“Hindsight is 20/20” is a saying that means when looking at the past, everything is clearly seen. We can apply this saying when the Holy Spirit is speaking to us. Often when we are under an attack from Satan and his minions, we can look back at our lives and pinpoint how the Holy Spirit was speaking to us and where we missed His guidance.
When God warns us, He often gives us time to correct our path when we are going in the wrong direction. If we push ahead of God, we walk out of His covering and right into the hands of our adversary, the Devil.
Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me to his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:17-18 AKJV)
My defense and shield depend on God, Who saves the upright in heart. (Psalms 7:10 AMPC)
On Wednesday night, God revealed that I was outside of His covering, and as a result, I had a pain in my shoulder that prevented me from sleeping. I have reached a place in my relationship with God where I know that if the enemy can afflict me with pain and suffering, it is because I am away from my Defender - the Lord.
I received prayer on several occasions and repented for any actions I had recently done, yet the pain only intensified. A trip to the Hospital Emergency Room diagnosed the problem as a torn rotator cuff. While lying on my bed with tears streaming from my eyes, I cried out to the Lord, “I have dedicated my life to working for You by helping others connect with You. Have I not shown that I will accept correction? Just show me what is blocking me from receiving mercy!”
A thought entered my mind that was a word from the Lord, “Have you given My leaders mercy? As you have sown, so are you reaping.”
Instantly I understood the issue: I had not shown mercy to God’s leaders. In my family, we have five pastors. Although these family members have been suffering from recent attacks on their physical health, my heart was very hard towards them. I was not compassionate or merciful and did not respond with grace.
In truth, these feelings went beyond family. Until the moment I cried out to God, I didn’t understand how someone really devoted to God could wind up so far from His ways. It didn’t occur to me how much they loved God and how hard they were trying to please Him. I only saw the mistakes they were making. Now I had a new perspective. When looking back, I understand the various signs that I had missed. The biggest one was this:
When I would lift up the footrest on my chair, the cord to my laptop would wrap around the end of the chair, causing it to unplug from the power source. This event continued several times, even after I had made partial corrections to my path (with God) two weeks earlier.
Why hadn’t I recognized that there was still an issue? I’ve sat in the same chair for three years and never had an issue with the power cord. In hindsight, it is now perfectly clear: just as the cord was extended beyond it capacity, I was over-extending my reach. The tear in the rotator cuff happened for the same reason: we try to grab onto something we shouldn’t. Judgment against God's anointed is trying to take His place: He is the one who deals with them.
Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why behold you the mote that is in your brother's eye, but consider not the beam that is in your own eye? Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull out the mote out of your eye; and, behold, a beam is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of your own eye; and then shall you see clearly to cast out the mote out of your brother's eye. (Matthew 7:1-5 AKJV)
Because I didn't give them mercy and grace, God did not extend it to me. This doesn't mean we should cry out for mercy for them in prayer. By definition, a leader is guiding others. If they are going in the wrong direction or if they are teaching others something that is not according to God’s ways, the actions of the leader may be considered an attack upon the Kingdom of Heaven. At the very least they are leading young Christians astray an opening them up to an attack from the enemy. Jesus warned leaders about this:
But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in and acknowledge and cleave to Me to stumble and sin [that is, who entices him or hinders him in right conduct or thought], it would be better (more expedient and profitable or advantageous) for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be sunk in the depth of the sea. (Matthew 18:6 AMPC)
Having a gracious and merciful attitude in our hearts may not mean praying for God to give them mercy. Crying out for mercy for leaders may conflict with this scripture. It is better to ask God to grant them wisdom. Lord knows I really appreciate the wisdom He brings and am always grateful for these types of prayers.
Also, a gentle word to the leaders about their actions may also be prudent. However, it is God who is the Just and Righteous Judge. In our hearts, we need to understand that perhaps they have been misguided and are in need of grace from us.
And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ (Acts 13:22 AKJV)
The best example of the right attitude towards God's leaders is seen in the life of David. He was called and anointed by God. Saul was the current king so David helped Saul, playing the harp to soothe the demonic attack upon him. When David was attacked by Saul, he fled. No matter what Saul did, David never attacked him.
He suffered no man to do them wrong: yes, he reproved kings for their sakes; Saying, Touch not my anointed, and do my prophets no harm. (Psalms 105:14-15 AKJV)
David knew God's heart and wouldn't attack the man who tried to kill him on more than one occasion. Looking at the life of our Lord may shed some light on this. Jesus healed a man who was crippled in one arm on the Sabbath. The Pharisees accused Him of doing this by the power of Satan. The Lord then says this:
Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy (every evil, abusive, injurious speaking, or indignity against sacred things) can be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the [Holy] Spirit shall not and cannot be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Spirit, the Holy One, will not be forgiven, either in this world and age or in the world and age to come. (Matthew 13:31-32 AMPC)
If miraculous works are being done, or gifts of the Spirit being used, we must be careful not to contribute the work to Satan! I was on the wrong path, thinking wrongly about God's leaders. This was putting me in danger of committing the only unforgivable sin! Walking in this way put me out in the open, away from God’s covering, which allowed the enemy to attack me.
In the past, I have not always gotten it perfect in my work for the Lord. I have even traveled down the wrong path with the best of intentions. In this case, only the extreme pain of the rotator cuff got me going in the right direction:
My heart has softened for the coming correction upon God’s leaders.
I would love to say the pain disappeared as soon as I confessed, repented, and pleaded the blood over these sins. It did not. It only lessened a little. The Bible is clear:
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. (Matthew 3:8 ESV)
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7 AKJV)
When the Pharisees wanted to be baptized by John, they were told to “bear fruit” in agreement with their repentance. As a leader, I need to have actions in agreement with repentance. Throughout the next few days, I began truly repenting:
I prayed for each person I had felt unmerciful towards.
I asked God to grant them wisdom.
I confessed that I had not truly forgiven those who had rejected me.
I asked God to bless them by bringing them closer to Him.
This is what repentance means. If you have done wrong, you must go back the other way and do it right!
Signs of An Attack
When I judged leaders harshly, others judged me. Over the last few months, we have received more emails with complaints than we have had in the preceding three years!
I now know that when my work is being constantly challenged, it is because God’s grace has lifted. The Holy Spirit no longer “has my back,” so to speak. I am truly grateful when I receive corrections for typos etc., but recently the comments have been quite harsh.
When a leader has a “mantle,” it shields those under them.
It keeps the harshest attacks of the enemy at bay and allows the Holy Spirit to bring wisdom.
When a leader is out of alignment with God, it opens a door for all those who are under them to be tested.
That spirit can come in and try to gain a place.
Each person’s walk is their own. Being connected to a leader with many open doors just means there is less shelter; it gives the enemy permission to come knocking on your door. This doesn’t mean we will be attacked, but we can be tempted by the enemy: We must still open the door for the enemy to move into our lives.
In one of the meetings in the following week, the Holy Spirit allowed me to speak about what was happening in my life. Someone pointed out that she was led to repent for not granting me mercy for the minor errors and typos they encountered in my work. They didn’t get the nudge from the Holy Spirit until the day I repented for not giving leaders grace and mercy. This was when I knew that God would turn this “life lesson” into a class at the church.
If we want to receive grace and mercy from God, we must give it to others. If you have a hard heart towards a leader for mistakes they have made, you may need to ask God to help you to forgive them and repent by asking Him to grant them wisdom and to guide them. A few “leaders” to consider:
Your husband is the leader of your home - we are to honor our husbands and mercy is part of honoring him.
A “boss” at work is a leader. If you want favor at your job, make sure you are responding with grace and mercy.
This is the way the body will become stronger, not by attacking each other!
Receiving Breakthrough
Sunday, I spent time in prayer. It was more difficult to enter the Secret Place to visit with the Lord with an echo of pain surrounding me. Every twitch of my arm would bring intense pain.
Determination set in. I would seek the Lord. What else did I have to do? I couldn’t move without waves of agony piercing my left side.
What usually took minutes took almost an hour. I rested at the feet of my Lord, praying, “You know the destiny for which you created me. You know I will do anything You want. I trust your grace is sufficient. You will heal me in Your time and in time to accomplish all I need to do for You.” This attitude is often the missing key to a breakthrough. Make sure you are worshipping God and seeking Jesus, not just seeking healing.
The next morning, I woke with about 50% more mobility. With no appointments or meetings, I spent more time seeking the Lord, just to spend time with Him. The following day I woke with 80% of the pain gone. The following day, only a twinge of pain was present when I overextended my arm.
The orthopedic surgeon could not come up with any reason for the pain to decrease so dramatically. This is the way to receive breakthroughs. We must rest in the fact that His grace is sufficient. In His time, our healing will manifest in the way that He sees fit.
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