk alone; we always have One to share our load and give us the strength to bear our burdens; we can be confident of success and productivity; and we enjoy the delight of pleasing God, glorifying Him, and gaining eternal rewards. In your journal this week it would be significant to imitate the style used by Charles Sheldon in his book titled In His Steps, and write summaries of several past and potential situations along with the question "What would Jesus do?" As you and your family discuss these situations, you will gain a greater understanding of what it means to be yoked with Christ. |
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
|