Releasing the Yoke

When the Bible makes reference to a "yoke" it is referring to a heavy piece of wood shaped to fit around the neck and fasten to a pole. It was primarily used to tie oxen together (usually two); the older ox had its yoke and the younger had its yoke. But the younger ox's yoke was bigger and stronger because it was developed so that the older ox could guide the younger.

In the Bible "yoke" is used most often metaphorically to designate a burden, slavery, or obligation. In other words, yoke means any attitude, habit, lifestyle, and way of thinking that keeps you from living in the freedom God wants you to live.

Thus, if you have low self esteem ? you may not have ever seen a yoke, but you are wearing one. If you self-loathe, if you despise your ethnicity, if you find yourself in financial bondage because you are addicted to spending, you are wearing a yoke. All cocaine, marijuana, heroin, nicotine, caffeine, is a yoke. Everybody in life has to fight and deal with the yokes that society and self tries to put on us. Racism, sexism, and classism are all yokes.

We all encounter people with the yoke of bad attitudes, yoke of gossip, backstabbing and backbiting yokes. People wear yokes of bad relationships and yokes of ignorance.

God gives us an alternative. We do not have to live under the oppression; live with a yoke around our necks. God offers us an alternative lifestyle. It is joy and blessings and help when you need it. If you have ever had your yoke broken, you know that He gives you a new attitude, a new way of walking and a new way of talking. He gives you an 800 number so you can call Him at anytime and at any place. He gives you an alternative to sadness and helplessness.

So the question is how do we break the yoke? Well, God has instilled in us the power to break free from our yokes. You already have the power and the strength to break the yoke that is weighing you down. It doesn't matter what kind of yoke it is ? you can break free of it. It may be a yoke of a bad childhood that continues to plague you. It may be the lingering effects of a bad marriage. It may be your tendency to enslave yourself with negativism. It may be your fears and nervous anxieties about the future. Whatever the yoke, you can break it because God has supplied you with what you need. Access it and be free!

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, veteran social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, will be available in July.

monthly home cleaning Buffalo Grove ..

In The News:

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Releasing the Yoke

Spirituality