Our Personal Yoke………..

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.   Take my yoke upon you.  Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”   Matt. 11:28-29 NLT

I must learn the lessons of the yoke.   First, the yoke is not the burden; the yoke enables me to carry my burdens.  My burden is the normal “cargo” that every person must of necessity tote. (Gal. 6:5)

In the effect, Jesus is saying, “If you will become My disciple, even the natural burdens of life will become tolerable.”

Second, the yoke is personal.  Just as the burden fits me personally, so the yoke must be suited to me.  The Native Americans designed yokes to be worn on their shoulders, shaped personally for each one’s use. 

So Jesus becomes my yoke, personally suited for my particular burden.  His yoke is not intended to add anything to my burden, but to relieve it.  Often a person will say, “How can people live who do not have the Lord?”   That means: “How can people carry their load without the helpful yoke of the Lord?”

Third, the yoke of Jesus.  He calls it, “My yoke.”  He Himself had to bend under the burden that the Father gave Him and in doing so He learned how to use the yoke.

His yoke is not a thing, but an attitude of submission, with the resulting flow of power.  As Jesus bent to the Father’s yoke in order to lift the burden of Calvary, so we bend to Jesus’ yoke in gentle submission and He enables us to lift our cross and move forward to daily victory.

Jesus says, “Learn of me.” (Matt. 11:29 KJV) 

Yes, Lord, let me learn of You so that my burn does not grind me into the dust; let me wear Your yoke, Lord, for my ease and my victory.

Jesus said, “Take My yoke upon you…. For My yoke is easy [tolerable], and My load is light.”  (Matt. 11:30)