I have been reading a Psalm a day. Today’s Psalm, 81, completely awed me! It’s a fresh breath of life in the midst of
crises – not only the Corona Pandemic but the day – to – day entanglements,
especially the ‘sin that so easily trips us up.’
In verses 6 we read;
“Now I
will take the load from your shoulders; I will free your hands from their heavy
tasks."
Oh! That’s a
reprieve! That sounds like freedom. I want freedom – I want to live a life free
of burdens; I want to live a life with my shoulders rested; able to support my
hands to attend to anything that I need to do – not burdened at all. And see, the promise ensures that my hands
shall be freed from heavy tasks.
Notice that the verse above is founded in the freedom of the
Israelites from their captivity in Egypt.
If you remember, their hands were full-laden as ‘the Egyptians made them their slaves.
They appointed brutal slaves drivers over them, hoping to wear them down
with crushing labour. They forced them
to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses as supply centres for the king … they
made their lives bitter, forcing them to mix mortar and make bricks and do all
the work in the fields.’ (Exodus 1:11; 14b)
Continuing with the Psalm, verses 6-8 reads;
“Listen
to me, O my people, while I give you stern warnings. O Israel, if you would
only listen to me! You must never have a foreign god; you must not bow down
before a false god. For it was I, the Lord your God, who rescued you from the
land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.”
And the Psalmist continues;
“Oh,
that my people would listen to me! Oh, that Israel would follow me, walking in
my paths! How quickly I would then subdue their enemies! How soon my hands
would be upon their foes! Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him; they
would be doomed forever. But I would feed you with the finest wheat. I would
satisfy you with wild honey from the rock.”
Psalm
81:13-16
Can we open our ears and listen? Can we truly hearken and heed the voice of
the Lord and walk in His ways?
If only we can, He will QUICKLY subdue our enemies? He will give us rest. He will free us from all the burdens we have
found ourselves in.
I don't know whether you have enemies - I do! Faithlessness is my enemy, selfishness is my
enemy, sickness is my enemy, Corona is my enemy, lack is my enemy, broken
relationships is my enemy, pre-mature death is my enemy ... all works of
darkness ... these are my enemies! They hinder my progress, they work towards
my downfall. They are my enemies! They enslave me. My shoulders are heavy-laden as a result of
these enemies – my hands are tied – I cannot do anything productive with such
enemies! I want freedom to do what I have
been created to – I want to live in my purpose!
I want freedom!
Oh! Thank God. Today
He says that as I (us) yield to Him and give no room for foreign gods (don't
think of Baal) ... think of the foreign gods of self-centeredness, envy and
malice, pride, self-righteousness, immorality, worship of material stuff and
all related, worship of positions ... yeah!
These are foreign gods. And of
course yes, if you call on and worship any other God other than God Almighty,
Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, the maker of the Heavens and the earth – that's
a foreign God; an idol.
As we yield to Him and Him alone, He will swiftly subdue our
enemies, they will be DOOMED FOREVER!
Halleluyah.
And as we continue in obedience to Him, He will feed us with
the finest wheat; He will SATISFY us
with wild honey from the Rock.
What is your finest wheat?
What's your cry for satisfaction?
It's all found in your listening and obedience to God, our
Rock.
Will you listen and obey?
As you
listen and obey, He will take the load from your shoulders; He will free your hands from
their heavy tasks.
Freedom is a function of your obedience to the Lord.
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