When you don’t have enough faith, I’ll have enough for both of us.
Here, Take Mine
My friend, Dyan, and I have often shared our parenting journeys with each other. One time she was telling me when one of her kiddos was struggling with their faith and she said to them something along the lines of, “that’s okay. My faith is enough to cover you right now”. I always really loved that. It’s so beautiful. What a remarkable way to tell another that you’re standing in the gap for them – that you’re covering them when they can’t cover themselves – that your strength is available for the taking in their moments of weakness. But what a funny saying – stand in the gap – what does it mean?
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 it, but I found none. Ezekiel 22:30
God asks us to stand in the gap for our people. It may be to keep them from being destroyed due to their own sin as when Abraham did for Sodom or how Moses did so very many times for the Israelites. In the Ezekiel verse, God is looking for someone to stand in the gap on the people’s behalf so He wouldn’t have to destroy them. There’s also other times to stand in the gap. It may be to encourage them and uplift them when they’re so down and out, it’s hard to see the light – we can share our light in those moments. The point is we’re making up for the lack.
He Actively Looks
God actively looks for someone to stand in the gap. God knows where the weaknesses are, where the breaches are in the walls of our lives and He knows when we can’t fill the hole of our own free will and need someone to run to the vulnerable spots for us. To not only run to the vulnerable spots, but to run their and stand before Him.
I’m going through my own very real struggles right now. God has sent people to stand in the gap for me. Thank God for their obedience in saying their next best yes. Due to their faithfulness, I am still standing – barely but my feet are still under me. I feel their protection against the flaming darts of the enemy. I feel their defending me against punishment I deserve because of my own failings. I feel their strength of hope and faith when mine is but a flicker.
Praise God for the Gap Standers
Wow. What a way to be like Jesus. When they stand in the gap, they become my advocate. Paul, a pillar of faith himself, asked for gap standers. “I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.” Romans 15:30. Paul knew very hard times were coming. Maybe he was wise enough to know ahead of time that he wouldn’t have strength of faith enough on his own.
An author who wrote on this same subject said this, “standing in the gap means we are working for the kingdom. We are planting the seeds so the Holy Spirit can work in hearts”. I feel the reality of this. It’s palpable as I spiritually look around and see my own gap standers filling the gaps all around me now. They’re facing Him, standing before Him. I am benefiting.
Danger Ahead
Sometimes a gap stander keeps you from falling through the holes of your life by warning you that they’re ahead. My favorite gap stander in this season is someone I barely met the first week of March this year. She came to me and spoke a word over me. It’s very important when someone speaks a word over you to hold it open-handedly, or place it on a shelf if and until God tells you it’s time to pay attention. She said something to me along the lines of hard times are coming but don’t worry, I see angels donned in full battle gear standing before you. I didn’t know what to think of it then, now I’m living it. Even before I needed this new friend, she started standing in the gap for me.
We all need defenders when we can’t or even shouldn’t defend ourselves. Who is standing in the gap for you? Where can you stand in the gap for someone else? This is what the body of Christ was made for.
