"Take My yoke, for My yoke is light"

I lied on my bedroom floor – overwhelmed. My body felt weak yet in my spirit, I called out to the Lord.

‘Father, I’m exhausted. Give me strength, Lord. Yet though I’m tired, I choose to put my trust in You, that You’d lift me up.”

My eyes closed tight, tears fell and I was still before the Almighty. Then, the Lord spoke.

“My precious one, why are you weeping? Why are you carrying your burdens alone? Cast all your burdens to me for I will surely give you rest. Take my yoke, for my yoke is light.”

For a transient moment, I felt someone standing behind me. And all of a sudden, a wave of heat came over me and an immense peace filled my heart. Thank You Lord!

The next day, I was playing the guitar and singing ‘With all I am’ (by Chris Tomlin) to God. Then, tears rolled down and He said, “Take My yoke, for My yoke is light. I want you to write about this.” That night, I asked the Lord for a confirmation if He really wanted me to write this. I said if He really wanted me to write, then He’d put this verse in my heart again the next day. And true enough, He did. I was doing my daily morning devotion as usual. I came across Exodus 22:27, “when he cries out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.” Wow, let me tell you, God’s Word is living and active, truly sharper than any two-edged sword, and it pierced right through my heart.

“Take My yoke, for My yoke is light” declares the Lord.

I kept this topic and verse in my head till yesterday, 29^th April 2011. I cried out to God again. I was frustrated with many things and people. Chagrin gripped me. I lied on my bed, still before the Lord, and tears streamed down uncontrollably. Then, the verse Isaiah 40:31 flashed across my mind. I took my phone, ran the Bible application and read Isaiah 40.

Verse 31 says, “But they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.”

Then God said to me, “Remember the time I showed you an eagle carrying you on its wings? I am the eagle, and I will carry you through. Though I promised that you will experience miracles upon miracles this year, these things you face are necessary because I want you to write about them.” I saw in my vision that I was sitting on a very huge eagle and it took me and we were soaring in the sky (This was the same vision I saw before, written in my article “Visions from above”).

“Take My yoke, for My yoke is light” declares the Lord.

There is great significance to the verses in 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.”

I could not comprehend why God used the object ‘yoke’ and why His yoke is easy and light. The Holy Spirit illumined my eyes to see that ‘yoke’ illustrates the wooden piece put across the necks of oxen pulling a cart. That yoke is heavy, and the oxen struggle to move. But when God uses ‘yoke’ and He says it’s easy and light, it is because when we put on His yoke, He is in control.

Imagining myself as an ox, I questioned why should there even be a yoke, can’t I just remove the yoke from my neck and I’d be free to do whatever I want, and go wherever I desire. If I do not have any yoke on my neck, it would mean that I’m a wild ox and it could be interpreted as ‘running away from problems’. So the Lord answered me, explaining that with my yoke I carry, I choose to be in control of my own life. But when I replace my yoke with His, then I choose to let Him be in control of everything.

God loves you. He gives you a free-will to choose though He knows what’s best for you. And what’s best is to acknowledge His Lordship and let Him take control over your life.

When God says, “Take My yoke, My yoke is light”, it requires complete surrender to His will and complete would mean all or nothing. Scripture advocates that God will make straight your path when you trust in Him with ALL your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, but in ALL your ways, acknowledge Him (Proverbs 3:5 – 6).

Be assured, for God promised in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. Take God’s yoke for His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Got it? Or, rather, done it?

Repent and be fruitful

First of all, I have to tell you why I’m writing this article. Several months ago, the Lord put this topic into my mind and I was to write about the scriptures the Lord had shown me. With my busy schedule and due dates in school (excuses), I negotiated with God and told him that I would write this after my examinations in May. The Lord was silent. And I figured that ‘silence means consent’; I did not start writing. Two months later, the Lord reminded me that He is coming back soon and that I had to start writing. Again, I procrastinated. Then a week later, the Lord asked ‘WHERE IS THE WRITING?’ I begun to break down in tears and repented before the Lord. I praise God that I am now ready to write this article as the Lord have commanded and I know for sure that He is going to do something amazing through this article. Praise Him!

“Repent, for my return is near!” says the Lord.

God wants YOUR repentance. I do not know who and why, but I believe even as you are reading this article, the Holy Spirit will convict your heart.

The Lord showed me a couple of scriptures that I was to write on: Matthew 25: 1 – 13, 1 Thessalonians 4: 13 – 18, Hebrews 3: 7 – 19, Hebrews 5: 11 – 6: 12 and Hebrews 12: 14 – 29.

Matthew 25 writes the parable of the ten virgins. Ten virgins took their lamps out to meet the bridegroom. Five wise ones took oil in jars along with the lamps while five foolish ones took no oil with them. When the bridegroom arrived, the wise virgins who were ready went in with him while the foolish ones were on their way to buy the oil. The door was shut and they could enter no longer no matter how they begged and cried. The kingdom of heaven is as such. Jesus is the bridegroom and He will return out of the blue, when we least expect. The Lord expects you to be like the wise virgins, to be ready for His return – to fulfill all that the Lord purpose in your lives. Have you forgotten that Jesus’ return is soon? Have you neglected and put aside what the Lord has commanded you to do? Thus says the Lord, “Repent and be fruitful. Let there be no more waiting, no backing out, nothing but only My purpose shall remain in your life. Listen, for My return is near.”

There can be no contradictions in the Word of the living God for Jesus is the Word Himself. 1 Thessalonians clearly writes that you must wait for the coming of the Lord. Verse 13 says, “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.” It is hence our duties and responsibilities to encourage each other about the coming of Lord (V14 – 17). And encouragement involves warning and rebuking. But how can you encourage others to arise if you yourself are asleep? How then can you be watchful and aware to know that your fellow brothers-and-sisters-in-Christ are asleep? 1 Thessalonians 5: 8 writes “But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.” Thus says the Lord, “Repent and be fruitful. Do as I have commanded. Encourage each other in My Word for my Word is living and active, like a double-edged sword. Sleep no longer, but arise and shine, for my return is near.”  

Again, Hebrews 3 instructs you to encourage each other daily so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness (V13). This serves as a warning to you: “See to it that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.” (V12)

“Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.” (V16 – 19)

Have you heard the Lord’s command and disobeyed? Are you like the Israelites whom God was angry with for a long time? Have you sinned and left God’s righteous path? Have you rejected God’s presence and left His rest? Because of your unbelief, you cannot enter the kingdom of God. “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” (V7) Thus says the Lord, “Repent and be fruitful. Come to me for I am your God and you shall have no other gods before Me. Abandon your sinful desires, forsake your unbelief because I love you and I want you to be with Me, right beside Me in My Kingdom. Hear my voice, my precious one. I am calling out to you.”

Hebrews 6 warns you from falling away from God’s truth:

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”

You question God: I don’t know what You want from me? What is required of me? I am tired, and I need to break away from You. Will you not be angry and pour your wrath upon me? Micah 6:8 writes “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Did not the Israelites turn away from God and God’s wrath was upon them. Likewise, God is not unjust; His wrath will be upon those who turn away and disobey His truth. Yet, He will embrace those who live for His purpose and love Him. Thus says the Lord, “Repent and be fruitful, for I will not forget your work in My Kingdom. Repent now, for my return is near. How can you be weary in My presence? Have you not cast all your burdens to me that I may give you rest? Do not fall away from me for when I return, I will not hold back my wrath.”

Hebrews 12 writes “See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?” The Lord have spoken. God’s wrath will fall upon those who refuse Him. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’” (V28) Thus says the Lord, “I am a consuming fire. My wrath will consume those who refuse me. And when that time comes, I come as a judge, the judge of all men. And if you have been faithful to Me, I will receive you with open arms and bless you with eternal riches in My Kingdom. Repent and be fruitful. Listen, for my return is near.”

I urge you, as the Lord have spoken, to listen and repent. Then, be fruitful as the Lord have commanded. Hesitate no more, for Christ’s return is near.

Got it? Or rather, done it?