Take His Yoke

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.
~ Jesus Christ in Matthew 11:29

Many years ago I went to an oxen pull at the Fryeburg Fair in Maine. (For those of you who don't know, an oxen pull is a race between pairs of oxen.) My friend, a native Mainer, explained why some of the oxen teams didn't seem to get anywhere when they pulled. Vicky said: "That's cuz they're both goin' their own way." One oxen team pulled ahead of all the others. I asked how they got so far ahead. My friend said: "One ox has to take the lead. The other needs to follow. That's the only way they are going to get anywhere." Jesus words came alive to me that day. We are to come to Christ by taking HIS yoke upon us. He is the One in whom we can trust to take the lead. If we are headstrong & pull our own way, we'll waste a lot of time & energy ... but we won't get anywhere. Taking on the yoke is a symbol of submission. Lower your head. Take His yoke upon you. Learn from Him. Jesus will take you all the way home. He knows the way.