Wednesday
Read – Matthew 11:29
SOAP – Matthew 11:29
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.
It is really hard to be kind or gentle when you have too much weight on your shoulders. When you are stretched beyond your own capacities, you need all the aggression and strength you can muster. Jesus invites us to share our load with Him, to find rest in the knowledge that someone far stronger and more capable than we are is handling the weight we could not carry ourselves.
Most animals probably do not appreciate being yoked with another—it is restrictive and uncomfortable. But Jesus is explicit: He is gentle, and His yoke brings rest for our souls. What initially seems annoyingly restrictive is actually for our own good, because the limitations and rules that God gives us take the weight off our shoulders. We can find peace in knowing that we don’t have to fight for ourselves. God is faithful to bring rest to our souls, even while we still live in this fallen world.
God, I praise You because You are gentle and bring me rest! Teach me to trust in You for my strength and security, believing that You will provide for me and protect me.