As I laid in bed yesterday morning, I got teary-eyed thinking about how merciful God has been to me. There were so many occasions that I knew better but chose not to do better; knowingly disobeying the LORD over and over again for years on end. I justified my actions under the guise of being a "good" friend and simply being "myself" only to later realize that I was being loyal to everyone and everything except for God.
There's a recurring theme of disloyalty in the Old Testament among the children of Israel. The LORD frequently sent them prophets to remind them to keep His commandments and warn them about what would happen if they didn't. They'd obey for a while and then eventually cheat on Him again with false gods. Thankfully, God in His mercy didn't always give them the punishment they deserved much like He does for us today when we let the spirit of knucklehead take over. But what's a good Father to do when His children willingly sin against Him every single day?
Sometimes God has to put us in bondage in order to break the yoke.
I was in the middle of a great conversation during Bible Study last Wednesday when I received that revelation from the Holy Spirit. By the way, a yoke is a piece of wood placed on the neck of an oxen for the purpose of binding them together, so that they walk in the same direction to pull a load of some sort. It's also used in scripture to describe severe bondage or affliction. Therefore, when we choose not to do good, which is to disobey God, we are coming into agreement with evil and whatever you agree with, you walk with (Amos 3:3). Evil is a heavy load to bear, especially when God withholds His protection. It weighs us down and makes us restless causing us to cry and complain about the trouble we brought upon ourselves.
"Why do you cry about your affliction? Your sorrow is incurable. Because of the multitude of your iniquities, because your sins have increased, I have done these things to you." - Jeremiah 30:15
I can personally attest to how painful the affliction is when you finally have to face the consequences of living a life of rebellion. Fueled by pride, ignorance, and insecurity, I played myself trying to play with God. The Bible tells us that Satan is a liar and the accuser of the brethren, so imagine how difficult it would be to stand trial before a holy God when you know in your heart that you're guilty of acting a plum fool on earth (Revelation 12:10). Yet the LORD being the merciful Father that He is, promised to deliver Israel despite all the evil they did. He broke the yoke of their captivity and because of the blood of Jesus Christ, He broke the yoke of mine.
I'm living proof that God delivers, if you cry out to Him for mercy with a broken spirit and a contrite heart (Psalm 51:17). Plus, I honestly don't want anyone to experience the spiritual death & delays that I had to as a result of the poor choices I made in the past. So, take it from someone that hasn't gone through the worst but has gone through enough, the bondage isn't worth it.
When you reflect on what God has delivered you from, how do you feel?
