Fine Art Painting of Oxen Yoked with Flowers

Let Jesus Carry Your Burdens: A Message of Rest and Hope

The emotional, spiritual, and even physical burdens that come with life can feel so heavy at times. As the burdens seem to pile up, I can sometimes feel the emotional weariness set in. It's when I am feeling heavy and weary that I know I need to guard my mind and take all the burdensome thoughts captive.

I find that visual imagery really helps me take hold of concepts and recently, I was reading through some Bible verses that I have read hundreds of times. As I was reading it this time, I really took the time to visualize this concept. Here are the Bible verses I was meditating upon:

"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. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30

I actually took the time to picture a scene from Bible times when they used oxen to help them plow their fields. They would take two oxen who were of similar height, weight, and strength and yoke them together so that they would be able to help pull the heavy plow through the tough soil. It was the strength of both of them together that made the work "light".

I immediately grasped the concept that when I take Jesus' yoke upon me, when I am yoked to Jesus spiritually, He makes my "work" easier and lighter. The actual yoke that holds me together with Jesus Christ is "easy", meaning, it is not a heavy, rigid yoke, it is a yoke that is easy to feel across my shoulders, especially because I know that Jesus Christ is the One who is plowing the fields of my life with me.

Because it is a spiritual yoke, I can picture a strong but lightweight yoke made out of beautiful flowers (that's how my artist's brain works) and I can picture the goodness, love, tenderness, justice, holiness, and power of Jesus Christ holding me fast and bearing the weight that I cannot bear.

Even thought the spiritual, emotional, and physical work of living this earthly life is very challenging and heavy at times, we can yoke ourselves to Jesus Christ through faith in Him. Our childlike belief in Him as our Savior, our Provider, our Protector, our Guide, our Comforter, and our Redeemer gives us access to His power and His rest in our lives.

I pray that you will see how you can rest easier knowing that you are yoked to Jesus Christ, Who is the perfect "co-laborer". You will never have to plow the fields of life alone. Praise be to God!

Below, I am including a photograph of a painting that was inspired by these verses, "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. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30

As I mentioned, I had visualized an image of being yoked together with flowers instead of the cumbersome yoke made from a wooden beam, so I just had to try to get it on a canvas. Enjoy!

"My Yoke is Easy" - 9" x 12" acrylic on canvas - ready to hang as is or with a frame. Let me know if you want any more details about it.  

Huge Blessings and Much Gratitude,

Sherry Joy Collier, Artist & Therapist at Sherry Joy Art

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