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May 24, 2020

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I Sought for a Man to Stand in the Gap

"And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." Ezekiel 22:30

This is a sad commentary on the deplorable state of Israel. God said to them, "You have defiled yourselves with idols, your priests have violated my law, you have profaned my holy things, you have hidden your eyes from my sabbaths, you have committed lewdness and abomination, in greed you have extorted from your neighbors, you have forgotten Me." What a condemning evaluation of their spiritual standing before God who had been so merciful and gracious to them! God said, "I sought for a man to stand in the gap and I found none." I wonder what God thinks of us today? Of us, who have been blessed beyond measure...that have been given His Word, salvation by grace, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the riches of His grace in Christ Jesus? What does He see? It should cause us to search within and see if we are willing and available to answer His call for one to stand in the gap.

We might ask ourselves: How far has God's Word, its truth and principles, His presence and power, penetrated our hearts and lives? Is an intimate personal relationship with the Lord a meaningful reality in every aspect of our daily walk? We live in a culture that has steadily declined spiritually. Believers have compromised their faith under the liberal anti-God philosophy of today's world. Our influence has weakened because of our failure to stand true. Through word and life, the world needs to know that God's Word is everlastingly true and will not falter amidst the most destructive efforts arrayed against it. God says today, "I am seeking a man to make up the hedge, to stand in the gap before me for the land. Is there a man anywhere that I can use, through whom I can work to impact lives with the gospel and to transform needy lives from apathy and unconcern into dynamic witnesses for my glory?"

Many say, "If I could just change the circumstances I'm in, move to some other location, or if I could only be like so-and-so, everything would be different!" I have news for you: It would not be any different than it is right now! It's not the circumstances, the location, or your lack of ability to be someone else. The focus of your life needs to be Christ. We are not here to wish we were somewhere else or someone we are not. We are here to glorify the Lord where we are, as we are, in and by the might of His power!

Then our cry will not be, "I wish I were." It will become the cry of David, "Cause me TO HEAR your lovingkindness...cause me TO KNOW where I should walk...teach me TO DO thy will, for thou art my God...QUICKEN ME, O Lord, for your name's sake" (Psalm 143:8-11). What a change in attitude of heart, mind, motive, direction, and focus! It's of great importance to God "how we live" when we are entrusted to trust. We're given the opportunity to buy up every occasion and "dare to believe" in the One who has promised "to do exceeding abundantly above all we can think or even imagine through the power that works in us."

© 2007 by Ed Powell. Used by permission.


This page was reprinted by permission from: http://litmin.org/dare.php?date=2020-05-24


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