Good Sunday morning! The Hour of Power will start soon, but I am excited to be here writing once more. Nice weather this weekend, cool and rainy with a touch of autumn in the air. This morning, Pastor Rogers' devotional touched a neuron somewhere deep in my brain and triggered a response within me. Submission is a touchy subject, some believe one thing about it and others something similar, but not quite the same. I acknowledge that Jesus' yoke is indeed light, for I often write this devotional without feeling the incredible responsibility of my words. If I felt that responsibility too much, I might not write at all. Today it came to me to write about the heaviest responsibility and where it lies in our walk of faith.
The Biggest 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, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." " Matt 11:28-30
Who among us does not feel a heavy burden today? Exactly, those who are not saved may feel their life is going pretty good. We see those with great success in this life, bouncing along without seemingly any serious cares in this world. Our lives, on the other hand, seem to go from heavy burden to heavy burden with barely a rest in between. So what is it that Jesus will teach us? Perhaps to release those heavy burdens to Him! In our pride we may cling to heavy burdens that Jesus wants us to give up to Him. In my life, I have often worried about many things that I have little or no control over. This type of heavy burden is one that Jesus would not have me to carry. Along with the worries come anxieties over events that will never happen. More burdens that I do not need to carry. You may have similar or very different burdens that you do not need to bear. Jesus wants all of those burdens given over to Him.
In training, the Navy SEAL team candidates are made to carry huge logs as a team. The team leaders wisely learn, or are told, to arrange their teams by height so that each member carries an equal share of the burden. Imagine one team staggering under their log at the end of a day, stumbling and weary as they try to get one more lap around the beach. Suddenly a new team member steps in and offers to carry the entire log while the team rests. The team refuses and stumbles on. Standing to one side, or watching from a comfortable chair, you might wonder at the mental stability of that team. Refusing help when it is offered? However, we have probably done the same thing in our own lives, carrying burdens much too heavy for us and refusing the salvation that Jesus offers. Just when it seems the "log" is about to crush us, we finally come to realize that we need a savior.
What about that savior of ours? Where do those burdens go that He picks up from each and every one of us? The biggest yoke of all is borne by the one who promises a light burden to us. On His yoke is truly the weight of the universe. When we fall at His feet and our heavy burdens roll off, we often forget what He tells us at that moment. "Stand, and walk with Me!" Our Lord does not stomp on our prostrate forms, or gloat with satisfaction over our humiliation. No, He tells us to stand and walk with Him. How ever did we come to deserve such a leader and friend as this Jesus? The truth is that we do not deserve such an honor and the gift of eternal life. He gives us this gift and honor out of His own love for us. Bring your burdens to the One who bears the biggest yoke, and love Him with the great adoration and praise that He deserves from us!
Hallelujah for the Day!
Bucky
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