Learning the Rhythm of Grace - Your Nightly Prayer - March 18th
Learning the Rhythm of Grace
Your Nightly Prayer
by Michelle Treacy
TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me… and you will find rest for your souls.” - Matthew 11:29
SOMETHING TO PONDER
A yoke joins two animals to pull a plow together. Jesus invites us to be yoked with Him, where He carries the bulk of the weight, offering strength and support.
When Jesus mentions taking his yoke on us and learning from Him, the image the original readers would have had in mind is that of two animals bound together to pull a plow. Jesus is inviting us to be yoked with Him, as one animal is connected to another, so we would be connected to Jesus. This may sound binding, but friend, it is the best way to live life. Bound to Jesus, He will take the heaviest part of life upon His shoulders. Imagine Jesus walking alongside you, carrying the weight of the world that makes us question and doubt ourselves.
In Christ Jesus, we find strength that is beyond our capacity to produce, encouragement to fortify our daily steps, and hope to get through the hard things. Jesus offers us rest. Holy rest that allows us time to breathe, gather our thoughts, and deal with what life is throwing at us.
The beauty of this life bound to Jesus is that it prevents us from striving for things outside the Father's will for our lives and reminds us to stay in step with Him. Our walk with Jesus is not about striving and pursuing, but sticking with and trusting Him to be all that we need, when we need it.
Friend, take on Jesus' yoke; it is the best life ...it's life to the full.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for saving me. First and foremost, because nothing else would matter if you hadn’t died in my place and made a way for me to be in a relationship with you. Thank you for being a God who is not hard to find, but readily available when I come looking for you. Help me to walk in your step, not striving for the next thing, but simply walking along with my Savioir. Help me to walk in your will and your ways! In Jesus' name,
Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. Maybe it is worth thinking today about whose step we are walking in and at what pace?
2. Are we striving? Reaching? Stressing? Or are we walking in Jesus’ step, holding His yoke and trusting that He will teach us the rhythm of grace?
3. When we learn from Jesus, we find a beautiful life filled with rest, as Psalm 23 puts it, He restores our souls, and finds green pastures for us to rest by. Are you living in rest?
Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Doucefleur
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