In Ezekiel 22:30 NIV the LORD says, “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.” Men let me ask, will we be the MAN that God can call on to ‘stand in the gap’ for Him? God is searching for faithful men – men who He can trust to live and lead for Him. God is looking for men He can trust with God-sized tasks; so will we be that man?
You see, two things are needed to be the MAN God uses – a man and Almighty God in a covenant relationship. With this combination an ordinary man can become extraordinary for God! So, will you be God’s man?
“Men in the Bible were not born programmed to do what they did for the kingdom of God. They CHOSE to respond to God’s invitation.” – Henry Blackaby in ‘The Man God Uses.’ For example…
Abraham was encountered by God, who made a covenant with him. In Genesis 12:1-3 we find that God wanted to make Abraham a great nation, give him land and thru him bless all mankind. All Abraham had to do was to choose to respond to God in obedience! He did…will we?!
Isaiah was driven to please God when he had a personal ‘life-changing’ encounter with God in Isaiah 6. And in response to the vision he had with God, Isaiah chose to respond to God’s command with these words in Isaiah 6:9 NIV, “Here am I. Send me!” Men, can we – will we say the same thing to God today?!
Paul had a dramatic encounter with God in Acts 9, one that literally turned his life upside down and redirected him. And Paul’s response was to choose to passionately serve God with every ounce of his being as noted in Galatians 2:20 NIV when Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” In fact, over half of the New Testament was written by the Apostle Paul as a direct result of his choice to ‘stand on the gap’ for God! Men, what will our choice be?
J. Hudson Taylor chose Christ! He was passionately led by God to organize the China Inland Mission in 1865 and in 1914 there were over 1,000 missionaries reaching the ends of the earth all because ONE MAN chose to ‘stand in the gap’ for God. He once said, “All God’s giants have been weak men, who did great things for God because they reckoned on His being with them.” Men, what will our choice be?
Jonathan Edwards chose to respond to God’s call and because this one man ‘stood in the gap’ for God the Great Awakening in 1734 and 1735 was a direct result of his preaching. In fact one of his personal resolutions so states, “Resolved, to be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that in Proverbs 20:6, ‘a faithful man, who can find?’ may not be partly fulfilled in me.” Men, will we choose to stand in the gap for God today?!
I could go on and on, listing names of such men as Oswald Chambers, Charles Spurgeon, Billy Graham, James Dobson, Rick Warren and many more. But here’s the deal…not one – not one of these men where perfect, each had their own flaws. But each man was faithful to Almighty God; each ordinary man became extraordinary because of their sold-out ‘stand on the gap’ obedience to God.
So, MEN what will our choice be today?! Will we choose to let God influence our relationships at home, at work and in every life arena we encounter? Will we choose to be the MAN GOD USES?!
Choosing to ‘Stand in the Gap’ for God – Doug Reed
p.s. I invite you to participate in our men’s activities and group events as we seek to become God’s Men!
