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Day 4

Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

Lawlessness is not Freedom

People often mistake freedom with lawlessness. They think to break free from God’s yoke is freedom. They do not realize that breaking God’s commandments would only put them under the yoke of the devil and sin: the yoke of lust, pornography, addiction, rage, disease, jealousy, envy, bitterness, gluttony, fear, pride, and so on.

Jesus says that His yoke is easy. The yoke of God only keeps us within the boundaries He has set to protect us from destruction. God’s yoke keeps us from wandering off to the path of death. All He wants from us is to love Him, to stay away from evil, and to treat one another with love and forgiveness.

If you are not under God’s life-preserving yoke, then you are under the devil’s yoke without realizing it, which means you are in some kind of spiritual bondage. You may be in bondage to your own pride, so you are not free to express love. You may be in bondage to low self-esteem or to bitterness. Obeying God’s commandments keeps you free from such spiritual bondage. For example, when you obey God’s command to forgive, you are set free from bitterness of soul.

I challenge you to break free from all yokes, and instead, put Jesus’ yoke around your neck and you will see how liberating it is to your soul. The Psalmist said: “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts” (Psalm 119: 45). Contrary to popular belief, keeping God’s commandments is true freedom.

So let His guidelines lead you on the path of life, away from spiritual destruction. Then you will experience a freedom within that is beyond this world. You will experience a peace and a joy that the world cannot offer you. When you keep God’s commandments, you will have a free spirit. You will feel like jumping for joy, and you’ll be excited about life like a little child.

Prayer or Reflection

Lord, break every yoke from around my neck, for I accept your yoke. I accept your easy and life-preserving yoke, a yoke which keeps me from destroying myself, and makes my spirit free.

Amen

Suggested Scripture Reading for today: Micah 6:8