Are you a by-stander or a gap-stander?

Are you a by-stander or a  gap-stander?


Two years ago following a surgery, I had to be admitted back to  the hospital due to complications of the surgery.   For eight antagonizing days, I laid in the hospital helpless and  hopeless.  During my stay at
the hospital, nurses and doctors came in and out of the room trying  to diagnose my illness.  My mom  would pray and sing daily to encourage me as I laid in the hospital sick.  There were days I did not want to pray  or did not feel like reading the Bible. I just wanted to sleep and wake up to discover it was only a dream.

There were days I felt weak and helpless.   However, my suffering was not of the extent of many people who are  dealing with terminal illness in the hospital.  As the days went by, friends and family
called and visited give an encourage word.   On one particular day, I received a text stating, “Rev. I am praying for you” caused me to arise from the bed as if I had never heard the words before.  It was something about  that text. How those words blessed me because I knew the person was genuinely  praying for me at a time I could not pray for myself.   

As I write this devotion, the scripture Ezekiel 22:30 comes to  mind, “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, but I found none (KJV).”
 
This scripture deals with the sins of Jerusalem, however I  believe we can apply it to our lives. 
This is a sad verse because Jerusalem was in a depressed and horrible  state and the Lord was saying through the prophet Ezekiel that He was searching  for a person who would intercede for Jerusalem and do what was necessary for her  salvation.  When the Lord looked, He found no individual who would intercede for the nation and the city. 

There are times we have to stand in the gap for others because  they may be in a distressed state because of life events or illness. Ask  yourself these questions: Are you a gap-stander?  One who is committed to praying before  the Lord many times until the person being prayed for sees results.  Are
you a by-stander? One who is an onlooker who does not get involves? 

Powerful Verses:

Ezekiel 13:5, Ezekiel 17: 8-13, Ezekiel 22:  30


Copyrighted 2014 by Edwina D. Perrin All rights reserved.