The following is an excerpt from our daily devotional series Fasting and the Heart of God.

“Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.” If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness . . . (Isaiah 58:9)

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This is the chapter’s second reference to “the yoke.” In verses 6 and 9, the yoke represents bondage, oppression, and servitude. In verse 6, God’s says (paraphrased), “Your fasting is religious duty, not an act of worship, and not acceptable. You do the motions but ignore your sins. You act like ‘free’ people, but you are not. Where is your heart? You must ‘break’ every yoke [i.e., never to be applied again].” Harsh words, yet consistent with God’s principle that repentance and changed behavior precede His blessing and release into true freedom.

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Verse 9 brings strong exhortation: “Take away the yoke from your midst.” Here, God is addressing individual behavior, admonishing to “remove” three things from one’s life: 1) “the yoke”; 2) “the pointing of the finger”; and 3) “speaking wickedness.” For application, turn to the New Testament (NT).

There are two primary references to “the yoke” in the NT. The first parallels Isaiah 58. Written by the Apostle Paul to the Galatians, it is his strongest letter of reproof. Paul confronts false teachers who insisted salvation depended, in part, on keeping the law. Listen! “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1). Had Paul just remembered Isaiah 58 in his quiet time? He condemned those trying to add to the Gospel or attempting to gain favor with God by doing religious works. Good works, done out of love for God, follow faith. We are saved by grace, and we serve by grace. The Gospel stands alone; it is a relationship, not servitude.

Good News! There is yet another NT yoke. Our Lord gave this invitation to the people in His day and, through the Gospel, to us. “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” It is He who removes the burden and invites us to walk and serve with Him.

In your time seeking God today:

• Offer God your heart in worship and repentance. Have you recognized areas where you have fallen short of God’s ideals for your Christian journey? Repent, and ask God for grace to walk on a higher plane. God always blesses a humble, repentant heart.
• The key for all of us is first to humble ourselves. Pledge to Him a renewing of your mind by digging more deeply into His Word (Romans 12:2). If you are a newer believer, ask Father God to open His Word and His ways to you. The Holy Spirit will not condemn but encourage you. Ask Him for renewed hunger and thirst for righteousness; you will be filled (Matthew 5:6).
• Record in your prayer journal what you are “seeing” and “hearing” through these devotional meditations.

Related Scripture:

• Psalm 95:1-8; 2 Corinthians 4:7-11; 2 Chronicles 7:13-14
• Hebrews 13:5-6; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; Psalm 23
• Matthew 5:6; Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5

Fasting and the Heart of God Full PDF Version

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