Yokes....

I wasn't planning on posting another blog but the Lord has other ideas.  This morning is a beautiful day with blue skies, wispy white clouds and a light breeze; and as I was sitting with the Lord He spoke so clearly to me.  He drew me to Isaiah 58 again!  Verses 9-10..as many of us are fasting and praying this week for the upcoming Easter services the Lord impressed upon me from verse 9 "If you remove the yoke from your midst"....what are my yokes?  Those things that keep me from a pure, true fellowship with God. Those yokes that hinder relationships, stop the fruitfulness in my life, restrict my ministries, allow confusion, discontent, mistrust, etc.   It was a time of digging deep - breaking up the fallow ground - and desiring to become more intimate with the Lord.  And as always, God was so faithful He began to show me those "yokes" in my life.

Then in verse 10 God showed me what should replace those yokes - serving others!  He says "give yourself to the hungry, satisfy the desire of the afflicted".  Ask yourself this question "Who has God put on my heart or in my life that is hungry (not just physically hungry) or afflicted?" How does God want me to help them?  And here comes the best part....

Verse 10 says "then our lights will rise in the darkness and your gloom will become like midday".  Those days of negative thoughts &, despondency will be dimmed and replaced with light from Him. "The Lord will continually guide us and satisfy our desire in scorched places.  All those areas in our lives that are dead because of our unbelief, lack of faith, sin, etc those areas will be alive again because He will give us strength to go forth in those areas!  And we will be like a watered garden - have you ever seen a garden that is so well maintained?  It teems with fruit and flowers, it is beautiful and alive ...God is saying this is how our lives will be once we get rid of those "yokes"!

Wow, just writing all that made me excited again. Those yokes keep us from living that abundant life God has for us!  Ask Him today "show me my yokes" and then get rid of them by repenting and leaving them at His feet!   Let's live our lives as those "watered gardens and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail".....until next time!