Stand in the Gap

I know most of us gravitate towards Bible verses which encourage,
uplift and build us up. Who doesn’t love Psalm 23, I Corinthians 13,
John 14 and Romans 8:28?
But there are Scriptures which are quite heavy, even a bit sad. Ezekiel
22 records a time when the Israelites were not honoring or serving
God. In fact, they had forsaken Him and turned to idols.
God called out groups of people: princes, priests, officials, prophets
and the people who were greedy, violent, and lacking in mercy. They
were dishonest and had no compassion for those in need.
Verse 30 says, “I looked for someone who would build up the wall
and STAND IN THE GAP on behalf of the land so I would not have to
destroy it – BUT I FOUND NO ONE”.
What a sad time for Israel. God wanted someone who would
recognize this sad state of affairs. Someone who would rise up and
take a stand…someone who would see the condition of the people
and do something: STAND IN THE GAP – the gap between God and
the people.
I think of all the people who live in countries who deny entrance to
missionaries, who do not allow the Bible to be opened to curious
hearts and minds and who make it a crime to share Jesus.
I’m encouraged by Global Radio Outreach and E-Missions to Islam, a
missionary organization who has stepped up and chosen to “stand in
the gap” for Muslims all over the world. I love reading statements
like: “We are dedicated to reaching the Muslim world for Christ
through relevant technologies.” GRO is doing their best, through
radio and the internet, to reach the millions of Muslims in our world.
Lou Ondracek