Bearing the Yoke

UV 823/10,000 Bearing the Yoke It is good for a man to bear the yoke when he is young. Lamentations 3 v 27 Each uni-verse draws out an underlying principle that is true universally and through all generations. This uni-verse echoes the verse in the book of Ecclesiastes that exhorts us to remember the Lord in the days of our youth before the evil years come when we say there is no pleasure in it. It is best that we accept the light yoke or responsibility the Lord gives us when we first believe in Him while we are still young. Jesus said, “ The yoke I give you is light for I am humble and gentle and you can learn from me.” To bear the yoke means to learn all we can about the Lord and His teachings on how we should live life. When we remember the Lord in the days of our youth, the fear of God will enable us to give a better sacrifice like Abel. Our hearts would not be hardened with cynicism or disbelief. While this will keep us out of what is evil, it will equip us to follow after what is commended by the Lord and His Word as “good.” I accepted Jesus as my Saviour and Lord when I was seventeen years old. Had I waited till I had grown older, I might not have had the grace to recognize the Word as truth. Most of the people I have come across who have been very productive in the Lord’s service were people who committed their lives early to the care and guidance of God. The word “ yoke” does not mean something to enslave us or hold us in bondage but that which disciplines us and subjects our desires, emotions, thoughts and inner being to the lordship of God. The Word will be a compass to tell us in which direction we need to move. In the absence of such a frame of reference, the young would be drifting aimlessly and without correction. To bear the yoke implies that we are anchored in Christ. Neither the pleasures and attractions of life nor the crises or storms would shipwreck us. To bear the yoke means to remain in a covenant or personal relationship with God. When we are yoked with the Lord, He bears the major part of the weight that rests on our shoulders. He will make our loads lighter. As time passes and the events of life overtake us, our bonding with the Lord will only deepen and be so strengthened that nothing in life can break it or mar it. Prateep V Philip