Dear friends, in my daily devotion times I’m now in Ezekiel and was struck by the desperate words spoken by the Lord through the prophet in Ezekiel 22:30-31. The nation of Israel is in absolute decline, having turned from the Lord and in rebellion they have gone after the idolatry and worldliness of surrounding nations, and God has reached His threshold. He declares in these verses, “I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach (gap) before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. Therefore, I poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord God.” Although Ezekiel and Jeremiah were faithful servants of God, the Lord painfully shares that there was no man who could draw the nation of Judah to repent of their sin and the impending judgment that would come upon them through Babylon.

Yesterday in church I was asked to read Revelation 5, a glorious chapter recounting the desperate search for anyone who would be found worthy to break the seal and open the scroll, ushering in the will of God. None were found worthy… until one of the heavenly elders proclaimed, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” (Rev.5:5) John then sees the Lamb take the scroll, and all heaven, earth, under the earth, the sea, all creation erupts in magnificent worship of the One, the only One, Who was slain, and is worthy “to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” In other words, the Lamb alone in worthy of “standing in the gap” between us and the judgment we deserve for our sins, and thereby receives worship from all creation.

I would like to add one further application from this idea. Today, God is still looking for people who will “stand in the gap,” who will be uncompromising in pursuit of God, renunciation of sin, and proclamation of Gospel hope to a lost and hungry world. In fact, His eyes “run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” (2 Chron.16:9) Can we be such “gap-breachers?” Only in the power of Christ by the control of His Spirit (Zech.4:6). May we rise to the call and accept the challenge, engaging in the vital work of Gospel proclamation, with a life that validates that message. In response, may God show grace to our generation that deserves judgment, so that “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea .” (Hab.2:14)

In Ivory Coast, West Africa, I was just with Daniel and Ann Sahin, coordinators for Pathways in that country, who are striving to fulfill this call in their nation. Listen to them in this brief clip: