The Lord...Our Prophet

"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  Matt. 11:28-30

  Oh, thanks for setting out my cup and starting the coffee.  I never want to miss our visit.

  Now, let's spend some time together!

  Take another look at our verse quoted above.  I want to focus in on the phrase "learn of me."  Those words speak of Jesus being our prophet and teacher.  Those two roles that Jesus holds in our lives are so personal to each one of us and so absolutely necessary to our growth as Christians.

  In the Old Testament, we learn that the prophet was given a message from God and it was his responsibility to take that message to the people and teach it to them.  Among other things, it was the prophet's job to teach the people to walk after God, keep the commandments, and cleave to the Lord.

  What the prophet did in the Old Testament, Jesus does for us today.  He is the ultimate Prophet!  The Word made flesh.  And it is through the Word that he begins to teach us.  Isaiah 2:3b says "he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths."  Through scripture, Jesus teaches us by His example and we're able to learn through His timeless instruction.  He desires that we live our life in obedience and, in that, we find freedom and peace.

  Jesus also teaches us by the mistakes we make.  He wants us to learn from them, take the necessary steps of correction, and apply those corrections to our lives.  I am so grateful for his forgiveness and his loving hand that leads me down the correct path.  I love that He is diligent, does not give up on us, and is creative in the lessons He uses to teach us.

  Jesus also teaches us in our circumstances---He reaches out to us exactly where we are.  Sometimes I hesitate to ask this (and I'm not even sure I always want to know the answer), but I often find myself saying,"Lord, what is it that you want to teach me in this?"  As you and I are open to letting Him show us His ways, we will receive His teaching and gain more wisdom.

  As I mentioned earlier, one of the most important ways Jesus can teach us is be being in His Word daily.  We have to make it a priority, ask for a teachable spirit, and then ask Jesus to show us what He desires to teach us that day.  It may be a thought, a correction in our life, a word of edification, comfort, or encouragement.  Just allow Jesus to be your teacher.  Oh, that we can learn of His ways!  Our life will be blessed and a blessing to others, refreshed, energized, and honoring to the Lord.

  I love the fact that Jesus is our Prophet.  He is the greatest Teacher!