One day, the Holy Spirit spoke to me about exceptions. My husband and I agreed to step out in blind faith and leave a perfectly good job to follow the Lord. God’s faithfulness in the past prompted our obedience. We were excited to embark on this journey with the Holy Spirit as He guided our open hands.
Jesus tells us to come to Him. He will give us rest because His burden is light. This invitation requires us to reach for His yoke, and in doing so, He graciously reveals the exceptions we hold on to in clenched fists behind our backs, as if He could not see. My husband and I did not know, but He did.
Jesus commands us to take His yoke, and, in the process, we discover the heavy burdens we have been carrying. These exceptions unknowingly kept us from the rest He offered. This invitation carried a further purpose—to learn from Him.
My husband and I did not know that stepping out in faith would teach us that God did not design us to carry heavy loads, as they weary us. God is not a harsh taskmaster but desires closeness and nearness as we journey together. Jesus called us forward, inviting us to exchange yokes. He did this so we would encounter Him as gentle and lowly.
With Jesus, there is always an exchange. As we unburden ourselves from the heavy yokes, we pause, unsure of the exchange (Matthew 11:28). But as we receive His gentleness and lightness, understanding comes. His gift is rest as we realize that what we release to Him is safest in His Hands. This brings rest to both body and soul.
Give it all to Jesus. Reach out for the exchange. He will show you what you are holding so tightly. Release the need for control. Release your exceptions. Allow His power to dismantle pressure, fear, performance, worry, and weariness. Receive His gentle yoke of rest and freedom. As you lay it all down, He will bring new life. No exceptions.
Jill Bowling Thompson is a worshipper who loves to sit at Jesus’s feet and capture His heart. She now lives in Dallas, TX, with her husband, Bob, and is a prayer warrior for her three children and two galloping Goldens. She continues to express the Father’s heart through her Pen and Brush Ministry at heisrealtome.com. She is a founding member of One Life Missions Foundation, the Living Free Ministry at her prior church in Greenwich, CT, and now the Freedom Team at her Dallas Church. She also leads a group of writers, imparting the glorious privilege of capturing the seeds of the Holy Spirit’s revelation. She has traveled in these capacities nationally and internationally to impart the Invitation of the Father’s Love, sharing how the Holy Spirit guides her in everyday life.