The Yoke of Jesus

After being without a computer for a couple of days, one of the first things I saw in my email tonight was a daily devotional from Greg Laurie Harvest Ministries that grabbed me so I thought I'd share part of it.  The short devotional began with a verse from the bible as always:


For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
— 1 John 5:3


The devotional went on to quote Jesus:


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 11:29-30.


And, for me, the whole think was brought home by the the last 3 paragraphs:


Some people think of the Christian life as a hindrance, as merely a bunch of rules and regulations. But I am wondering which of God's commandments they are struggling with. Does the fact that God forbids stealing, lying, and murdering people actually bother them?

Once I found a brightly colored little bird nestled in the grass of our backyard that looked like someone's pet. When my son borrowed a cage from a neighbor, the little bird hopped in, jumped on the perch, and started swinging away. He didn't see the bars of that cage as a prison that kept him in, but as walls of protection that kept predators out.

In the same way, we can either look at God's commandments as constraining, or we can see them for what they really are: a barrier of protection.


What a great comparison!  Does this change your view of the Christian Life?  If you don't know Jesus, I hope this little story makes you want to learn more about our Loving Jesus.


Blessings,


Mary