The Word To Live By: 8-8-25
Phil Waggoner
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. Matthew 11:28,29
The Word to Live By: According to my count, this is day four of the "Promises of God" tour. (I work at concerts that have names called “The ….. tour,” so I am naming this series, “The Great Promises of God tour.”) This is a great promise that we, as children of God, more often than not overlook or don’t understand. To begin with, look at what Jesus is talking about. He’s not talking about physical weariness. He is referring to mental fatigue, which can lead to physical exhaustion. “You’ll find rest for your soul.” I know, for me personally, that if I don’t stay on top of my prayer life and my scriptural meditation, I can get worn out mentally. So, what is Jesus’ yoke? To begin with, a yoke is a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals. You are yoked with Jesus to do the will of God for your life, not to Jesus. The reason is, “To learn from Him.” What does the Word of God teach us about overcoming weariness? To trust in, lean on, and rely on faith in His Word to get you through, not on your own strength and mental capacity. Psalm 115:11, “You who [reverently] fear the Lord, trust in and lean on the Lord! He is their Help and their Shield.” Isaiah 26:4, “So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].” 1Thesalonians 3:7, “Brethren, for this reason, in [spite of all] our stress and crushing difficulties, we have been filled with comfort and cheer about you [because of] your faith (the leaning of your whole personality on God in complete trust and confidence).” The last thing I want to address is the “gentle and humble in heart,” portion. God will never exhaust you to the point that you want to quit, give up, or faint, so if you get to that point, stop what you are doing, relax, and get into His Word until the Word gets into you. “Cast your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
Read through the Bibe in a year: 2 Corinthians 9; 2 Kings 22:1-23:35; Nahum 3;
Read through the New Testament and Proverbs: Proverbs 8, Matthew 20:1-17, Romans 11
The sum of Thy Word is Truth Psalm 119:160