“Come to me, all 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” ( Matt. 11: 28-30). This may be the most compelling thing Jesus says to us in the New Testament.
This scripture is speaking to the burden the Jews faced in living under the Law. For no one is capable of satisfying the requirements of the Law. Jesus affords us the opportunity to find salvation through the grace of God. Under the Law one wears a heavy yoke, just as oxen do when they are used to pull a heavy load. The yoke of Jesus is discipleship, turning away from all things that are against His teachings. One must realize that while the yoke of Jesus is light, there are requirements that must be met. You must spread His word and be prepared to suffer persecution because of your allegiance to Him just as his disciples did in their time. Again you must be prepared to turn away from all things that contradict His teachings.
Perhaps the greatest lesson here is found in the verse where He speaks of himself as gentle and lowly in heart. With all the power and glory that could be His, He is humble and has only love and gentleness in His heart. Indeed, He is our teacher and in Him we may find rest for our souls.
Most of us in this life are trying to find rest and peace for our troubled hearts. There are many burdens and trials that we face in life that push us into sleepless nights and unhappy days. Some of the time we aren’t fully cognizant of why we feel such turmoil, we only know that we would give much to find a way to unburden our soul. Many turn to drugs or alcohol to find relief; however, these choices bring with them a worse burden and more unrest. Others run seeking happiness in all sorts of places and ways. These too will not solve the problem or ease the pain. Then there are those who choose to take their own life to remove the pain from their lives. Some time ago I wrote an article entitled Mental Stability in which I suggested that counseling and prayer could help a great deal. When I say counseling, I mean by a qualified person, not your neighbor or your best friend. Counseling was a tremendous help to me.
I’m not sure I can find the words to convey to you, what it would mean, if you made Jesus the center of your life. I have stood on the edge of the abyss, without an answer to a monumental problem in my life. I bowed my head one evening and asked God what I could do to relieve the pain I was feeling and help the awful situation I faced. God in His wisdom sent a person to me who helped me to understand what it means to accept the offer Jesus makes to us in this scripture. In the midst of turmoil and grief you can find peace that enables you to function and deal with the burden you carry. Your soul can find rest while you work through whatever it is you face. You will have the ability to handle any setbacks that come along. I can promise these things to you because I’ve lived them.
There is another scripture I’d like to mention at this point. I’ve used it before and feel it is pertinent to this discussion; Romans, chapter 8 verse 28 says, “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose “. No matter what befalls you, God will help you work through it, so that something good comes of it. Notice I said helps you, so you must do all you can to help God help you. If you don’t learn another thing, learn these two scriptures and put them into practice in your life. When those times come and you don’t have an answer, place the problem in God’s hands through prayer. Take Him at His word and claim the promises the scripture speaks of.
