RECENTLY on the news a little four year old girl was dancing upon the outside window air conditioner which was about 3 floors up. People had gathered below watching, but one man saw her, and ran to catch her just as she fell to the ground! The girl survived the incident while the man who stood in the gap was hospitalized for several injuries to his own body. It was the right thing to do!
I AM POSITIVE that this man did not know when he got up that morning, that he would save this little girl from permanent injuries or even death. Something in him gave him the presence of mind to sacrifice his own comfort for the sake of another. Something that said; “this is the right thing to do!”
IN 1997 at the mall in Washington DC, a group of men called “The Promise Keepers” held a million man march. What an exciting time for all the men and boys that attended, not to mention the wives and sisters who went along for the ride. I personally was blessed by a group of men that sat in the shade of one of the ramps leading up to a Smithsonian Museum. They allowed me to join them in their prayer time and during their discussions. WOW! What a day! Men who were willing to learn how to “stand in the gap” for God. Willing to take a stand in a world that has rejected Him.
MOST PEOPLE do not want to stand out in a crowd. Most would rather be a wall flower and not be noticed. When we become a Christian we must stand out from the crowd. We must let the world know who we are. With the Holy Spirit within us and allowing God to change us we become a beacon in the world. If we are not a beacon, then we have decided to hide the light in us.
IN JEREMIAH chapter 5, the people had turned away from God and so God was turning away from them. They complained with; “Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?” God loved His people and He wanted to save the house of Israel and the house of Judah. They had forsaken the Lord to serve gods in their land and so God said; “you shall serve strangers in a land that is not yours.”
MEANWHILE in verse one we read; “Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note! Search her squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice and seeks truth; that I may pardon my people.” It seems that God was having trouble finding a man to stand in the gap. We read the same thing in Ezekiel 22:30; “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.” If God had trouble finding a perfect man, then no wonder we have trouble choosing a perfect President!
THIS STORY reminds me of today. We are in the middle of the national debate as to who should be President of our country. We have sought high and low for a man who is just, and truthful. But we are still looking! The perfect man has not come forward! The two men we have competing for this prized position have qualities that appeal to both sides of the ticket. Both are so very different from each other. We ask ourselves; “what are we to do?” God was looking for a man who was just, and truthful! Perhaps that is what we should be looking for; a man who is just, and truthful!
PERFECTION is not available. But seeking someone who is closest to the standard can help us in our dilemma. In all things we should be seeking God’s will! When we stand in the gap; when we are in the business of sharing our Christian lives with others, then we seek God’s will in all situations. Our health; our way of life; our government; our community; our church; our schools and in every path we take, we should be seeking God’s will.
“I DELIGHT to do thy will, O my God; thy law is within my heart.” Psalms 40:8 God’s Word gives us instructions and we are to follow them. My prayer is that I will live within God’s will; I will follow in the footsteps of His Son. Am I perfect; no! Am I close to being perfect; no! I live within God’s grace and I know this is the right thing to do! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 7/29/12
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