The Yoke's on Me

My Mom

     Last year I began making an ABC Bible Scrapbook.  I found the challenge at Triple the Scraps by Patter Cross.  Every two weeks a word and scriptures were given with the goal of creating a scrapbook with a page for each letter.  My mom saw the book I started, but hadn't quite finished, and asked me to make her one.  Mom went through my list of words, kept the ones she liked and gave me a list of words she wanted.  I hope to get both books finished for Mom’s birthday in June.

     The first word in our books is Anchor.  The scripture a favorite from Hebrews,  “We who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.  We have this hope, an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”
     Subsequent words were:

•  Bible -  "For the Word of God is alive and active."  Hebrews 4:12
• Confidence - "For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.” Psalm 71:5
• Delight -  “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves, He will take great delight in you.” Zephaniah 3:16-18

     I enjoy meditating on the word prompt and the accompanying scriptures.   I work out how I will represent the word in our books.
     When I started, I was following Triple the Scrap's idea for words, so when the letter “E” came, I wondered what word would be chosen.  I guessed Easter, or perhaps Eternal.  Instead E’s word was “Easy.”   That made me pause.  The Bible is a lot of things, but Easy isn’t the first one that comes to mind.
     Then I looked at the words of Jesus:    
     “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.   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 11:28-30

     And so I prayed, "Lord help me to understand this mystery.  Show me."  God gently reminded me:
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
     Well you all know that I am a fan of hope.  Jesus has a plan for me.  Jesus doesn’t manage me, to-do list me, or memo me with bulletin points.  He loves me.  His yoke is easy because it brings rest.  Not rest from the yoke, but rest under the yoke because it is a yoke built for two.  Jesus shares our yoke.  He doesn’t tell me to do all by myself.  He invites me into what He has done.  I am never alone.  That’s why there is freedom in a trial, hope in the dark, trust in fear, and love always.  Jesus keeps me safe in His love.  It is easy.

     "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him; so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:18
     The path He asks us to follow is level, smooth,  and dare I add - easy. 
     “The path of the righteous is level; you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth.” Isaiah 26:7