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“Break the Yoke” – I declare that I want God to break the yoke! He sees my heart.
I am not at ease, I am perplexed, so I pray, “Dear God, Break the yoke.” You said in Matthew 11: 28-30, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light; So, Dear God, break the yoke.”
Are you listening?
Is He listening to my plea? I understand what David meant, “Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help,” (Psalms 35:2). “This yoke feels like a hard device, a hard place, across my shoulders. It feels as though the very essence of carrying it, is breaking my inner parts. This yoke makes my stance awkward. I feel unbalanced.“
Why should I bear the yoke?
“Lord, how long will you look on my situation?”
The scripture says that the Lord redeems the soul of his servants and none of them that trust in Him is condemned. Why do I feel the burden of this yoke? When will I feel at ease? I am searching for Your answer.
Reflect! Look from where you have just walked out of!
“The Lord is nigh!”
God will break the yoke! So, I pray… “Thank You!”
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. 6 This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.
The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry (Psalms 34: 1-7;15 NKJV)
Have you ever been in a fight? Or have you ever witnessed neighborhoods fighting? Have you ever been in a neighborhood fight? For each battle, perhaps there is a different outcome. If the battle becomes too rough, you retreat – to live and fight another day.
Have you ever heard someone run to your parents and proclaim, “Your children are fighting.” When a fight occurs publicly, there is usually someone who runs ahead to tell of its occurrence.
In battle, great warriors, will size up the enemy, continue to access if they are winning; and come to the conclusion that it is time to retreat – for they have determined if they will prevail.
Saul’s Fate
1 Samuel 31:1-13 tells the story of a battle fought by the Israelites against the Philistines. Saul was their leader at the time. It would be the last battle that Saul would fight against this enemy. It is said that in this battle, the men of Israel withdrew and attempted to remove themselves. However, the Philistines followed after them. The story continues concerning the fate of Saul, his sons and his men.
For that reason, I only tell part of this story. Because it is true that not every battle is winnable for your glory. This is an example of a battle that Israel lost. While this story does not provide details of the battle, it does, however, tell the outcome. In fact, Saul lost his life by his own hands. Check your hands, people. Check your own hands. Is the battle you are fighting, is it yours?
David – A Different Warrior
David, on the other hand, fought his battles as the servant of the Lord. He writes in Psalm 18th how he suffered during battles. David said that God rewarded him because of his (David’s) righteousness. Accordingly, God rewarded me.
Further into the scripture, David writes in verse 34, “ He trains my hands for battle. My arms can bend a bow of bronze. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
Unfortunately, there are many who will fight a battle that God has not chosen for them. They intervene into situations that are not honored by God. Rather, they choose fights to honor man and for self-glory.
God, your children are fighting. Why are they fighting battles that are not yours? Even so, why are they tearing each other apart? Why are they engaging in unfruitful wars?
David said that God is a battle-axe. He recounted the victory that God had given him in Psalms 18:5-20 NKJV. Although he was surrounded death and was in distress, he reminds himself as to who is really for him. Read his words and remind yourself that God is with you in your fight for victory.
5 The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction terrified me. 6 The cords of Sheol encircled me; the snares of death lay in wait for me. 7 In my distress I called out: Lord! I cried out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry to him reached his ears. 8 The earth rocked and shook; the foundations of the mountains trembled; they shook as his wrath flared up. 9 Smoke rose from his nostrils, a devouring fire from his mouth; it kindled coals into flame. 10 He parted the heavens and came down, a dark cloud under his feet. 11 Mounted on a cherub he flew, borne along on the wings of the wind. 12 He made darkness his cloak around him; his canopy, water-darkened stormclouds. 13 From the gleam before him, his clouds passed, hail and coals of fire. 14 The Lord thundered from heaven; the Most High made his voice resound. 15 He let fly his arrows and scattered them; shot his lightning bolts and dispersed them. 16 Then the bed of the sea appeared; the world’s foundations lay bare, At your rebuke, O Lord, at the storming breath of your nostrils. 17 He reached down from on high and seized me; drew me out of the deep waters. 18 He rescued me from my mighty enemy, from foes too powerful for me. 19 They attacked me on my day of distress, but the Lord was my support. 20 He set me free in the open; he rescued me because he loves me.
Lord, your children are fighting. Are they fighting battles that belong to you? Should you fight battles that are not yours? Are they going into battles that will lead to death by their own hands? Will they listen to you, Lord? What will they do, Lord? What is your response? Lord, your children are fighting. Show them the causes and victory that you have in store for your children. Yours is a plan of winning.
My Dear Grandson is written by the author to express the love of a grandmother. The wonder she sees in him!
My Dear Grandson,
I thought you needed to know what I love about you. Yes, it is true that Nana loves because you are part of me, my legacy. But there are reasons beyond that, which make it easier to love you. I love you for the person you are.
I watch you grow from a baby into the young man you are. I am proud to say to anyone that you are my grandson.
You are genuine. You are truthful about your limitations and challenges; and you fight to overcome them. You are touched by the things that you see happening around you because you care about others. Your caring has made a difference in some of our most difficult challenges as a family.
I listen when you speak of your goals – yes, the importance of a vision. You are realistic. “Yes, For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
I admire your courage. You have the fortitude of a soldier and the strength of a wise leader. You take risks for the good of a situation.
You are a humble person; you are NOT arrogant. God requires that of us – to show humanity towards one another. God calls it humility. You set an example as one who learns from mistakes and grow.
I admire how you do not hold grudges; how you have given consolation to others who have made mistakes and encourage them to not give up.
You are not afraid of your share of responsibilities; rather you view it as a part of moving toward your vision.
Moreover, I have watched you graciously accept rewards for academics and sports and be just as excited in the success of others.
I pray that God continues to help you use your gifts and talents, give you clear directions in your decision-making for the good of serving for the kingdom. I pray God’s grace and mercy continuingly be granted towards you; I pray that you use the power and authority of God in your position(s) in life to always be a blessing for your development and others.
May you always cooperate with the Holy Spirit to lead you. This will please The Father.
And finally, my dear grandson, I l pray that you will continue to act with wisdom and obedience to God, as a servant leader, giving God all the glory.
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night, Psalm 1:1 NKJV.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Principles – To Please the Lord
A man of principles pleases the Loard
When you love God, there is such a desire to honor and do His Will. You want to please Your Father because it is important to Him. This man know that God loves him and cares for him. He knows that whatever concerns him, God listens will listen; a man of principles will follow after God.
Let me be clear: when we say, “a principled man,” we are speaking of the human species (man and woman). Man and woman will offer sacrifices of righteousness to the Creator; his faith is placed in the One who is faithful.
Early Childhood Lessons
As a child, my teaching – an unprincipled man will lie, cheat, and steal. An unprincipled person is a deceiver; and the deceiver is the enemy of God. His lips are of clay. His eyes are filled with lust for earthly treasures. He will do anything to gather these treasures to himself. His love of money will cause “rot and stench.” He is deceitful in all his ways. Therefore, do not be fooled by unprincipled men who does unrighteousness things and say they do it in the name of Jesus. They are false prophets. (FYI -My Grandmother and Aunt Lillie were my Sunday School teachers.)
A Witness to Others
Now, that I am an adult, I am charged with the teaching and learning as “a principled man to love God.” “Amazing Grace” means more to me now; Rock of Ages is my song of praise. I can converse with a certain amount of authority “Because He Lives.” A principled man has hope about the unknown because his hope is in nothing less than Jesus Christ and His righteousness. Yes, he can witness with other principled men, “Oh, how I love the name of Jesus.”
Therefore, as a principled man who loves God, I am thankful for the songs of Zion which proclaim a steadfast love of God; an attitude of gratitude. For the Principled MAN loves God and seek to do right in God’s eyes and not his own.
So, I pause and say, in agreement, I thank you, Lord, that your grace and mercy brought me through. Thank you, Mississippi Mass Choir, the Late Great Frank Williams for these lyrics.
Your Grace and Mercy – these lyrics will penetrate your spirit.
Your Grace and Mercy – Songwriter: Franklin Williams)
Your grace and mercy brought me through, I’m living this moment because of You I want to thank You and praise You too, Your grace and mercy brought me through Thank You for saving a sinner like me, To tell the world salvation is free There were times when I just didn’t do right, But You watched over me all day and night Your grace and mercy brought me through, I’m living this moment because of You I want to thank You and praise You too, Your grace and mercy brought me through Justice demanded that I should die, But grace and mercy said, Oh no, oh no, oh no, We’ve already paid the price I once was blind, But thank God I can see, It was because grace and mercy, Came along and rescued me Your grace and mercy brought me through, I’m living this moment because of You I want to thank You and praise You too, Your grace and mercy, your grace and mercy Your grace and mercy brought me through.
“And now Lord, what do I wait for?” This was one of the questions asked by Job to the Lord.
On whose strength do you wait for? What good is hope when we see evil? The Sovereign God knows.
Job’s physical affliction, emotional depression, and personal loss was so great that he spoke and said, “May the day perish on which I was born and the night in which it was said, a male child is conceived,” (Job 3:1). The weight was so heavy for him, but there came a moment that Job reminded himself that his hope was in the Lord.
Job 5:8-16 Click to hear audio
Hope
As a Servant Leader of God, when you see evil, do you not ask questions? Do you not receive questions about this world from others? In these times, we need to stir up that gift in us to do good because of hope. Not that this is easy. On the contrary, our God is Great and able to carry the weight.
Truly, as humans, when we experience such weight, we must be willing vessels in sharing and carrying the load. How can we share “weight” in times like these?
Seek Truth for Strength
First, under the most difficult circumstances, you must seek His way – His Truth. We are charged to pray for and help one another. While we pray, we are to watch, also. God’s charge is that we do live a righteous life. Why? Because we are accountable to the Heavenly Father and to others. Our actions and deeds, as sisters and brothers in the Kingdom, must come from the mindset of His. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, (Philippians 2:5 NKJV).
Second, share with each other as weight-bearers. When we do this, we show love for one another. “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world,” 1 John 4:17 NKJV.
Third, we share our faith to strengthen others. We must remind others that God is faithful; He is not the author of confusion. He is not the evil one. He is the Great Shepherd, the Good Shepherd. Every day, He gives us new mercy. He rains on the just and unjust, giving all the opportunity to come. He shares every day His love and mercy.
A Promise to You
Although we are heartbroken by the evils in this world, when we become faithful servants of His kingdom, we are not lost. We have been told of precursors concerning evil. That is why Job’s friends and wife had difficulty moving Job out of his stance. Instead, his faith in God was his stance. The promise of God is that a righteous person will live forever. This world’s present condition will not be forever.
Evil
Evil is not God’s way. That is the lie that Satan teaches. From the beginning, we were to live forever. Yet, that liar, Satan, brought evil into this world. On the other hand, God desires that all would be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4). However, most will go their own way (Proverbs 14). Even the more, there are those who are yet to come into the Kingdom. God waits for them, giving all a choice (2 Peter 3:9).
Evil will not win. In our wait, servants of God must preach the Good News. As Job did, God desires us to lean on Him. Why? Our understanding is limited. God knows that. Trusting in him to carry us through our weaknesses and desires, saving us from ourselves.
Process
From the beginning, this process for salvation is God’s way. He gave His only begotten Son that we might live. We have a great inheritance (1 Peter 3-5). Yes, in that day, the whole world will see that our hope was not lost. For every burden, there is a healing for the mind, body, and spirit.
Like Job, we attest that no matter the physical, emotional, or personal losses, God wants us to continue to witness and share in a hope of grace, mercy, goodness, and faithfulness.
We declare that such things as depression, insomnia, and hopelessness will pass away. We are a chosen people to lead others away from false hope. Remind them that it is Satan who perpetuates evils and atrocities. Those who follow him and commit these evils will have an eternal home of fire.
Serve Now
You, Servant Leader, are to serve your fellow brothers and sisters in these times. That is how you wait. In waiting for his appointed time, Jesus did serve. His service was out of love and commitment to the Father. As His child, I pray that we operate in that type of love and commitment for doing good. Regardless of what we see and hear, serve in hope. Remember the song of David: Psalm 37:7-8 NIV
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
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I know. It is not a good idea to challenge God. It is not that I would win the war against Him. Instead, it is that I had concerns about the battle He had chosen for me. I can explain.
When I was first called into the gospel ministry, I fought a private war with God. I did not want this calling. Moreover, I did not understand why He would place me. I did not understand with all of my imperfections and excuses, what good could I serve?
For more than a year and half, I could not sleep. No matter how much I wanted to rest at night – I could not. In my frustration, one night, I cried out. “God, I am sorry. I give in.” My spirit immediately was at rest. It was the first time in more than a year, I slept soundly. There is more to my story, but the important thing is I stopped fighting God. I am most thankful that He allows me to live and share my challenges and victories.
After the Surrender
I was already actively involved in Christian studies prior to my calling. God’s response to this calling was, ” Sit.I will show you.” where you should go. I was preaching; I was ministering, I was…. Then, this happened.
Here I was – in a holding pattern. My Mom at that time, required a great deal of care. It changed my “church routine.” I was upset. Why would God allow this happen to two people who enjoyed being in church? How am I going to be able to preach, teach and fellowship as a minister? This was a physical, emotional, and spiritual challenge. So, I believed. I had limited resources to reach others.
Patience to Learn
Once again, God was patient with me. He began to show me what servant leadership really is about. It began in my home. I was the caregiver of a valuable servant of God, my mom.
Before the global pandemic, Mom and I had already adjusted to unable to move around as before. I had to come to terms with her limitations.
In this place of captivity, my wisdom and understanding as a caregiver grew. During that time, I wrote my first book about Servant Leadership. It is service outside of yourself. Caregiving is a humbling experience. It helps to change the things that you can. Accept the things that you cannot. God gives you the wisdom to know the difference.
Struggles that are Great Tests
God does not tempt us. He gives us tests. The purpose is to grow up. We are in good company with people like Abraham (Genesis 22:1). You cannot run from God no more than you can fight against the prick and win. Like, Jonah, you could end up in the belly of the great fish.
Instead, forgive yourself of your ignorance. God will forgive and strengthen you. Learn from His grace. In addition, remind yourself that it is God’s agenda. Changes in our lives are not challenges to Him. We may feel challenged, but He will give us strength.
Finally, if you are fighting His decision, I pray you will “Step Up Your Leadership Call” for Him.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose, Romans 8:28 NIV
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