Do Easy Things and Carry Light Burdens
The clamor of the religious world seems to be go out and engage in activity. The gentle call of the Savior is to “come unto me and rest.”
This summer God has been asking me to do easy things which He has sovereignly designed me to do and not the endless tasks that I think I should do. My nature is geared to seeking first the Kingdom and accomplishing things for God. It is only the past 4 years that I have been learning to be still and wait on God. The highlight of my day is generally a lovely walk around my neighborhood where I commune with my heavenly Dad. When I am in His presence all is well. My soul is at rest. The words of one of my favorite hymns describe my state of being, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strongly dim in the light of his glory and grace.”
Then I return to my computer and try to knock off items from my ever present to-do list. When I am in God’s presence, I am like Mary and all is good. But when I am looking at my list and trying to squeeze more activity into an already full schedule, anxious Martha appears.
When I first learned about the concept of Jesus being Lord of my life I feared the cross and the hard and difficult things I might have to do. Now I sense Jesus calling me to a different kind of trust. A letting go of what I think is important and trusting Him to lead me into what He thinks is important. Now I am learning to take deep breaths and rest in His plan which He says is easy and doable. The more I know God and taste of His goodness, the easier it is to accept His customized yoke and trust His tailor-made plan for each day.
Come Unto Me
“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.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
Perhaps the best part of this passage is having the opportunity to draw near and get close to Jesus. I love being near to God and I revel in His presence and nearness. “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)
Whether we are tired or thirsty, “Come unto me” is His call to each of His sheep. “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.’” (John 7:37)
This I Know that God is for Me!
Part of my struggle to rest and have an easy yoke from Jesus, instead of a heavy yoke from Steve, is recognizing my unbiblical view of God. I have long thought that I always needed to do something extra for God to be pleased with me. Or that I needed to make some sacrifice to earn a smile of approval from my Heavenly Father.
But now I know that God not only loves me, He likes me. He enjoys my presence. Recently I broke free from the endless treadmill of things to do and needs to meet. As I whittled down my to-do list, I heard God’s still small voice calling me to go on a walk with Him. It was evening, and if I didn’t go soon, I would miss my opportunity for the day. As I stepped out onto the porch I sensed the Spirit saying “Yes!” as if I had just won a race. I had broken free and He was excited to see me.
“Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, ‘Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant!’” (Psalm 35:27)
To Obey is Better than Sacrifice
This morning I was reading 2 Kings 5 and read about the general of the armies of Aram (Syria). He had contracted leprosy and a young Hebrew servant girl told him about Elisha. ““I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.” (2 Kings 5:3 NLT)
Naaman sought Elisha who told him to simply bathe in the waters of the Jordan River. He had brought expensive gifts and was willing to make a great sacrifice and was enraged at this simple solution. Fortunately his advisors urged him to reconsider and accept this easy yoke and light burden. “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” (2 Kings 5:13 NLT) Naaman was healed.
Simply obeying is more effective than costly sacrifices.
He Knows Our Frame
One afternoon I was wondering what I could eat or drink to stay awake and keep working. I sensed the Spirit saying that He knew I was tired. I remembered this passage, “He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:14) Our Dad knows us inside and out. He designed us and formed us in our mother’s womb. He cares about us and our family. He knows what we can do.
The more I meditate on who God is, the easier it is for me to receive His easy yoke and carry the light burdens He has uniquely created for me.
“The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need.”
I can rest knowing God has everything under control. He knows the needs all around me. He is aware of the problems in the world. He is God. He is my shepherd.
Thank you for reading along with me and entering into my journey. Lets encourage each other to rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. My God’s good Spirit lead us to do easy things and carry the light burdens He has designed for each of us. May He lead us to green meadows and peaceful streams.
“The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.” (Psalm 23:1-2)
Learning to Accept His Yoke and Burden,
Steve