Take My Yoke Upon You…

 

Come to Me, all you 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

Whenever I read these precious words of Jesus my shoulders relax,  my mind calms and hope rises.   Jesus is my burden bearer. He bids me to come. He refreshes my soul with salvation, renews my mind with His word and quiets my heart with His peace. “I will give you rest” is literally, “I will rest you.” 

For my iniquities have gone over my head;

Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.—Psalm 38:4

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!

For my soul trusts in You;

And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,

Until these calamities have passed by.

I will cry out to God Most High,

To God who performs all things for me.—Psalm 57:1-2

Life in this world is exhausting. The burden of sin and all of its consequences are wearying. So much jockeying for position.  So much competition.  So much trying to be something you are not. So much of everything that doesn’t matter in the end and not nearly enough of what is truly important.  

Not so with Christ.  Beloved…Yoke yourself to the One who is always with you, will never leave you and is always on your side. Commit Yourself to Him. Walk with Him in beautiful surrender and learn from Him. When you are yoked up to Him, you become His disciple. The cares of the world will fade because He is teaching you, leading you and guiding you. He will place you where He wants you. He will bring you forward and He will bring you back. 

In contrast to the yoke of the world, His is light and easy to bear. In contrast to those who reject Him, He is humble and gentle. In Him and only in Him, will you find rest for your soul.

I went to the Treasury of Scripture this morning and found the following verses for the above section of Scripture. They helped my heart. Hoping they do the same for each of you. 

Mat 11:28

Come.

Isa 45:22-25 53:2,3 55:1-3 Joh 6:37 7:37 Re 22:17

all.

23:4 Ge 3:17-19 Job 5:7 14:1 Ps 32:4 38:4 90:7-10 Ec 1:8,14 2:22,23 4:8 Isa 1:4 61:3 66:2 Mic 6:6-8 Ac 15:10 Ro 7:22-25 Ga 5:1

and I.

29 Ps 94:13 116:7 Isa 11:10 28:12 48:17,18 Jer 6:16 2Th 1:7 Heb 4:1

Mat 11:29

my.

7:24 17:5 Joh 13:17 14:21-24 15:10-14 1Co 9:21 2Co 10:5 1Th 4:2 2Th 1:8 Heb 5:9

and learn.

27 28:20 Lu 6:46-48 8:35 10:39-42 Joh 13:15 Ac 3:22,23 7:37 Eph 4:20,21 Php 2:5 1Jo 2:6

for.

12:19,20 21:5 Nu 12:3 Ps 131:1 Isa 42:1-4 Zec 9:9 Lu 9:51-56 2Co 10:1 Php 2:7,8 1Pe 2:21-23

and ye.

28 Jer 6:16 Heb 4:3-11

Mat 11:30

my yoke.

Pr 3:17 Mic 6:8 Ac 15:10,28 Ga 5:1,18 1Jo 5:3

burden.

Joh 16:33 2Co 1:4,5 4:17 12:9,10 Php 4:13

Trusting God As We Journey

 

Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.—Luke 9:1-3

Here Jesus, after giving his disciples both the ability and authority, commissions them to go out and do what they had seen Him do.  

My focus, as I read, zeroed in on verse three.  The disciples were to journey depending on God to meet their needs.  They were to trust His care, His provision and His power in everything...from food, clothing, the casting out of demons and the of healing diseases. He (the Great I AM) would become for them what they needed as they journeyed. 

I am pretty terrible at this. Even when I think I am trusting Him, there is always an underlying anxiety in my heart that seems to overshadow.  I know it is there because I have habits or “tells” that belie my outward calm.  I also know its root cause, but how to ease my concerns is not in me. My mind “trusts” that God can be relied on, but my heart is not so easily convinced.  What do I do?  I confess my sin and press on.  As I do this, I pray that He will unite my heart to fear His name and root out the double mindedness that is evident. Most importantly, however, I give Him thanks for all His goodness The hard evidence of His steadfast love that blankets and surrounds me, even in that very moment of doubting and fear, is difficult to ignore. It reminds me to take courage and wait on Him to strengthen my heart. He has promised and He will do it. 

Beloved...the One whose Presence goes with me (us), the One who performs all things for me, (for us) will make perfect that which concerns me. (us). He will align my will and yours with His perfect one.  It won’t happen overnight (although He could do that), but it will happen moment by precious moment as I (we) continuously place our trust Him.  

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,—2 Corinthians 3:5

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me, and know my anxieties;

And see if there is any wicked way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting.—Psalm 139:23-24

27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.—John 14:27

The following is a list of verses from my Thompson Chain Reference Bible in regard to dependence.  My heart was encouraged and helped as I read them this morning.

Genesis 41:16

Exodus 17:11

Exodus 33:15

1 Kings 17:4

2 Kings 6:27

2 Chronicles 20:12

Psalm 22:10

Psalm 127:1

Jeremiah 10:23

Matthew 8:25

Matthew 15:32

Luke 9:3

Luke 11:3

John 3:27

John 15:4-5

Acts 3:12

1 Corinthians 4:7

2 Corinthians 3:5

2 Corinthians 4:7

On Blessing and Praising the Lord Your God…

 

But Jesus replied, "It is written and forever remains written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"—Matthew 5:

"Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers. And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.—Deuteronomy 8:1-2

God didn’t have to test the Israelites to know what was in their hearts.  He knew who would obey and who wouldn’t obey. The testing was for them…to show them what was in their hearts. It was also for us who read these accounts that their obedience or disobedience would be proven in history and one way or another would be an example for us. 

So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the LORD your God chastens you. “Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. 

God put them in the desert where they had no other choice but to trust Him. Everything they had came from His command…from His very word.  The Lord chastened His people by making them depend on Him for everything. If they wanted to live, they had no other choice but to obey His commands, walk in His ways, and to fear (revere) Him…they literally “feared” to disobey Him who held their very breath in His hands.  

For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you.

This is the part that really gave me pause when I read it last night. It helped me to understand why the giving of thanks and praise to God for His infinite goodness to us is so important.

The land in which their God was bringing them stood in stark contrast to the wilderness in which they were now wandering. It was a land of abundance where Israel would lack nothing.  Moses goes on here to tell them the dangers that would be inherent in said abundance. Prosperity, in effect, would hide their need to depend on God. The reality, however, was that both in scarcity and in abundance their need to depend on God would remain the same. 

The antidote for this danger was to give God praise. 

When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you.

This made so much sense to me. Praising God for all His good gifts would be a constant and (judging from my own life) a much needed reminder to God’s people that all of what they had ultimately came from Him and that without Him nothing was possible. 

 

"Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver aand your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end— then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.'—Deuteronomy 8:11-17

Praising would keep them from forgetting God and saying that it was their might and power that had gained them their abundance instead of God’s. 

"And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. As the nations which the LORD destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the LORD your God. 

Dependence is humbling and praise is beautiful in that it gives glory to the One who deserves all glory, honor and praise. Beloved…Let the praises of God be continually on Your lips.  Failure to praise Him leads to forgetting Him. When we begin to forget Him, our hearts become lifted up in pride, and we begin to walk according to the dictates of our own sinful lusts. We begin to worship the gifts rather than the Giver of all of them.

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.—2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Praise the Father
Praise the Son
Praise the Spirit three in one
God of glory
Majesty
Praise forever to the King of kings

On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand,
all other ground is sinking sand.

2 In every rough and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the vale.
When all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay. 

[Refrain]

3 Not earth, nor hell, my soul can move;
I rest upon unchanging love.
I trust his righteous character,
his counsel, promise, and his power. 

[Refrain]

4 When he shall come with trumpet sound,
oh, may I then in Him be found,
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne. 

On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand,
all other ground is sinking sand.

The Sermon on the Mount…

 

Leaving these verses from Matthew 5 here this morning and praying that they bless whoever might read as much as they blessed me this morning.  

"Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are the poor in spirit [those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].

"Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God's grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted].

"Blessed [inwardly peaceful, spiritually secure, worthy of respect] are the gentle [the kind-hearted, the sweet-spirited, the self-controlled], for they will inherit the earth.

"Blessed [joyful, nourished by God's goodness] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [those who actively seek right standing with God], for they will be [completely] satisfied.

"Blessed [content, sheltered by God's promises] are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

"Blessed [anticipating God's presence, spiritually mature] are the pure in heart [those with integrity, moral courage, and godly character], for they will see God.

"Blessed [spiritually calm with life-joy in God's favor] are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they will [express His character and] be called the sons of God.

"Blessed [comforted by inner peace and God's love] are those who are persecuted for doing that which is morally right, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].

"Blessed [morally courageous and spiritually alive with life-joy in God's goodness] are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil things against you because of [your association with] Me. Be glad and exceedingly joyful, for your reward in heaven is great [absolutely inexhaustible]; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.—Matthew 5:1-12 AMPLIFIED

Become Complete…

 

Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.  Greet one another with a holy kiss.

All the saints greet you.  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.—2 Corinthians 13:11-14

You could say that the Second letter to the Corinthian church must have been pretty unpleasant at times for the Corinthians to read.  Paul spoke directly and honestly about the things in the church that needed correction from exposing false teachers to defending his own apostolic authority.  His ending, however, is a heartwarming call for unity.  I can almost hear Paul reminding himself and his readers here to wrap themselves in love which was the glue that would hold them together as they sought each other’s highest good. In his words I hear the melody of one of my favorite passages from Colossians, Chapter 3.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Below are some verses that also came to mind as I read Paul’s string of exhortations in verse 11.

Become Complete…the amplified says “to be what you should be”

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him,—Colossians 2:10

I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.—John 17:23

Be Comforted…

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.—2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Be of one mind…

Have the mind of Christ…

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.—Philippians 2:1-4

Live in Peace…

If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.—Romans 12:17

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:—Hebrews 12:14

Beloved…Aim for perfection, be comforted, be likeminded with Christ, live peaceably with one another seeking each other’s highest good.  And as you do, the God of love and peace [the source of lovingkindness] will be with you

May each of us in our own lives take heed to Paul’s warnings and exhortations throughout this Epistle. Through the power of His Spirit may we obey them by depending on the grace that our God supplies according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 

Paul ends by invoking the blessing of the triune God. 

Father may this blessing be ours as well!  May the grace of Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be experienced in our hearts and in our lives and may we share it with those You have sovereignly placed around us.

Even Though Our Outward Man is Perishing…

 

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.—2 Corinthians 4:16-18

The older I get the harder it becomes to ignore all my sufferings, because they are my constant companions and become more diversified and numerous as time marches on.  Age also increases the likelihood that we have become intimately acquainted with not only physical trials, but also with difficult emotional ones as well.  It is HARD in our flesh NOT to lose heart!  

Day in and day out, here in our bodies, we ARE growing old.  But as our outward man perishes, our spirit - our inward man - is being renewed and transformed daily into His likeness.  Paul calls our time here in our bodies short, light and temporary affliction which cannot be compared with the weight of what is to come.  Beloved, our earthly eyes oftentimes see life here on earth as tedious, long, grievous and heavy.  It is only by faith that we can see and judge them as Paul does...as lightness itself and but for a moment because the glory that is to be revealed is weighty and lasting.  

Paul did not fear this heavy, long and often grievous life, nor did he fear death. His faith gave him the victory over fear...He focused on the eternal rather than the temporal.  Like Paul, we know that Jesus’ resurrection is an assurance of our own. Death for believers means that we are now absent from our body and present with the Lord.  Knowing this brings us comfort in our time of trial and keeps us from fear.  We can say with David:

I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel;

My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.

8 I have set the LORD always before me;

Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;

My flesh also will rest in hope.

10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,

Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

11 You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.—Psalm 16:7-11

Beloved, we walk by faith and not by sight.  Choose to look at the heavenly, and not the earthly.  Abide and allow God’s eternal truth to wash over you every morning.  Look to Jesus in whom consolations abound.  

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?—1 John 5:4

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.—Hebrews 12: 1-2

On Not Losing Heart - 2 Corinthians 4:1-12

 

Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.—2 Corinthians 4:1

As I read 2 Corinthians 4:1-12, I found much encouragement from Paul to tuck away in my heart.  Verse 1 reminded me that the One who saved me and entrusted me with those works that He prepared beforehand (Ephes 2:10) would not allow me to fail. I am not to lose heart or quit.   It is God who works in me both to do and to will for His good pleasure.  He who called me is faithful.  I can trust Him to see me through.  

But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.—2 Corinthians 4:2-4

As a Christian I am to put off deceit and walk as it says in Psalm 119, undefiled in the way.  I am to live transparently and walk in the truth of God’s word as it is revealed in the Scriptures. My word and deed are to match. As Paul said in Chapter 3 our lives should read like an epistle of Christ written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God on the tablets of our hearts.  

For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.—2 Corinthians 4:5-6

I really liked this one...probably the most difficult one.  I don’t know about you, but sadly my heart’s first reaction to life in this fallen world is to make me the center. I want to make everything about me. In truth, nothing is ever about me...even the stuff that really seems to be about me.  It is about Him.  I died and my life is now hidden with Christ in God. I am His bondservant.  The Judaizers in Paul’s time were all about glorying in themselves and in their achievements.  Christ for them was only the means to an end.  For Paul to live was Christ and to die was gain.  

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.—2 Corinthians 4:7-12

In effect, I am a clay pot...an earthen vessel...without value in and of myself.  The treasure that is within me...the very Spirit that is from God...is what gives me value.  A clay vessel is weak...it cracks easily.  Not a problem for God.  When our pot is cracked and weakened, His light shines from within our vessels brighter.  His strength in fact, is made perfect in our weakness. 

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.—2 Corinthians 12:9-10

It is very difficult for me to take pleasure in my weakness.  Being weak makes me feel scared, out of control and very vulnerable.  Trusting God then in my weakness is hard. Here is the wonderful thing about God, though.  He makes it pretty hard not to trust Him because really what choice do we have?  We ARE weak!  The older I get the clearer this becomes.  Beloved, don’t fight against God. As the clay is in the hand of the potter, so are we in the hand of our God. Trust Him.  He is good and does good.

Blessed is the man, who puts his trust in Him!   

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,

And whose hope is the LORD.

8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,

Which spreads out its roots by the river,

And will not fear when heat comes;

But its leaf will be green,

And will not be anxious in the year of drought,

Nor will cease from yielding fruit.—Jeremiah 17:7-8