For an anointed man or woman of God not leaning to your own understanding is not an option.  When King Saul spared A-gag and the best of the sheep and oxen (Sam15:9) he disobeyed the word of the Lord siding with the people rather than God and “the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.” (Sam16:14)  Because Samuel feared the people and underestimated God he lost his kingship and it went to David.  Or take David.  “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel” (1Chron21:1)  By taking a census David leaned to his own understanding, not trusting in God, and for that, God sent a pestilence and there fell in Israel seventy thousand men. (1Chron21:14)  But you say, God would never do that.  But the truth remains that he did. 

            When once we receive the baptism of the Spirit, when we begin to be led by the Spirit in the inner man, situations will arise where the man or woman of God must forgo leaning on their own understanding and step out in faith in spite of what other people might think.  That was Saul's test and he failed.  You may be a leader in your church, you may have a wife and children, you may be respected in your community and God may ask you to do something that, like Saul, would go against the prevailing opinion, if you side with man then you lose favor with God and leanness will come to you and your ministry.  Or maybe God will test you like David.  He will ask you to step out in faith without counting the cost, without estimating the decision from the natural viewpoint.  If you choose to calculate the cost, if you choose to take a census, God will bring punishment to your house. 

            To whom much is given, much is required.  If God has blessed you, do not take it for granted.  He may ask you to offer your Isaac, like Abraham, to prove your undivided love for him.  Even after Abraham obeyed God and went out, not knowing whither he went, even when Abraham believed God for a son in his old age, God still tested Abraham.  God still asked him to obey his voice rather than leaning on his own understanding.  That is scripture and that is the truth.  So beware.  Learn to lean on God no matter how it looks, no matter what the cost, and in the end, God will send the blessing of Abraham upon you.  Do not, however, underestimate the mind of God and the requirements he places on his anointed.  God's ways are not our ways, his thoughts are not our thoughts.  We must learn to hear him speak and we must obey.  If not, there remains only a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries.(Heb10:27) for those who willfully sin.(v26)  But as Hebrews suggests we are persuaded better things of you.  Fight the good fight of faith and lean only on God.

amen