Matthew 14:22-27(KJV)

 ²²And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.  ²³And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.  ²⁴But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.  ²⁵And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.  ²⁶And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.  ²⁷But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.  

In this life, we indeed experience contrary winds and boisterous waves. At times, these winds and waves are so strong that we find ourselves becoming fearful and despondent. It is as though our circumstances suck the life right out of us and our spirit becomes bowed over rather than upright! With so many discouraging situations such as financial hardship, job loss, sickness, and delayed dreams, it is not hard to conclude that people are in utter despair and the believers are no exception.

Before the disciples saw Jesus on the water, verse 24 tells us that “the ship was in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary”. Have you ever said in your heart to Jesus, “But Lord, I’m your servant!”  Or “Lord, I’ve been obedient to your Word and I am still following you, so why is this happening to me?” Or “Is this really of you, Lord?”  Just like the disciples who followed Jesus, you’re tossed in the waves and you’re experiencing the contrary winds. But you can’t lose heart. You’re going to have to do what you may not have considered doing before. See Jesus in the midst! 

When the disciples saw Him, they assumed He was a ghost and they became afraid. They did not recognize that Jesus was in the midst and that evoked fear. Jesus assured them and said “be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid”. Jesus is saying the same thing to His followers today. First, be of good cheer and give thanks to God that He’s teaching you more about Himself through your trials. Remember, God is in control of everything. You are not outside of His spiritual radar. Second, recognize that Christ is present with you. Jesus said, “it is I”, which means it is I, your savior, your deliverer, your help, and the one who has all power. Whether you think He recognizes your pain or not, you must know that He is there with you. Don’t let the enemy talk to you and convince you that Jesus is not there with you. The very first verse in Psalm 46 tells us that God is our refuge and strength and that He is a very present help whenever we are in trouble. Third, put fear to flight. God did not give you a spirit of fear. Faith and fear cannot work together. They are not partners but enemies to each other. God works in faith and Satan works in fear. Fear will cause you to think that Jesus is, metaphorically, a ghost.  Fear will distort your perception of a situation and cause you to think that God has failed and forgotten you when in actuality, God is molding and shaping you even through your circumstance. Brothers and Sisters in Christ, take another look. See Jesus?

According to Vine's Bible Dictionary, the term yoke means "serving to couple two things together".  In another Bible dictionary, it is defined as a coupling instrument that symbolizes forced labor, submission, and oppression driven by a higher power in authority. This definition is illustrated in the image below with two oxen that have been coupled together and are used for labor. If you take a closer look at the image you can see that the yoke is around the necks of the oxen. They are not joined by their tails, midsection, nor any other part of their anatomy. The weight of the yoke that surrounds their neck is supported by their shoulders.

How easy do you think it would be for one of the oxen to move independently while being yoked with the other ox? It wouldn't be easy at all. As a matter of fact, it would be very difficult to move independently if the ox is coupled with another ox, especially if you considered the weight of a yoke around the oxen. During slavery, humans were also yoked together to indicate "oppression, submission, and forced labor."

The Bible tells us that God warned of the consequences of obedience and disobedience to His commandments because disobedience could result in being physically yoked in slavery.  In Deuteronomy chapters 27 and 28, Moses tells the children of Israel, plainly, to take heed to the Lord's commandments. The children of Israel were told that if they hearkened unto his commandments, then their obedience would yield a number of blessings. However, if they chose not to hearken unto the Lord's commandments, then the result would be curses upon their lives such as the slave yoke. In chapter 28 and verse 48, it reads:

Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.

Can you image how heavy an iron yoke would have been in the Bible days?  There's no way that an individual would have been able to walk upright with a yoke of iron around his/her neck. Obviously, it would have been better for God's people to have obeyed Him and have their obedience yeild it's blessings rather than to have disobeyed God and fall underneath the curses.  Well, we can apply this to our lives now. God gives each of us a choice, whether to hearken to His word and fall under the blessing or to rebel against His word and fall under the curses. When we fall under the curses, we permit the enemy to yoke us with him and under his bondage. We become slaves to God's own enemy (who should also be our enemy). John 10:10 says, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." Remember, in Deuteronomy, the enemy will put a yoke of iron around the neck "until he have destroyed thee." A yoke placed by the enemy is designed to destroy your life. That's why Jesus said that He came that we might have life and to have life more abundantly. The enemy's yoke will have you depressed, worried, stressed, confused, bitter, lying, stealing, fornicating, thinking suicidal thoughts, and a whole list of other things to keep you yoked to him. If you had all of this on your shoulders, you wouldn't be able to walk upright spiritually. To be coupled with the enemy is to share in his pleasures and his pleasure is to ultimately have you destroyed. He doesn't just want your life to end here on earth; he wants your life, meaning your soul, to be in eternal damnation with him.

But thanks be unto God who has the power to break the yokes of the enemy! Let's see what the Lord did for the children of Israel. In Leviticus 26 and verse 13 He says, "I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright." When God delivers and sets you free, you will be able to "go upright." No longer will you be bowed over with a sad countenance. No longer will you feel the weight surrounding your neck and on your shoulders. No longer will you share pleasures with the enemy. God will cause you to "go upright"!

Jesus said in Matthew 11 verses 28-30:

²⁸Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

What kind of yoke does Jesus carry? The souls of men. Jesus came to this earth because He was after your soul. The Father loved you so much that He did not want you to perish but to have everlasting life. So, Jesus came to fulfill God's desire and God's desire is that His creation spends eternity with Him. So let us take on the burden of Christ and be coupled with Him. Share His pleasures. Let us take upon His yoke and dedicate our lives to the saving of souls so that those who are lost will one day be with Jesus in paradise.

Lamentations 3:22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”

Jeremiah remembered in the midst of suffering and affliction that the Lord is his hope.

Romans 5:3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

After looking through the vines and other resources I discovered that to rest is to be still, to be quiet, and to have peace.

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Being quiet is more than just not speaking, it is to quiet our soul – to quieten our mind, will and emotions.

Psalm 131:2 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me.

Rest for our souls is found in obedience to God’s word, not deviating from His word. We need to be like the Bereans and search the scriptures, we are not called to blindly follow leaders who are not walking in the old paths. God’s word has not changed.

Jeremiah 6:16 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.’

If we keep our minds on things above and set our eyes on Jesus we will be kept in perfect peace.

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.