A small package arrived in the mail, and when it was opened there was a beautiful tie inside with a Bible verse on it reading, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ What a pleasant surprise, a gift from a dear brother living 3000 miles away. He knows that this verse is a personal favorite of mine.
This verse is a wonderful verse for all of us to live by. When times are tough and we are struggling, we can feel encouraged, knowing that we can be strengthened by our Savior who endured all we have to endure and was always successful in doing His Father’s will. He wants us to take heart and believe that we, too, can be successful with his help.
Jesus invites us to come to him for strength. He tells us, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’
When I was young I liked these verses, but I did not understand them correctly. I thought that Jesus was asking me to take this big heavy yoke and put it around my neck. I believed that it was the correct thing to do but did not relish the thought of carrying this extra burden of a yoke everywhere I went.
What Jesus actually is offering us is so much better. He is willing to yoke up with us to help make our load more bearable. Just imagine if we were a farmer several hundred years ago. After we have harvested our produce and have loaded it into a cart, we go to the barn and bring out an ox and hitch him to the wagon for the trip to the market. What happens if the ox tries to pull the cart loaded with produce, but it is too heavy and he cannot budge it? Being a smart farmer we go to the barn and bring out another ox, take a yoke and yoke the two oxen together. Now when we climb on the cart and say, “Giddy up,’ the two oxen start pulling together and can easily haul the load into town.
The Lord Jesus is offering his yoke so that he can help us; the yoke is necessary so that he can share our load. With him pulling along beside us we can more easily pull our load through life. In truth, we cannot do it alone, but by being yoked to Jesus we can do all things for he is right there with us, and strengthening us.
No one escapes life without some times of trouble. If we truly wish to be granted the gift of eternal life and a place in the Kingdom of God, we must be willing to endure hardship, as soldiers of Christ, and put our priorities on serving our Lord and seeking first the Kingdom of God. Jesus tells us, “Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it.’
Those who are yoked together must travel the same direction. Either we choose to go with Jesus on the narrow road that leads to life, or we have to take off his yoke and travel the wide, popular way without him.
Moses wanted the children of Israel to make the right choice in their lives: He explained, “Look! I have set before you today life and prosperity on the one hand, and death and disaster on the other. What I am commanding you today is to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to obey his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances.’ Moses begged the people to choose the way of life: “I call heaven and earth to witness this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose therefore life, that both you and your seed may live.’
The choice should not be difficult to make. We can decide to follow the world and enjoy the pleasures of sin, which end in sorrow and death, or choose to walk with Jesus. Sadly, many do unyoke from Jesus and turn down the broad way that leads to destruction.
How thankful we should be that Jesus has offered to yoke up with us and help us travel the right way. Let us choose the narrow gate that leads to life, and let us yoke ourselves together with Jesus who will help us to bear our burdens and make them feel light. With Jesus sharing our load, we can say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One