24th. April 2020.Daily Devotion.

“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28–30

Those who follow Jesus’ commandment entirely, who let Jesus’ yoke rest on them without resistance, will find the burden they must bear to be light. In the gentle pressure of this yoke they will receive the strength to walk the right path without becoming weary.…Where will the call to discipleship lead those who follow it? What decisions and painful separations will it entail? We must take this question to him who alone knows the answer. Only Jesus Christ, who bids us follow him, knows where the path will lead. But we know that it will be a path full of mercy beyond measure. Discipleship is joy.

What is the yoke which Jesus offers us? Simply put, it means to live with active faith in all he teaches us about our salvation, how we live and how we love God and love each other.

To follow the Lord means we accept these words to His disciples: There is still a yoke and burden to carry although it is light (or even lighter). We carry our yoke and burden trusting in the Lord’s heart of gentleness, meekness, and humility as we carry it in Him and with Him.

It is evident to us all that life itself is not always easy and light. It is full of trials and tests. There are issues and concerns within every family and community that have caused our fears and uncertainties, our anxieties, and disbeliefs.

But life is not that hard after all when we trust in God and rest in Him, for only in the Lord can we truly find rest. Amidst suffering and pain, we follow the Lord and take the yoke and learn from Him. Our lives will be light and easy because we keep his Word and live by it. When we follow the Lord, life will be lighter as God lives in us.

Let us pray, reflect, and ask ourselves:

Do I enjoy the mercy and love of God for me?

In following the Lord, do I feel safe in Him? Am I able to rest in Him?

In times of pain, suffering and anxiety, do I put my total trust in the Lord?

When tired, down and confused, do I find rest and solace in his loving heart?

Do I always trust the Lord? Do I always love the Lord?

Psalm Fragment

3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

7 Be still (rest) before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes. Psalm 37 :3-7

To be a disciple is not just to believe in Jesus, it is to follow Jesus

Do you experience your discipleship as “joy”? Is the “burden” of your discipleship “light”?

Prayers

Almighty and Ever-living God, we rest in you. We put and entrust our very lives into your hands. Rescue us from the snares of evil and save us from sinfulness and destruction. We trust you Lord for your love and mercy is without end. We go to you in jumbled supplication and beg for your mercy and love for us, unworthy of your grace, but we find our rest in you and in you alone. This we ask through Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Pray specifically for family, friends, and colleagues that they might clearly hear the call to discipleship (which is the call to love and justice), and that they and we might experience following Jesus’ commandment as joy in the concrete realities of their lives.

Please offer a special prayer for the Rev’d Ross Brown who is undergoing surgery today. Continue to remember him and Julia as they face ongoing health issues.

Pray today for the provision of PPE for all who work in hospitals and especially in Care homes. Pray for all who are tasked by government to source and deliver PPE, testing kits and reagents and all the equipment necessary to care for the sick.

Prayer for Today
Lord Jesus, only you know where my path will lead, but I trust that, even if I do not know either the way or the destination , you are with me and before me, and I follow you with joy.