God told the prophet Ezekiel to remind the elders of the people about His dealings with the nation. He said that generations before them, He “took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness” (Ezekiel 20:10).
When God led them out of Egypt, He delivered them from bondage. Yet He was not just removing their oppression; He was also providing them with something good: “I gave them My statutes and informed them of My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live” (Ezekiel 20:11).
The devil wants people to see God’s law as oppressive and overly restrictive. Yet God said He provided His law so that they could have life. Unfortunately, they “rebelled against [Him] in the wilderness,” so God “resolved to pour out [His] wrath on them in the wilderness” (Ezekiel 20:13).
Today, Jesus has the “words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Satan wants us to think His word is too rigid, restrictive, and onerous to follow. Yet “His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30).
So remember that God gave His word that we may live. Let us not accept the devil’s lie that we cannot or should not obey the Lord. Instead, let us allow the Lord to deliver us from the bondage of sin and then use His word to guide us in all we do throughout our lives.