God's yoke is easy

Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:3-5 NLT

In the Word of God, we find the will of God. So, a growing child of God will desire to be in the Word for in it, he or she will discover God’s purposes for one’s life. An unbeliever will find the Word of God to be an impossible book for the message of God’s Word is spiritually discerned and those who do not have Christ in their lives will not understand the Bible’s message. “People who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means” (1 Corinthians 2:14). A child of God will read God’s Word for it is God’s love letter to His children. David values God’s Word for in it he finds “wise advice” (Psalm 119:24b). It is a privilege for David to meditate on God’s Word for it makes him honest as he examines himself. “By your word…Keeps me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions…I will pursue your commands, for you expand my understanding” (Psalm 119:29, 32). This is why for Christians, the demands of God’s Word “are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Love for God should lead to obedience to His commands. The Pharisees and the scribes in the time of our Lord Jesus Christ had placed manmade rules that were not part of God’s Word and they made obeying God burdensome to people. This is why the Lord Jesus Christ encourages those who surrendered their lives to Him and tells them, “My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:30). For the person who refuses to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God, His commands are a threat to one’s self-proclaimed freedom. His statutes are a hindrance to his lifestyle and a constant source of irritation. But for the children of God, they know that God has given them His Word for their own edification and protection. As long as we stay within the area defined by God’s commands, we are safe. This is where God wants His own children to live by for this is where they experience their freedom in God: “I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments” (Psalm 119:47). Therefore, we can do anything we please within the limits of God’s commands. Paul attests to this for when he strays away from God’s Word, he “inevitably do what is wrong” (Romans 7:21). The only way we can be victorious over selfish desires and sin is to live by God’s commands and declare with Paul, “I love God’s law with all my heart” (Romans 7:22).

Blessings,