“Have you not known?   Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

The Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;

His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint,

And strengthens the powerless.

Even youths will faint and be weary,

And the young will fall exhausted;

But those who wait for the lord shall

Renew their strength,

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.  (Isaiah 40:28-31 NRSV)

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, 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 NRSV)

The people of Israel had turned their backs on God, worshipped other gods and preferred to go their own way.  The prophet encourages them to turn back to God and to put their trust and hope in him.  The Holy One is steadfast in his compassion and just in his judging, he refreshes and saves.  He offers shared power and strength with those who wait on him. God is expectant, the door is wide open.  Jesus ‘God with us’ invites us into a loving relationship. His arms are outstretched. A yoke is used to tie two oxen together so they can share the load.  The crossbeam of the cross is the yoke upon which Jesus’ arms were stretched out. There is a Middle Eastern dance that unites the dancers together as they yoke themselves together, arm over arm.  The dance becomes faster and jubilant. Jesus invites to come, to seek rest in him, to walk with him, to join his dance and experience the joy of resurrection life.

Holy God,

I gladly surrender to your never failing love.

Thank you for your steadfast compassion

and your forgetfulness of my sin and misdeeds.

May I rest in you and walk in your ways all the days of my life.

Amen