Broken Bars

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect. Leviticus 26:13

The Israelites were slaves in Egypt for a long time.

One day is actually too much.

But God rescued them, bringing them out of slavery under Moses’ leadership.

God broke the bars of their yoke, which was incredibly heavy as slaves.

He freed them, causing them to lose not only their yoke, but instead walk completely upright.

They were no longer prisoners.

One can only walk upright without a burden on their back.

Ever tried to carry something heavy or awkward?

We usually stoop at least a bit.

Or what about internal burdens not physically seen?

Those are usually bigger.

The pressures and weight cause us to walk around slightly hunched, eyes downward, gloom written on our faces.

Even our eyes look sad when we are under the yoke of burdens, which become our prison as we constantly feel the pressures, not aware of any escape.

God reminds us in Leviticus of His deliverance from slavery. Of the prison the Israelites were dwelling.

And He also reminds us He has broken the bars of that yoke, allowing us to walk uprightly.

Do you want to walk uprightly as one who has received God’s peace and strength?

Eager to break out of your prison?

Have you given your burdensome yoke to God?

Those pressing situations causing you to stoop over with anxiety or fear?

He wants to break your yoke, allowing you to walk out of your prison, into the freedom He has for you.

As you release all things to God, He will straighten your back, causing a smile to spread across your face.

Walk uprightly. Smile. Look others in the eyes.

You are God’s beloved one. He has your life in His hands.

And He has all the stuff you worry about, too.

When you place your trust in God for not only your salvation, but your life here on earth as well, your prison doors are opened.

Give God your relationships, your jobs, your addictions, your future, and more.

And don’t allow that yoke to reattach as worry and fear begin creeping back into control.

God is more powerful than your burden.

Allow Him to take it off.

He’ll even help you with the transfer.

Now don’t worry about where He put it.

Just pray and trust Him instead.

Doesn’t it feel great to stand tall again?

Photos by Artem BeliaikinDaniel BornDaniel Krueger , & Ben White on Unsplash

Yielding Ourselves

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Ephesians 6:10

Ever tried to stop doing something you know you shouldn’t?

Could be eating too much sugar, drowning your sorrows in alcohol, or spending way too much time scrolling through your phone.

Could even be your attitude or reaction when things don’t go your way.

Or choosing to listen only to yourself instead of others.

All of it points to placing, you guessed it – yourself on the throne instead of God, the One who created you and all things.

Yielding to Jesus will break every form of slavery in our human lives.

Food, exercise, exhaustion, perfection, fear, anxiety, or pride.

Anything placed before Jesus can become a form of slavery as we feed that characteristic within ourselves instead of feeding our relationship with Jesus.

Some of those things are super great, like exercise or eating healthy.

But if that desire replaces your desire for God, then that desire has become a god to you, probably rooted in fear if you don’t perform exactly right.

We can only find victory over ourselves through Jesus.

Through Jesus’ peace and strength.

Love this poem from Amy Carmichael, a missionary to India in the early 1900’s:

Before the winds that blow decrease, teach me to dwell within Thy calm; before the pain passed in peace, give me, my God, to sing a psalm. Let me not lose the chance to prove the fullness of enabling love. O love of God, do this for me; maintain a constant victory.

Don’t you just love that phrase: maintain a constant victory.

A plea for God to not only win in our lives, but to keep winning.

Only happens when we yield ourselves over to God, who is infinately more capable than our sinful selves.

Lord, give us a portion of your sweet spirit, spilling out your life and love to others.

As life consumes us, help us to place You on the throne of our heart, wanting only what You want for us.

With You, we will have constant victory, even if we don’t see it.

Because You have already won. You are our constant victory.

Photos by Joshua EarlePablo HeimplatzGuillaume de Germain, & Patrick Fore on Unsplash

Freedom or Slavery

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

God has set you free.

Free.

Not yoked.

He has set you free for freedom.

He has saved you with the intent of freedom.

Freedom from what?

Sin.

The penalty of sin, which is death.

Literally.

What?

When we trust Jesus as our Savior, He literally saves us from eternal death.

It’s the most wonderful thing, but I’m not telling you anything new.

Most of us have known this since we were young.

But how else does He set us free?

He can set us free from fear.

Free from jealously.

Free from unloving.

Free from guilt.

The freedom Christ offers extends beyond salvation to the here and now.

His invitation extends to this life.

Paul reminds us to stand firm, choosing life.

Choosing God’s freedom.

To not give into our old ways, by listening to lies or succumbing to the flesh, which then becomes slavery.

When one isn’t free, they are a slave.

What ideas, actions, or thoughts still enslave you?

We must be renewed by God every day, but that takes a choice.

Your choice.

Your choice to walk in God’s freedom, or to yoke yourself back with the old ways.

Yoking to the old equals slavery.

Walking with God and living with His power equals freedom.

Choose to walk in the freedom of God.

Keep doing it, standing firm with the help of Almighty God.

And every time you do so, your slavery ties to sin will be break, making this life a whole lot more peaceful.

Keep choosing God’s reactions and it will become more of a habit as you throw off the yoke of slavery to sin.

Experience the freedom of God.

Choose it.

And with His power, withstand the submission to your familiar yoke of slavery.

Photos by Noah Silliman, Robert Collins, Paul Green, & niu niu on Unsplash