Resting in the Lord’s service
Whenever we are at a point where it is unclear how the Lord would lead us on in our lives, it is so important, more than ever before, to just rest and enjoy Him. If we are not enjoying Him in peace, then we will always be confused about where He is leading us, because we will be seeking God’s will as a thing to do or as a place to go, rather than as a Person to join ourselves to and follow. God never puts upon us more than we can bear, so if we feel overloaded, especially with “serving the Lord”, then we should be careful to not cross over from serving in spirit into serving religiously:
Mat 11:28-30 Come to Me all who toil and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
I used to think that taking the Lord’s yoke meant to take on His work instead of our own, but I have come to see that it means to drop our burdensome labor, and to join ourselves with Him, so that He is joined to us as one so we can do everything in and through Him. The footnotes from the Recovery Version are very helpful:
Mat 11:281b toil Matt. 23:4; Luke 11:46; Acts 15:10
This refers not only to the toil of striving to keep the commandments of the law and religious regulations but also to the toil of struggling to be successful in any work. Whoever toils thus is always heavily burdened. After the Lord extolled the Father, acknowledging the Father’s way and declaring the divine economy, He called this kind of people to come to Him for rest.
Mat 11:282 rest
Rest refers not only to being set free from the toil and burden under the law or religion or under any work or responsibility, but also to perfect peace and full satisfaction.
Mat 11:292 yoke
To take the Lord’s yoke is to take the will of the Father. It is not to be regulated or controlled by any obligation of the law or religion or to be enslaved by any work, but to be constrained by the will of the Father. The Lord lived such a life, caring for nothing but the will of His Father (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38). He submitted Himself fully to the Father’s will (26:39, 42). Hence, He asks us to learn from Him.
So then, what is the Father’s will?
1Th 5:16 Always rejoice,
1Th 5:17 Unceasingly pray,
1Th 5:18 In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
So, the Father’s will is that we remain enjoying Him, in constant fellowship with Him, and recognizing His loving sovereignty in ever single aspect of our lives.