Kingdom Woman: Embracing Your Purpose, Power, and Possibilities by Tony Evans, Chrystal Evans Hurst Read Free Book Online Page B

“On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues . . .” (verse 10). For eighteen years, this woman most likely had come to church, sung her songs, listened to sermons, praised God, given her alms, and more. Yet she was no further along in being set free from her bondage than the first day she had come. Evidently church, in and of itself, didn’t help her. The system of religion, in and of itself, didn’t heal her. She was a cripple in the pew who had learned how to settle for managing her mess. She had learned how to settle for just getting by.
    Yet a kingdom woman never settles. I realize that what may have happened in your childhood or in your relationships—abuse or misuse—or even with your health or finances may have pushed you down. And the best you think you can ever reach is learning how to manage your pain. Maybe it looks unfixable and broken. After all, eighteen years is an awfully long time. But Jesus has more for your future than settling. Just like He had more for the woman who couldn’t straighten up on her own:
    When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. (Verses 12–13)
    She had been in church for a long time. Evidently you can go to church and not meet Jesus. You can be in the so-called right place and yet never runinto Jesus. When she met Jesus, she met the One who was not going to do what had simply been done for eighteen years. Everyone else had dealt with the fruit, but Jesus went directly to the root.
    Twice in the story of this woman, we are told the cause of her problem. She had been bound by Satan (verse 16). Her issue was not the issue. The issue went deeper than what she physically and emotionally faced.
    See, that’s important to know, because if the problem is caused by the Enemy, a doctor can’t solve it. If Satan causes the problem, a sermon or a song can’t solve it. Neither can it be solved by talking to friends, nor drowned by drinking too much, nor covered by retail therapy that you really can’t afford. If the problem is spiritual in nature, then it needs a spiritual solution.
    Keep in mind, I said it needs a spiritual solution, not a religious solution. There is a big difference between the two.
    A key aspect of your life as a kingdom woman is in how you view and respond to Jesus. Is He merely something attached to a ritual or a routine—that of religion? Or do you view Him as a real Person who longs to have a relationship with you? The reason why so many people end up bound by issues is that they try to address the circumstances rather than appealing to the One who can address the root. The circumstances may be the result of a spiritual situation.
    If something has gone on for that long, then you are dealing with the fruit and not the root. As long as Satan can keep you thinking about the fruit, he has hold of you. He doesn’t mind if you go to your twelve-step program, talk to your friends all the time about it, or make New Year’s resolutions time after time after time. He doesn’t mind because he knows those are fruit-based solutions rather than root-based solutions.
    If something in your life won’t seem to lift no matter what you try or how you face it, I want you to look deeper than what you can see, because there is a spiritual root that needs to be addressed.
    When Your Solution Comes Suddenly
    The woman’s solution came suddenly . Eighteen years of struggling to straighten up was healed immediately . See, with Jesus, it doesn’t have to take a whole lot of time to change your view.
    But I want you to notice that Jesus asked her to do something. He asked her to come to Him. She had to leave wherever she was standing and come over to Him. She had to make her way to Jesus, in faith, even though she couldn’t stand up straight enough to see Him.
    She couldn’t quit or throw in the towel. She had to hold