Thursday, February 15th, 2024
A few days ago I offered a bit of encouragement to one of my children and as soon as the words came across my lips Holy Spirit gently nudged my soul as if to say, “Same goes for you.” Isn’t He so creative? I love how He will use anything, even the words out of our own mouths, to guide us.
My child was having a moment of being stubborn (odd, right?), and I said to her, “I am trying to help you, but if you make it hard, I cannot make it easy.” How many times do we do that, even as full-grown adults? We know what we should do, but usually because of pride and/or stubbornness we still think we know a better way. So, we give it a go, and then we soon discover, as with every other time we have tried this technique, we have now complicated something that God had made easy.
Let’s look at a few scriptures. Jeremiah 6:16 says:
16 Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
The old paths, where the good way is and where we will find rest for our souls, sounds easy and wonderful right? They could have chosen this path, but they said no.
This one is a little heavier, but let’s look at 1 Chronicles 10:13-14:
13 So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. 14 But he did not inquire of the Lord; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.
All Saul had to do was inquire of the Lord and stick to the words of the Lord, but he didn’t. He chose the prideful and difficult path. Unfortunately for him, it cost him his life.
Let’s end on a more encouraging note. Matthew 11:28-30 says:
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Life isn’t going to be perfect, nor will it be free of pain and suffering. But the word of God says that whatever we are enduring will become easy and light if we go to God, find our place of rest in Him, and take no yoke other than the one He has for us.
Final Thoughts…
It’s not that God cannot make it easy again, He can do anything He pleases, but He isn’t going to treat us like robots. He gives us freewill to decide between the easy or hard way. If we choose the hard path, He patiently waits until we repent and choose His way, the easy way. Lord, please show us if there are any areas of our lives that we have complicated. We desire to trade in our heavy and tiring burdens for your easy and restful yoke.