Undo the heavy burden, break every yoke

"I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom. 7:25).

What does "every" mean, as in breaking "every yoke"?

"Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?" (Isa. 58:6,7).

These acts of kindness certainly are God's will. Jesus had a small treasury for that purpose. Peter admonished Paul in that, which he had been greatly involved in. "Only they [Peter, John, and James] would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do." (Gal. 2:10).

But, is addressing the physical wants enough? Are they all that Jesus has to offer for the uplifting of a downtrodden world? Creature comforts are a necessity, but are they the greatest necessity?

We do the easy work, and eskew the hard things. We fast and pray, but don't get through to God. But Jesus told us to fast and pray. "Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him [the devil] out? And Jesus said unto them,... This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." (Matt. 17:19,21).

What went wrong? What is going wrong today? We can't help others overcome their sins and temptations and the devils, and we can't overcome our own. When our obedience doesn't have the results God promised, we must go back to the drawing board. We must go back to the One who promised the victory. We must afflict our souls before Him, we must fast from self. That means leaving more than just food, which we need.

"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." (Jas. 4:3). 

"Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again." (John 4:13).

"Ye seek Me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled." (John 4:26).

God sees the obstacles that prevent the access to Him that we wish for so badly. He sees our hearts, whether or not they are deceitful and desperately wicked. Can we admit that possibility? Will we accept the rebuke of God? The human heart is that wretched. Separated from God, the heart is only "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9). 

We are blinded to our idolatry. We are full of adultery in our relations with our Lord, and can't discern our condition. We don't know ourselves. We don't see our heart as God sees it. Our love for Him is riddled with spiritual Trichinella  worms, "and of all uncleanness.

But if we can't change our heart, yet our present evil heart is unable to get to God, then what can we do? Give up on the whole business of salvation?

Two things. Yes, there is a definite work by which God can bless us. But isn't that salvation by works? Didn't Jesus say, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent" (John 6:29)? Doesn't that mean I should just sit back and enjoy the ride? 

Absolutely not! Not only is your loved one's eternal life at stake here, but your eternal life is at stake on this point, also. Are you going to assume that you have nothing to do except what you have always been doing, but has never panned out? No, any sincere person will want to be sure that he is doing all that the Judge requires.

"And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint... 'And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?'" (Luke 18:1,7,8).

No. Here's the two things, and they won't be easy: Importunate prayer, and seeking His will.

I.e., 1) Continuously pray for His help until His help comes. And then, 2) while praying, work your prayers. Work your prayers? Yes, by studying His instructions in righteousness until He tells you've found the answer.

Because He told us, "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination." (Prov. 28:9). And He will speak to us, not by emptying the mind and waiting in the silence, but through His plethora of previously given light.

"My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life." (Prov. 6:20-23).

Break every yoke. Undo heavy burdens. Loose the cords of wickedness and set the oppressed free. Throw out the acts that make you look like you're praying, and work your prayers. All the while, keep asking God to show you the right way. "Give me a vision of what I need to do or say!!" "My wife, my son, my daughter, my friend, my neighbor, my enemy needs this and that!!" "Show me the way!!"

"Give Him no rest, till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth." (Isa. 62:7).

"Give Me no rest! That's an order!" "And I will answer you!"

Why does He wait so long to answer? Because we need the faith that comes from bothering Him. We need the trust that comes out of the mud wrestling with our God.

"Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?" (Isa. 58:5,6).