Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
April 24, 2023: SOAP #4890: 1Samuel 28,29; Psalm 109; Matthew 11

SCRIPTURE:  Matthew (NIV) 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

OBSERVATION:  Come to Jesus for rest:  I find rest from having to be good enough to be accepted.  I find He has already accepted me! But there is more. 

Take his yoke for training:   Being yoked to the Lord, I am bound to His schedule and life.  I cannot go my own way; the yoke holds me at His side. 

It is like being yoked in the boot camp of the United States Navy.  I had to fit into their schedule.  I went to class on their schedule.  I had to do the physical training on their schedule.  It was my choice (God’s choice) to leave Bible College and join the US Navy, but once in the Navy, my choices were limited.  I ate and slept on their schedule.

APPLICATION:  I am yoked to the Lord!  I go on His schedule and go where He goes.  Is it limiting?  Yes.  Is it worth it?  Yes, yes, and YES!  It is a privileged to be accepted into His yoke.  Being in the yoke with Him, I find His strength sufficient! 

He could wrestle me into His yoke but He wants me to take it willingly.  The US Navy’s goal for me was not to spend my whole enlistment in boot camp. 

(As I see it, God’s purpose for the yoke is to train me for future ministry, not to keep me in the yoke forever.  However, there may come a future time when I am yoked to another for their growth.  Only to the level I am willing to be yoked to the Lord, will others be yoked to me.  Learning to be a leader begins with learning to be a follower.) 

PRAYER:   Lord, it is my great privilege to be yoked to you.  Wherever you go, I must go with you.  Wherever I find myself, you are there with me!  Holy Spirit, make my time in the yoke profitable for the Kingdom.   Amen.

Pastor Leon
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