My Yoke is Easy
by Helen Dowd

Matthew 11:25-36 "Come unto me, all ye that labour 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."

For those of us living in North America we may not understand the significance of a yoke. But in many countries of the world where man is the "beast of burden" yokes are placed across the shoulders to balance heavy loads that are distributed evenly on each side of the crossbar. The loads can become very heavy after awhile.

We all have a "yoke" we have been given to bear. But we don't have to bear it alone.

A blind friend expressed to me his desire for sight. He said to me: "I wonder if by putting my faith in God's hands I might be able to walk without a cane or my guide dog."

That would be wonderful. Yes. God could give him sight. All things are possible. But I know God has a purpose for this man's blindness, and he is finding out some of this purpose. He is able to help others who are blind to learn to live with their disabilities. God is teaching him to lay his burden of blindness on Christ. He is finding that by taking Christ's yoke on him his burden is much lighter.

Each of us has a disability of one sort or another that we would desire to be free of. And of course, God can and does perform miracles, but on the other hand, He also gives us ailments for a purpose.

Even "Paul the apostle" had a "thorn in the flesh"a yoke to bear, which he asked God to relieve him of. But God didn't. He just helped Paul become more dependent on Him because of his weakness. I believe God didn't deliver him from his ailment so that he could be an encouragement to millions down through the ages who have disabilities.

God can heal us from our disabilities. But what is more important, He wants us to rely on His love for us to guide us through things. He wants us to lay our yoke on Him and let Him carry our burden. Christ calmed the waters when there was a storm. He could have made it so that there wasn't a storm in the first place, but He didn't. He allowed the storm so that He could teach His disciples that He was with them in the storm...And God is with you in your disability, whether it is blindness, deafness, being lame or without useable limbs, or whatever. He will always be there for you, waiting for you to call on Him to help bear your burden.

I have known several people with so-called disabilities. Some have been great blessings. I knew one woman who lost her sight about 12 years before she died--at over 90. Instead of being bitter about it, or moaning the fact that she could no longer see, she SAW things that those of us with eyesight could not. She saw the thoughts of God, as we could not. She saw God's beauty. She saw the message as she listened to Billy Graham, or other of God's great servants. She gave off the light of the Lord and she was a blessing to all those around her in the nursing home. And I remember one woman who had never walked in all of her forty-five years; yet she had a constant smile on her face and she would reach out and grasp your hand as you passed by. She was a great example of one who has taken Christ's yoke upon her and rested in Him.

Ever since 2004 my husband has fought an infection in his right leg, which threatened his whole body, taking him to death's door on more than one occasion. But did he give up? NO! He did every thing he could to avoid the inevitablelosing his limb--but eventually, in April 2007, he had his right leg amputated six inches above his knee. Did he give up? NO! He determined to make the best out of his "disability" and get on with his life. Not able to spend his time in his garden with his flowers, he now spends his days sending out "flowers"--inspirational messages-- to hundreds of people. Many have expressed how his emails have blessed them. He doesn't dwell on his "disability." He just gets on with his life.

Although we cannot know the whys at this time, we will some day know God's reason for allowing sickness, handicaps or disabilities. And we can also know at the present time that if we lay our burden on Him He will carry it for us. His yoke is easy; so let our yoke be His yoke. Then we will be able to carry it.

My yoke is so heavy as onward I go.
My strength, it is faltering. My footsteps are slow.
How can I keep going? I heave a great sigh.
I cannot go onward? I think I shall die!
And then, of a sudden, comes a voice, oh, so sweet:
"Come to me, My dear Pilgrim. Lay your load at My feet.
Take My yoke upon you. Put your trust in Me.
You'll feel your load lighten. Your soul will be free.
For my yoke is easy. My burden is light.
You'll find rest in you soul, if in Me you delight."

So, despite a physical disability that you may be suffering, you can be a blessing to many. Let God's light shine from your soul.

May God bless you.
Helen Dowd

I am thankful to the Lord for my Christian parents who brought me up to love the Lord, and who taught me that there are no second-generation Christians, and that each person must accept Christ's gift of salvation--the shedding of His blood on Calvary. I gave my heart to the Lord at the age of eight. .... Now that I am in my retirement years, I am enjoying spending time at my computer, along side my husband of 51 years,  writing poetry, story poems, stories about pets and life in general, as well as inspirational and Bible stories. My  writings can be found on my website: www.occupytillicome.com

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com







Thanks!

Thank you for sharing this information with the author, it is greatly appreciated so that they are able to follow their work.

Close this window & Print