giveyourwitness
Kristine Cucinotta Murphy
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.“
–Matthew 11:29-30
Being yoked with the Lord puts us in a protection and direction, keeping us in His will.
Proverbs 16:9
A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.
Also, that yoke, is to get the best out of us! Like a winepress, the best of the best.
A yoke is a wooden beam normally used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs, as oxen usually do; some yokes are fitted to individual animals.
So, do not be deceived to think you must be married to be equally yoked with the Lord.
Though, oft times “equally yoked” is referenced to marriage. It also means to not be teamed up with anyone that is not also yoked with the Lord.
When we pull together equally yoked with the Lord, our labour is much easier, less of a strain!
If oxen aren’t working at the same pace, in unison step, they end up on a crooked path and must be corrected and adjusted by their handler.
Hebrews 12:11-13
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Let it rather be healed, that’s how much God cares for oxen.
Psalm 23:2
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
When things aren’t going smooth, everything is a fight, a struggle, exhausting or hindrance having your path turn crooked and going in circles, don’t run from the rod of chastisement. It’s time to stop and drop everything you are doing and rest in him. Wait and be healed!
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun
(Amazing Grace)
Psalms 27:14 – Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
The encouragement in being equally yoked with the Lord, takes the heavy burden off of us to boost morale, grow faith, and be strengthened to go even further.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
“for I am meek and lowly in heart”
SELAH:
breathe and reflect on the important words just uttered before continuing.
One part of the yoke is a muzzle. There are many chores of an ox, but when the oxen are treading out the grain, they are not to be muzzled.
1 Timothy 5:18
For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.
Mine husband shared in a recent video about our labour is for our mouth.
Ecclesiastes 6:7
All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
The purpose of a muzzle is to keep the oxen from eating. Which means while the oxen work during the time of treading grain, they are also eating, being fed, getting the nutrients needed for more energy, stamina and good health.
John 6:35
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Which means he will make sure we are fed and drink while we labour. Have you ever been so focused in working for someone and they came to you while you were working with a drink and a plate of food to eat? Didn’t have to ask for it, weren’t expecting it, all provided before you had the chance to think or worry when and how you were gonna eat and get a drink. That’s how focused oxen are labouring for the Kingdom of God and that is how much God cares for oxen.
If we are taking thought of things and not our labour of love for the Kingdom of God, we need to get focused and quickly!
Matthew 6:25-34
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
The light and easy way of the Lord’s yoke doesn’t mean we don’t labour, but that the load is made lighter. We don’t worry about where to go, what to do, how we will eat or what we will wear, we are guided to our needs and they are given to us, all provided by God.
To God Be The Glory!
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