How great is this? Jesus tells us directly that we don't have to go through life alone with our troubles and burdens. He is there for us, all we have to do is go to Him. He'll strap himself to us with His yoke and work through these problems with us, side-by-side. The vision of ox pulling a plow through very heavy ground is one that comes to mind; Jesus helps us with His yoke such that we can get through the heavy troubles. The best part is where He says "you will find rest for your souls." This is especially comforting because we can get rest for our bodies by sleeping, but we can still wake up troubled by what's going on in our life. When we get rest for our soul, we are truly refreshed.
Proverbs 18:9 tells us, "He who is slothful in his work Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer."
Solomon reminds us to take pride (not arrogance) in our work. It is something that speaks not only of us, but of God whom directs our efforts. A poor demonstration of our work can result in a bad reflection on God.
We read in Proverbs 19:26, "He who mistreats his father and chases away his mother Is a son who causes shame and brings reproach."
God demands that we honor our parents; it is one of the "Top Ten" as shown in Exodus. Solomon gives us wise warnings against mistreating them (even as we grow old ourselves):
* How we live affects our parents for better or worse
* Our lives can be destructive to our parents
* Disrespecting our parents causes damage to us
* As their children, we are to learn from both our parents and pay respect to both of them all of our lives (even after they have passed on)
* We are not to enrich ourselves at our parents expense.
Even if our parents fell short of the ideal, God has used both of them to bring us into the world and make us into the person we are. We will do well to honor them for giving us life.
This reminds me of a painting in the Amsterdam History museum by Pieter Pietersz who lived from 1540 to 1603. It's called Poor Parents, Rich Children.
At first glance, this looks like a family portrait. The grandparents are on the left, the grandchildren and parents in the middle. The note on the stairs explains the real meaning of the scene. The couple on the left have given everything away to their children and are now in need of help themselves.
The answer of the son is in the inscription on the wall on the right. He can give his father nothing, for he is married now and must think of his status. The painter refers to the fifth commandment, "Honor thy father and mother." He is warning parents not to give away their possessions too early in life.
Blessings to all
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