Eyes Wide Open: 41-Day Lenten Devotional Sample

My Burden Is Light

“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.”- Matthew 11:29-30

So often, there is a pressure to be someone we were not meant to be. We eagerly and grudgingly conform to the standards and expectations of society, while we denounce others who do the same. We are not much different from the Galilean crowds that Jesus preached to in Matthew 11. 

But Jesus calls us to a different path. He encourages us to learn from him, to put on his yoke and walk the paththat God has called us, whether that path isas a stay at home mother, a CEO, a teacher, a janitor, a librarian, or a pastor. God urges us to share the gospel in the path and the timing hehas designated. Jesus also encouragesus to proclaim our belovedness. 

ThroughoutScripture,God beckons his people to himself. In the New Testament, Jesus proclaims his belovedness, his oneness, andconnection with God. Jesus knows who he is.Hefinds his identity in God. Although the crowds called him Rabbi, questioned how he—a Nazarene—could be the Messiah, questioned his choice of friends, and even questionedhow he ate his food, hestoodfirm in who hewas—so much so that he called his burden light. 

When we respond to Jesus’ call to put on his yoke (to yoke up with him) the expectations of others to “perform” in faith fade away. Whenwe put on Jesus’ yoke,we open ourselves to our belovedness in Christ, and the work to whichhe called us. When we yokeup with Jesus (that is, abide in him), we can brazenly share that belovedness with others. 

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice and for your call to join with you. Help me to respond by taking on your yoke, by humbling myself to the callyou have for me, and to my belovedness in you. Please strengthen and use me to share your story with others. Amen.

- Written by Nancy Nealious