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The Trap of Manipulation

It is God who exalts. When we believe this truth, we can walk free from the subtle trappings of manipulation. When we have a word from the Lord of His vision for our lives, a position He desires us to hold, or a gifting He wants us to operate in, He will make a way to fulfill. Ours is to be obedient where He has placed us until He exalts us to possess the land, for with this heart attitude we will walk around in joy and are led forth in peace.

As God’s anointed vessels let us not give way to fear, impatience, or cause divisions to get our own way. Let us avoid the back door meetings where we seek to get this one or that one on our team and form alliances and support. If God was the only one in our corner, we would still outnumber the enemy and in His way and time He will make a way to fulfill that which He has spoken over us, for His word will not return to Him void but will accomplish the purpose for which He sent it. Just as Elisha explained more are with us than those who are against us (2 Kings 6:16).  Therefore, we can wait with a patient and joyful faith and let Him make our paths straight. We can be unmoved by the look of things around us and keep our hearts open, teachable, and humble. In His time and way He will exalt us to possess the land.

The trap we must avoid is trying to manipulate the circumstance to bring about
what God told us He desires to do through us.

The enemy will attack us with panic and try to convince us that if we don’t do something to make this happen right now it will be lost forever. In such an effort we lose our peace and sweet fellowship with the our Beloved and replace it with a busy striving in our own strength to make our own way in the vain effort to obtain that which God said He desires to do through us. This type of self-effort will only lead to destruction, exhaust us and leave wounded people around us, for we are not fully equipped to stand in the position that only He can equip us to stand in. God’s way is to receive His call and stand and be all He has worked in us to be right where He has placed us.

We can stand through insults, persecutions, misunderstandings, times of not seeing the word fulfilled, and even through the look of circumstances going the opposite of what we heard from the Lord. Though man may rail against us or even despise us, we can stand confidently knowing that God will make our way and give us favor as needed. Even in the waiting for the time of fulfillment, He is working within us to continue to refine and conform us more into His image. We can operate in the fruits of the Spirit right where we are and bless and pour out His life and love to those around us. His timing is not our timing, but at the right time He will lift us up to the positoin He delights for us to fully operate in.

Let us not look at age or reason with man’s limited viewpoint of what is possible or right for the now, but let us trust God’s viewpoint for He sees all that surrounds the situation. Let us trust Him to strengthen our arms for the task at hand and work in us to will and do according to His good pleasure. He will renew our youth as the eagles, He will satisfy us as with the richest of faire (Psalm 103:5). When we wait for Him and His way for us, what a joy we will be to those around us and most importantly to Him.

Forsake the temptation to manipulate the situation, for when we try to ascend through self-effort we will
stand upon an ash heap rather than a mountain of blessing.

If we have run ahead of the Lord and find ourselves beat up, emptied of self-effort, and cast off by those we were trying to help – rejoice! We’ve at last come to the end of ourselves and tasted the bitter herb that is manipulation. We are finally ready to be restored by our Beloved and used by the Almighty to bring forth His vision for our lives in His way and time. Waiting on God to fulfill the call or gifting He has placed in us is so important. Many of us run ahead and get knocked down even when others try to warn us to wait on the Lord. We may enter into what we know God has called us to in our own way and timing, but have no peace, power, or anointing of God to stand in it.

Many of us at some time have taken out the proverbial sword, cut off the ear of others, all for the cause of Christ just as Peter tried to do to help Jesus. In such situations the Lord has to go behind us to pick up the pieces or heal this one or that from the damage we’ve caused from acting out of our own fervent haste and self-effort in an attempt to further the Kingdom and God. Be encouraged, for if you find yourself holding a sword in the Garden of Gethsemane, just sheath it and wait before the Lord on marching orders for next steps.

In the time of waiting, do the most important thing of our lives – bask in His presence. This is why we were created – to know Him. All the other actions, callings, and positioning will stem from this one place – in Him. We are not made to manipulate the situation to bring about desired results or even the results we know God wants. Just leave the results to Him, live and move and have our being in Him to operate in the fruits of the Spirit, and refuse to play the enemy’s game of manipulation.

Let us focus on seeking Him and being saturated by the Holy Spirit to bring about that which He desires to do in and through us. He will lead us on to fulfill the position or gifting He has called us to operate in when all is made ready. At the appointed time and after the needed preparation, it will be not as a clawing to the top but as an entering into a new pasture as our Great Shepherd opens the gate.

I Samuel 2:8-10

“He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them. He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

Daniel 2:21-22

“And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.”

Isaiah 55:12

“For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”

Psalm 37:34

“Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.”

Psalm 75:6-7

“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.”

Luke 22:49-51

“When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.”