Isaiah 10:27 “And it shall come to pass in that day that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the  anointing”.

The anointing breaks the yoke of bondage.  Jesus Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary opened the door to the “whosoever” gospel (John 3:16) for man to be reconciled to God and destroyed the yoke of bondage.   Hebrews 10:14 “For by one offering he has perfected forever those that are sanctified”.  Every provision, through the finished work of Calvary, has been made for me to walk and live my life in resurrection power.

Everything in that resurrection life now has to come to me by the Spirit of God.  When I entered into salvation I was born-again – quickened by the Holy Spirit and made alive unto God.  That anointing is my covering.  My responsibility is to stay under that covering and  not allow my unruly heart, (flesh life), to rule.  This is my commission, to let Jesus rule my heart and stay under His covering on my daily journey.

Galatians 5:1 adjures me: “Stand fast in the liberty that Christ has made you free and do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage”.  We have all known times when we have struggled with our old nature of flesh and cried like Paul, (Romans 7:24), “O wretched man that I am!  Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”   Romans 8 encourages us with our onward and upward journey.  Every situation requires either a reaction from my flesh life or a response to the Holy Spirit working through me.  These are my two choices where the rubber hits the road!  When we walk in humility the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus supersedes the law of sin and death in me!  As I humble myself before my Saviour and acknowledge my need of Him to live His life through me, His resurrection power surges through me and supplants my old nature.  Joy, joy!!  It is Christ in me!  Hallelujah! The royal exchange – His beauty for my ashes….I go from sin rags to the riches of Christ!  Everything I need to live this Christian life is provided for me in the finished work of Calvary.  It is my choice to walk WITH HIM and be led by His Spirit until more and more it becomes a lifestyle.  This is my birthright in Christ.   I learn to die daily to selfish ambition and plans, to get out of the way and discover the joy of following and serving Jesus.  The life of Another, (Jesus Christ),  living through me bringing glory to God.

My struggle is hanging on to my “rights”, justifying my reactions to people and situations instead of seeing God in all things.  Heart purity is seeing God in all things instead of judging people, taking offence, defending my corner.  Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God”, Matthew 5:8.  There is no point in praying for a pure and clean heart if I refuse to obey the above scripture.  Only in humility can I embrace it when the test comes.  I can make the choice not to be offended by the deeds of others and negative circumstances, but to see God encouraging me to walk through it with Him.   Only in His rest and presence, my covering, the anointing, will I enjoy His joy and peace.  How foolish to resist!

Paul talked about the “enemies of the Cross of Christ”, Philippians 3:18.  Have I considered that when I hang on to my right to myself, manifest my old nature, the flesh life, I become an “enemy of the Cross”?  This is the truth of the ugliness of self and its rights.  When I see things as God sees them, I have no wiggle room.  God have mercy on me!  I certainly don’t want to be His enemy!

Unite my heart with Yours, dear Lord.  May Your Holy Spirit guide me and let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.  I need You Lord to teach me Your ways.  Help me to walk in humility, get out of the way that Jesus may live His life through me.  Divine replacement therapy!