My Yoke is Easy

God’s first specific command not to do something was not exactly onerous. In Genesis 2:16 – 17 we read ‘And the LORD God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.’’

It was not even as tough as fasting. They could eat as much as we wanted from every tree, apart from one.

God is the same today - (and yesterday, and tomorrow). He does not burden us with a heavy load. ‘For my yoke is easy and my burden is light’ Matthew 11.30). Rather, we are good at burdening ourselves. We read someone’s testimony and imagine we have to measure up to him or her. And we try and put the weight God designed for someone else on our own shoulders. We forget everyone’s calling is individual. Peter can’t be Paul, nor Paul, Peter. We forget it was a step-by-step process for both Paul and Peter to reach the place in the kingdom they did.

The yoke that is easy for us, custom-made by an expert carpenter for our shoulders, would cripple someone else, and vice versa. And unless you are one of those rare human beings born with four shoulders, you can only wear one yoke at a time. If you are trying to take up two, your own and someone else’s, I suggest you drop the other one! And if your shoulders are chaffed raw from the wrong yoke, swap it for the easy yoke of Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me for burdening myself, or letting someone else give me a heavy yoke. I thank You, Lord, that Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light. I gladly take it up. Please help me to drop the others. Amen.

 
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