April 14, 2004

[Kidan]

Quote[/b] ]Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me . . .
—Matthew 11:29

Quote[/b] ]Whom the Lord loves He chastens . . ." ( Hebrews 12:6 ). How petty our complaining is! Our Lord begins to bring us to the point where we can have fellowship with Him, only to hear us moan and groan, saying, "Oh Lord, just let me be like other people!" Jesus is asking us to get beside Him and take one end of the yoke, so that we can pull together. That’s why Jesus says to us, "My yoke is easy and My burden is light" ( Matthew 11:30 ). Are you closely identified with the Lord Jesus like that? If so, you will thank God when you feel the pressure of His hand upon you.

". . . to those who have no might He increases strength" ( Isaiah 40:29 ). God comes and takes us out of our emotionalism, and then our complaining turns into a hymn of praise. The only way to know the strength of God is to take the yoke of Jesus upon us and to learn from Him.

". . . the joy of the Lord is your strength" ( Nehemiah 8:10 ). Where do the saints get their joy? If we did not know some Christians well, we might think from just observing them that they have no burdens at all to bear. But we must lift the veil from our eyes. The fact that the peace, light, and joy of God is in them is proof that a burden is there as well. The burden that God places on us squeezes the grapes in our lives and produces the wine, but most of us see only the wine and not the burden. No power on earth or in hell can conquer the Spirit of God living within the human spirit; it creates an inner invincibility.

If your life is producing only a whine, instead of the wine, then ruthlessly kick it out. It is definitely a crime for a Christian to be weak in God’s strength.

 

[Kidan]

More on Yokes. What is a yoke exactly?

Quote[/b] ]yoke

n 1: a fitted part at the top of a garment 2: two items of the same kind [syn: couple, doubleton, pair, twosome, twain, brace, span, couplet, distich, duo, duet, dyad, duad] 3: a wooden frame across the shoulders that enables a person to carry buckets hanging from each end 4: connects two things so they move together [syn: coupling] 5: joins two draft animals at the neck so they can work together v 1: become joined or linked together 2: link with or as with a yoke; "yoke the oxen together" [syn: link] 3: put a yoke on; join with a yoke; of draft animals; "Yoke the draft horses together"

That's Webster's definition. Notice the overriding theme there, which of course is joining. When we take Christ's Yoke, we join ourselves together with other Christians, to Him.

The other part of that saying is "My Burden is light" Traditionally Yokes were heavy contraptions, and the animal wearing it burdened all day to till a field. A heavy machine, designed for hard labor. Yet the yoke that Christ brings is different. That burden is light.

Is it because we are protected from burdens? No.
Is it because we are immune from work? No.

Rather it is because we are strong enough, since we are Christ's, to Hold. The Bible is clear that our strength comes from Him, therefore, whatever load He gives us to carry, He also supplies the strength to carry.