June 29th
25At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 27“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:25-30 NIV
6Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, 7Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. 1 Peter 5:6-7 AMP
Living in the world can easily discourage us and burden our souls. There are many aspects of today’s modern morality that parallel the decadence of Sodom and Gomorrah. The constant bombardment of sin and temptation can wear away at our resolve and joy in living for God. We can often end up feeling like Lot did just before Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction: “…he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)” (2 Peter 2:7-8 NIV).
Jesus no doubt felt the same way when he was living on earth. He was tempted in every way, yet did not sin. As a perfect man, he was surrounded with the imperfection and sin of the world, yet he managed to continue to show God’s love to sinners. He overcame the world and now will teach us the way to victory. By taking “his yoke” upon us, we submit our lives to him and give him control of our decisions. He in turn will teach us gently and give us rest from the sorrows of living in a sinful world. He will teach us how to love people as God loves them and share the message of Christ with them.
If you are feeling discouraged, beaten down, and weary in your struggle against sin in your life, the above scripture passage is for you. Jesus invites you to lay your burdens at his feet today and find rest for your soul.
Questions for further thought:
How is casting our burdens, worries and cares to Jesus a way of humbling ourselves?
Submitting ourselves to Jesus helps prevent what sin in our lives? (James 4:6-7)
Why does living in a sin-filled society tend to weaken our faith and/or discourage us? (Psalm 63:1, Psalm 32:10, Psalm 37:7, Psalm 37:17)
Considering the Matthew 11:25-30 and 1 Peter 5:6-7 passages, what can you thank God for?
Prayer:
“Lord Jesus, thank you that I can cast my cares, burdens and fears to you today. I confess that I have resisted submitting to you. I submit myself anew to you today and take your light and easy yoke upon my life. Please teach me, Lord, how to live for you. Please give my weary soul rest from the onslaught of the world. I desire to live in victory over sin. I desire to have your love for people and share the good news with them about you. Please lead me in truth and guide me on your path. Thank you, Jesus! Amen.”