Getting Free from Religion
Ecclesiastes 7: And I find bitterer than death, the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be trapped by her. (NKJV)
This passage jumped off the pages at me, many years ago. I remember reading it over and over, fascinated, as I knew it was ministering to me, but, was not sure why.
I believe the reason is, I saw right away, that the scripture is talking about a flesh and blood problem, versus a spiritual one. I believe demons empower evil thinking, and evil ways, just as the Lord, His Spirit, and His Angels, help those who are on the right track.
At the time I read it, I could relate. I had been in a long time of trying to understand a person, who did not want to be understood. Oh, they said they did, but in reality, the goal of their heart was to dominate me, make me do things their way, and trap me in my own desires and words. And what, (you might ask) does this have to do with religion?
Religion is doing something to please God, whereas relationship with God, is to walk and talk with Him, just as Adam did in the garden, so long ago.
If we really believe Jesus came to break the curses, give us new birth, restoration with our Heavenly Father, and all the other numerous promises he made, why is this so hard to grasp? Well, because religion comes in, sometimes with the help of the enemy, and teaches us we have to earn everything. We believe for one minute, Jesus paid the price to redeem us, and he is our righteousness, and we are so delivered, and the next minute, someone is teaching us it’s all conditional, and not free, after all.
I related to the “more bitter than death” part of the passage, and I certainly did feel the snares. How I knew I was snared, was that every time I tried to walk away, (from my captor) the guilt snare pulled me backward. If that didn’t work, the trapping of my own promises, caught me instead. No matter what I did, the enemy (of hell) always seemed to have a way to snare me, trap me, and keep me shackled. I was shackled by the rule to love, to forgive, to always trust, to never give up on anybody. I was chained to fear, fearing I would disobey God if I just walked away, from this person I had sworn to love.
Jezebel was (an actual) person. I don’t know where anyone gets the idea there is a spirit of Jezebel, but to me that just means, a person who acts just like she did. It’s not the same thing as a spirit of infirmity, the spirit of anti-Christ, or even legion.
From the upcoming book, Grace to Soar, by Laura Grace, soon to be released.
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