"Get in the Yoke”

^{“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.}

^{Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”}

^{Matthew 11:28-30}

I read these verses in my devotions one time and as I unfolded them and looked a little closer, their meaning was so much more than I had noticed before. We all live busy lives and sometimes the stress of deadlines, children, jobs, finances, and relationships can overwhelm us and make it possible to live a life headed for disaster, depression, and destruction.

^{“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”}

^{Psalms 55:22}

Sometimes your lives just spiral out of control, and you begin to feel the effects of stress. What exactly is stress? One definition is “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.” Webster’s defines it this way, “a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work, etc. Something that causes strong feelings of worry or anxiety.”

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
1 Peter 5:7

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

John 14:27

Ok, time to ‘fess up. How many of you have had these feelings and felt the pressure of stress in your life? Ok, my hand is up too! (Although retirement is definitely less stress. 😉) We all do at some time. We all experience times in our lives when we just don’t know which way to turn or what to do. We are overwhelmed with issues on every side and have no answers for any of them. We

feel as though we are drowning and going down for the third time. Stress is a part of every single person’s life. But the answer to finding peace is how we deal with it. How do you deal with it? Scream, holler, lash out, retreat, or crawl into a corner? As with most things in life, our reaction to problems is the most important thing.

“I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place.”

Psalms 118:5

Have you ever noticed that two people going through similar circumstances can have two totally different reactions? Two people can get that dreaded diagnosis of cancer. One may totally fall apart and not even be able to cope with life. They may be in a constant state of depression and distress while another person with the same diagnosis handles it with grace and dependence on God. We have had many people in our church over the years whose grace just amazes me as they

battle this ugly disease. Anytime you talk to them, they will tell you how blessed they have been and how they are trusting in the Lord for the outcome. Now that is grace! That is faith! They show true faith and dependence on the Lord for His strength. What great examples they have been to me and many others.

“In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.”

Psalms 94:19

I read this quote and thought it was so true and convicting. “When you say, ‘I’m stressed,’ you tell those around you that at this moment, the peace of God does NOT control your life.”  Ouch! Think about it. It’s the truth.

“Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me:

yet thy commandments are my delights.”

Psalms 119:143

Jesus is very clear in these verses. He says, “Come to me. I am carrying the whole load on my shoulders in one side of the yoke. All you have to do is put yourself in the other side of the yoke. Follow Me. Learn about Me. I’ve got this. Rest easy in Me. Walk alongside Me. As you walk and learn from Me, you will find rest. You will find that My way is easy and light if you will just trust Me and let Me carry your burdens.” Verse 29 tells us that then and only then will we “find rest unto your souls.”

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication

with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,

shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7