Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Thursday, August 27, 2015
Praying with the Gentle and Lowly
Another night of Evening Prayer, another night of reading through these helpful phrases. Some directly biblical, and others not. As I read down the prayers and passages, I came across this, from Matthew 11:
“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.”
I think Jesus is so good and loving and giving. Imagine, to be able to say to His audience that He will come alongside, He will pull with you—with me, and help us to bear the load. It doesn’t matter what our burden is, because Jesus is bearing it with us. Alongside of us.
What is a yoke? Since most people in my area don’t work closely with animals any longer, I dare say they are often a little fuzzy on the meaning. A yoke is similar to a large collar, fitted to the necks of the animals pulling the plough, or another piece of farm equipment. Usually quite heavy.
Whether we think of the yoke of the Pharisees—the self-righteous straightjacket of legalism the Pharisees impose—or any other kind of yoke that’s difficult to bear, we can exchange that damaging, discouraging yoke for Jesus’ one. He will give us the strength to continue, one day at a time.
Thank You, God. You are so awesome! Thank You for coming alongside of me and so many others. Help us be aware that You are pulling right there, with us. And sometimes, You even take the role of the stronger animal, the best at pulling the heavy burdens.
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