Break the Yoke

Note: This post was written on Sunday, March 30.


I broke a yolk this morning…a egg yolk that is. Egg and toast is one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast here. Everything is fresh…no processing or dozen cartons from Kroger! It's very simple chicken…egg…breakfast, and not much in between! Yet today, I've been thinking a lot about yokes rather than yolks. There are yokes binding the cows that are worshipped (ironic?), and even more sadly yokes of slavery on the people.

It is the Lord's day here…a day for worship and rest. We went to the church on campus this morning and came away somewhat disheartened. The pastor began by speaking about Pentecost and then somehow ended his sermon with saying that sometimes he wants to leave the church and become a farmer. There was some misguided doctrine somewhere in the middle, but most of it went into tangents. No, it doesn't make sense, which it seems is fairly common here. It's so discouraging for the P's to see that the desire of even those who claim Christ here do not really have a desire to see Him worshiped. It is also sad that the body that is supposed to be representing Christ in this dark place are not being lights at all. We spent some time after church this morning praying for the church to want to know Christ and to represent Him well among this people.

We also prayed for some of the girls that S disciples. Guddi, Pummi, Neena, and Sunita have all professed faith in Christ but are undergoing tremendous spiritual battles…each persecution from their families. Each is the only believer within her family…the first 3 being about 14 or 15 years old, 2 of them are married and the other is engaged. (It is illegal to marry under the age of 18 here, but families arrange marriages early for fear that the girls will loose their purity before that time as well as for financial reasons. Can you imagine getting married at the age of 14 or 15?) They are so young and so young in their faith. Pummi confessed to S that she finally bowed down before the idols at her in-laws house because they were continuously persecuting her. S asked her if she had turned from Christ, and she said "Didi (big sister), I will never deny Christ, but you cannot understand how much sadness there is in my life." To us, it seems like such a straightforward answer to not bow down, but in the circumstances, these girls are under such pressure that fear of man overcomes them. This is a heavy yoke on their shoulders. I cannot imagine what must be going through their minds, but I know that God is able to give grace sufficient for their circumstances and give them a heart of obedience. Pray earnestly for them.

Sunita, S's housekeeper, is wanting to be baptized, which is considered the step of true conversion by the unbelievers in the village. Her husband and her mother-in-law have threatened her if she takes baptism, fearing what the other villagers will do and say. Her yoke is heavy as well. Yet, she still desires to be baptized but fears man as well. I've looked up some verses for S to share with her next time she comes. Pray that they may fear God rather than man and be obedient to Him at any cost. Pray for the P's as they counsel these girls from the Word, as they are all illiterate and cannot read it for themselves. I am so thankful to have the opportunity to read the Word whenever I want to…this is something I take for granted far too often.

Please continue to pray that Light may shine in this darkness…that these yokes of slavery will be broken. Pray for the few believers that are here…that they will be strengthened in the face of persecution and live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. May they know the truth that is in Jesus: "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ...For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to yoke of slavery." May we all know and live this truth.