But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. -Micah 5:2 (NIV)

The fourth installment in the Star Wars series is called A New Hope, where Luke Skywalker, the son of hero-turned-villain Darth Vader (originally Anakin Skywalker), grows up to become a champion for good. Over the next two installments, Luke battles against Vader, and tells him of the good he still believes is in him, before Vader dies.

We have an infinitely better hope here on earth, in Jesus. The world was a very dark, dark place when Jesus arrived on the scene. King Herod was visited by three magi (astrologers) from the east, inquiring about one who would be born and become King of the Jews, since they had seen his star in the east.

Alarmed, King Herod asked his scribes and chief priests where to find him, and they cited Micah, that he would be born in Bethlehem. Herod sent the magi to Bethlehem and ordered that they report back so that he, too would go to worship him. (Yeah, right!)

But once the magi found Jesus, they were told in a dream to not tell Herod. Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, also was warned in a dream that Herod planned to kill Jesus, and he fled with his family to Egypt. Enraged, King Herod ordered all boys under the age of two in Bethlehem and in the area to be killed.

Joseph and his family waited till Herod’s death to move to Nazareth.

From that dark, dark time was the beginnings of the brightest hope the earth would ever have. This Son came down and was born of a virgin. He was God’s Word incarnate…the flesh embodiment of God’s sacrificial love for us. He would take on the world…and die for it…so that we could live with Him in Heaven for eternity, if only we’d accept Him.

Our hope is in you, Jesus!

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. -Matthew 11:30 (NASB)

But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” -Matthew 14:30 (NASB)

When you have so many burdens of your own, you might think that the last thing you need is to try and help others with theirs. How could you possibly take on any more?

It’s true that we need to take care of ourselves before caring for others, because we can do even more to help others when we’re strong. But there are times when we step out and let God carry us when we help others, even when we don’t have the strength ourselves.

I’ve been learning by watching, as well as by doing, that the secret is all about Jesus and His yoke…what it really means to take it on. Right now, there are those who are grieving over loved ones, and one I know who lost another unborn child. We are to lean heavily on God in such tragic times…but at the same time, He calls us to serve others…to minister. How can we do it? The answer: We can’t, but He can.

When we take up the easy yoke and light burden that Jesus promises, we exchange it for the burden we’ve surrendered to Him. If we haven’t really surrendered our burdens to Him, then we’re still taking on far too much ourselves. When we truly surrender all to Him, and take on His yoke of selflessness and sacrificial love, He reveals Himself in His incredible strength and stability He channels through us to serve and uplift others.

I’ve seen this in agents who, despite bearing challenges that would crush anyone whose eyes aren’t fixed on God, tirelessly serve and minister to others. But the second we take our eyes off Him, and look at ourselves and our circumstances, we sink, much like Peter when he took his eyes off Jesus.

So, with our eyes on Jesus, we take on His easy yoke and light burden, because we no longer recognize the weight of our earthly burdens. And by doing that, we are walking with Jesus, to minister to others first. We are trusting that God will carry us through our earthly challenges as we honor and glorify Him through serving others in His name.

Today’s soundtrack

Casting Crowns’ “Love Them Like Jesus” says we don’t have to have all the answers, or even the words, to help others in pain, but to love them like Jesus, and to bring them to Him.