As I was preparing for a Bible Study, I came to 2 John 5:3, which says that God's commands are not burdensome, not irksome, not grievous. I was going to make only a passing reference to Matthew 11:28-30, but the Lord brought these thoughts into my mind.
Is it really true, in every case, for every Christian, that God's commands are not burdensome?
Jesus says that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. If Jesus is telling the truth, why does it
seem anything but easy at times?
What are we to do with His yoke? Take it! The yoke that is taken, gladly accepted, is an easy yoke.
Jesus said, "Take My yoke." It is an easy yoke, only as it is TAKEN, not as it is suffered or
grudgingly endured. Jesus talks about giving rest to the heavy-laden and He ties that in with giving them His burden. How does that make sense? Notice that it is not any yoke or any burden. Jesus says, "Take MY yoke, MY burden." Why does that make a difference? Christians who are heavy-laden and over-burdened are harder on themselves than God is.
They carry burdens God never intended for them and which they are not designed to bear.
If we TAKE His yoke, it means we will always be so close to Him and it also means that we'll never be in bondage to any other yoke. If we SHARE His burden, it means that we're free from all other burdens, the heavy burdens that do nothing but weigh us down, tire us out and thoroughly discourage us.
His yoke and His burden will involve us in His glorious enterprises and free us from the tyranny of all the pressures we so often wrongly put upon ourselves.
If you are carrying a burden all alone, it's the wrong burden. The yoke is designed for two, the
Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and you! He does not want you fretting and exhausted; He wants you contentedly walking with Him, joyously sharing in eternal works, and all the while getting to know Him better, basking in His love more and more.
With love and prayers,