11/30/2020
The Holy Spirit brings the life of Jesus, and all He has spoken, to our remembrance, and gives each of us insight into its meaning. We are told to use the life and word of Christ to exercise wisdom, be joyful, and always to give thanks to God for His Son’s Word... not just a quick and unthinking thanks, but thanking Him from the bottoms of our hearts.
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
Colossians 3:16 ESV
How does the Word of Christ dwell in us? Do we perceive it as a burden, and place it in a pack that we sling across our shoulders where it is out of sight on our backs? Or do we trust in Jesus, and cradle it easily in our arms where we can hold it close to our breast, study it, and absorb all it has to offer us? Thank God, Jesus is light, and an easy load to carry.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.””
Matthew 11:29-30 ESV
God sent His Son to redeem us, and give us eternal life, not to harshly discipline and burden us. When we are trying to reconcile our lives in the world with the life that Jesus would have us lead then it appears to be a heavy weight indeed, but if we will let go of our old life that is so burdensome to us, and take on the yoke of Christ alone, then we find that the weight has been lifted, and we find rest for our souls. Our salvation is not meant to be a heavy load to bear, no, it is meant to be life giving, and easy for us to carry.
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
John 3:17 ESV
When I was a young boy and my father was teaching me to love the outdoors he didn’t do so by making the experience difficult. When we went hiking he showed me how to lighten my pack, and looking back on those days I see that he took the heavier items upon himself. When he was teaching me to fish he would let me attempt it on my own, and once I had failed to catch anything then he would ask me if I was ready for him to teach me the right way. Jesus taught His disciples in much the same way. We have already read that Jesus lightens our load, so now let’s look at how he allowed His disciples to try things on their own, and fail, before teaching them the right way to do it... let’s look at the failure of His disciples to cast a demon from a man’s son...
“And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.”
And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?””
Matthew 17:16, 18-19 ESV
Jesus doesn’t want to be a burden to us such that we would resist taking on, or that we might find to be overwhelming, no, He wants us to love God, and to demonstrate how we should do that, He uses His own life as an example, and takes the weight of the world from us... just as on Calvary he took on our sins.
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
1 Peter 2:24-25 ESV
So how heavy is our burden today? Are we ready to lay down the weight of the world, our sins? How is Jesus teaching us the lessons of faith, and how to love and obey God? Do we realize that those times when it looked like God had abandoned us we were just in the midst of a lesson? Let’s change our perception of the spiritual load we carry, and the way we approach the Word that Jesus speaks into us... be with us now Holy Spirit!
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your Son Jesus Christ, who eases our load, and teaches us to love and obey you. Thank you Father for your Holy Spirit who brings all that Jesus has said to our remembrance, and opens to us an understanding of His lessons. You are merciful Lord, and your grace abounds as it flows through Jesus. We sing Holy, Holy, Holy, with all of the heavenly to host, because you are our God, and good in all that you do, and say. We love you Lord with all of our hearts. Hear us as we praise you Father. We sing of your loving kindness in psalms, and spiritual songs, giving thanks all the while for your mercy, grace, and every blessing. Hear our prayers of confession, as we prostrate ourselves before you in remorse, and contrition, asking forgiveness for our every wrongdoing as we seek your mercy and forgiveness. Find us to be pure on the day of our judgement Father, washed clean by the saving blood of Christ. Judge us to be worthy, and transformed in the image of Christ so that we will be righteous, holy, and honored guests at your table for all eternity.
Rich Forbes