Standing in the Gap

Today's Reading: Ezekiel 22, 23 & Revelation 9

Scripture:

"I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one." Ezekiel 22:30

Observation:

Israel was really messed up as a nation. They had so turned their backs on God that no one was even heart broken enough for their sin or mindful enough of their God to plead to Him on behalf of their culture of sin. So God poured the full weight of His punishment on them.

Application:

The day I accepted Christ as my Savior and surrendered to Him as my Lord something amazing happened; I received a permanent advocate. Whenever God looks upon my sins He sees His own Son standing in the gap for me. That is the beauty of what Christ did for us.

There are people around me who have no savior. When God looks down from heaven upon their sin He there is no Savior covering them. Eventually their time will run out and they too will experience the full weight of God's wrath. That should constantly crush my heart and fuel my motivation for sharing with others what God has done for me and in me.

Prayer:

Father I want to be active in Your redemptive work today. That is your call for all who believe and I want to be in the game with You. I pray that You be something of worth in me today. Do a work in my mind, body, and spirit that produces something attractive to the world around me. I pray that I be able to stand fully in Your presence and offer something tangible to the world around me.

Holy Spirit, I ask that I be fully aware of the work You are doing around me. Offer to me the invitation to join You in pointing another person towards their next step with Christ. I pray that I be able to articulate what God has done in me and share with them the fullness of the joy I sense in my heart.

There is a standing offer to all of mankind to accept Your gift of grace through Christ. I pray that I may fully experience the weight of Your heart for the lostness of Your people and that my desire to see them redeemed become greater than my fear of speaking out.