| Matthew 11:28-30 – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” |
As I mentioned before, my father grew up on a small farm in northern Minnesota. Long before there were gas-powered tractors, he worked his fields by hitching his horse to a small plow with a yoke (a wooden crossbeam attached across the neck of an animal with reins that the farmer would hold to guide the animal in the right direction.) My dad held the reins of the horse and the handles of the plow, and together they walked up and down the field, furrowing straight rows. The yoke was not used for punishment or to cause pain, but as a means for my dad to gently guide the horse and instruct him to start or stop, turn left or right. My dad used his skills as a farmer to keep the horse from wandering all over the field, making a mess of things and more work for everyone. He could guide the horse away from obstacles such as large rocks or trees, and the straight rows would lead to the best harvest possible. Many years later my dad brought that old plow to our new farm – not as an implement to be used in the field but as a reminder of all he had learned in his youth.
In our verses above, we see that God is calling us to put on his yoke and let him take the reins of our lives, guiding us in paths of righteousness. He knows what is best for us: when we need to move forward and when it is time to rest. As the horse trusted my dad to be gentle and kind, so we can trust the ultimate farmer who knows the best ways to go, even on our most difficult days
Prayer: Many times I am weary, but I usually find it is when I have tried to do things on my own. Help me to turn to you and submit my will to your yoke, realizing that your gentle guidance will lead me in paths of success and away from pain and harm. Thank you for teaching me your ways. Amen
– Betty Gossell
