A Sobering Passage

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.”

As I was doing my daily scripture reading this morning, I happened across this verse in Ezekiel, and for some reason it struck a chord with me. I read it once, twice, and a third time, my heart growing more contrite, and my mood more sober with each reading of this scripture passage.

I sat and meditated on the verse for a while wondering to myself why it had had such a profound impact on me, and as I began to pray certain nuances began to jump out at me concerning this passage that I wanted to share with you today.

The first thing that struck me is the fact that God was simply looking for a man. God did not quantify what kind of man He sought, He did not say He was looking for an intelligent man, an eloquent man, a handsome man, a learned man or a physically fit man, He was simply looking for a man who would be willing to stand in the gap before Him. What we fail to understand so often is that God is the one who does the equipping, God is the one who does the chiseling, God is the one who does the molding, God is the one who does the preparing, all we have to do is be willing to stand, to submit ourselves to His authority, to be willing servants of whatever He would desire of us.

Making us feel unworthy to serve is one of the enemy’s most despicable tricks, and one of his most successful.

“Lord, you deserve better than what I can do, Lord you deserve more than what I can give, Lord you deserve greater than what I can accomplish, so rather than make a wall and stand I will let someone who is more capable, more prepared, and more mature take the lead on this one.”

God however, never said He sought a man who was accomplished, He never said He sought a man who was capable, or prepared or organized, He simply said He sought for a man who would make a wall and stand in the gap. Now there’s nothing wrong in being accomplished, there’s nothing wrong in being capable or organized, but they are not prerequisites to serving, nor are they prerequisites to standing in the gap.

From a human perspective very few would have picked Moses to be the one to lead Israel out of bondage. He was slow of speech, by his own admission he was inadequate for such a task, he had a shady past having murdered a man in anger, yet all God required of Moses was the willingness to serve Him, and He would take care of the details.

The second thing that struck me is the fact that God is looking for someone who is willing to labor. God sought for a man who would make a wall. He did not seek for a man that would desire only to reap the rewards prosperity, He did not seek for a man that would desire only to be blessed and honored and praised by others, He did not seek for a man that would desire to sit in a comfy chair and command others to labor on his behalf, He sought for a man who would himself labor, and make a wall upon which he would then stand.

Today God is still seeking for men who with humility and sincerity of heart are willing to forfeit this present life, to pick up their crosses and follow after Him. Today God is still seeking for laborers who would readily roll up their shirtsleeves and not mind exerting themselves, getting out of their comfort zone, or getting a little sweaty. It matters not how you see yourself, it matters not how apt you consider yourself to be, it matters not what your past might look like, if the desire for more of God is ignited in you, if you are willing to first and foremost serve Him, then build the wall and stand and God will give you the strength to stand.

1 Corinthians 1:27-29, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.”

With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.