Devotions by Meredith

Stand in the Gap

Ezekiel 22:30

“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.”

Standing in the gap is committed intercession, committed prayer. “I sought for a man who would…stand…before Me on behalf of…” Envision with me a wall being repaired that has been damaged by an enemy. One person has to do the work of the repair while another person stands on guard, watching on the look out for the enemy. It’s enough that the wall was damaged, now it has to be repaired no matter how long and what effort has to be made. How is someone expected to do the repair, and still be on guard, standing watch against the enemy and any more attack that may come? Another person is needed to stand in the gap, or plug up that breach against the enemy throughout the building process. A “gap” was a break in the protective thorny hedge or wall of stones that surrounded a vineyard and invited trouble. To bar intruders, someone had to stand guard until the gap could be repaired. Therefore, the Word employs this figure of speech to describe God’s search for an intercessor among Judah’s priest, prophets, and princes or people—for those who would stand in the gap, linking God’s mercy with man’s need. In the day we are living in, the protective hedge about families, churches, and nations is often in a state of terrible disrepair. God is still searching and looking for intercessors to stand “in the gap” and by prayer to help repair the breaches. When a family is under attack, the parents must expend a lot of their energy on processing and working through the challenges to resolutions. How wonderful it would be if there were close intercessors that would stand in the gap where, say, a parent has to spend extra time and effort to repair the breach, the gap the enemy has done against their family. Wouldn’t it be powerful to see how an intercessor(s) stepped up and began warfare prayer for them, standing guard and binding the attacks of the enemy and believing the Lord for the wisdom and way the Lord has for their family challenge to be resolved. This same concept and principle stand the same for marriages, sickness, finances, etc. It even stands for one nation of believers standing in the gap for other nations that may be under attack of the enemy who are focusing on the internal issues and challenges, that the believers in other nations take their place of intercession filling in the gap and breach the attacking nation has caused. The sad epithet of our verse said that when God looked for that intercessor, He could not find one! How sad is that! Oh, may we be found faithful to be one who will stand and fill in the gap, the breach created by attacks of the enemy for others. Help us Lord to do our part!

What about you? Are you willing to stand in the gap for someone else besides yourself and your own problems? We need each other. We need the prayer covering and intercession that we can afford to help others in times of need. Be one of those who will willingly fight for God’s answers and hinder the enemy from further attack and believe for total repair of the wall around our brothers and sisters. Blessings on your day.  

A Father to the Fatherless

Psalm 68:5

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling.

Memories are funny things. Even to this day, I will have flashbacks of times when I was a child, years and years ago. My sister was an excellent pianist, and my brother was a marvelous trumpet player. As they both were quite a jump older than me, I couldn’t play an instrument at my young age yet. In childlike fashion, I would try to sit to the right of my sister sometimes when she was playing and peck away at the high keys. It was a great agitation to her I’m sure, and eventually I would be told to stop as they were usually trying to play a new song or just play together for a while, enjoying their time in music. I would then find my way underneath my twin bed with all the dust balls and random book or sock feeling left out, sad and lonely. There was one person who seemed to notice that I needed to do some things on my own merit, and that was my Grampa. In early spring, he would dig up some angleworms and throw some dirt in a tin can, and off we would drive to Newport Pond. Oh, how I loved this! My heart would race when he’d tell me where we were going, and my junior fishing pole he had purchased for me, along with our can of worms would be placed in the back seat and off we’d go. Grampa taught me how to cast out my line with the black and white bobber on it, out as far as I could get it. Then Gramp would throw out his line as well. We’d stand on the shore side by side, Gramp giving little fishing tips for me to try as we waited patiently for the white perch to take our tempting bait. The excitement was palpable when my bobber would be pulled under the water signaling a fish was on the line. Then Grampa would instruct so carefully how I was to reel it in and bring it onto the shore. Gramp had brought a bucket for us to drop our catch in in anticipation of a feed for dinner. Who would have taught me how to fish, or how to shout a rifle at a far-off target, or drive a tractor, or plant a garden, if it hadn’t been for Grampa. Many grandparents have an unconditional love for their one generation removed offspring. I thank God to this day for this precious old man who thoughtfully taught me and poured into me all he could. Always loving, squeezing me, holding me close, even as a young adult and grown woman, Grampa always loved me. He cut his hand while working with his chainsaw when he was in his eighties. I remember as a young married woman, falling to my knees begging God not to take him yet. I needed him so! And God didn’t. Grampa lived to be 96. I wish he could have lived forever. He really cared about me and how I would grow up and develop. He nurtured me; spent time with me, just me and him alone; he always loved me physically and emotionally unconditionally. He made me feel special. He was a father to the fatherless. Oh, how important he was in my life. I would not be who I am today without his constant love and influence in my life. Can you love a fatherless child who really could use someone constant and loving in their life? It doesn’t cost much, just some time and creativity.

What about you? Can God use you to influence a child and fill a void in them that deeply needs love and attention? Can you be a father or mother to a fatherless child? Ask the Lord if there’s some child you can encourage and help along life’s pathway. God will lead you. Have a great day.