Stand, #8

Stand firm. Let nothing move you.
Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, 
because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58

Standing is not idle. It’s a poised position of readiness for action. But even while awaiting that call to action—a summon to war, a demand for defense—we are expected to be working, not standing still. And God’s not talking about puttering around but being fully invested, meeting needs, sharing truth, spreading hope.

The upside of giving our time, resources, and strength is that it’s not empty effort. We may feel it’s futile when we don’t see the fruit we hoped for, but Paul’s writing assures us that our labor is not in vain. God will have His way and accomplish purposes we cannot see. Our part is to faithfully give ourselves to His work. Embrace these closing words in 1 Corinthians:

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.
Do everything in love. (v 13-14)

“I looked for someone 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 no one.“ 
Ezekiel 22:30

A gap indicates a disconnect, a break in continuity, a breach that separates. There is a gap that is cavernous, treacherous, and threatening—the one that exists between us and God. It is the ultimate gap. A person may sense its presence but not its danger.

Yes, Jesus closed that gap, allowing us to become God’s children, but many are unaware of that miraculous bridge. They’ve not yet crossed it and felt God’s embrace. They remain in the gap, alone, and God searches for people who will stand in it with them, for them. He looked for gap-fillers in Ezekiel’s day, and He looks for them today. This excerpt clarifies what God wants:

In the ancient world of the Bible, cities had walls surrounding them to provide protection from enemies. When the wall was breached, the city was vulnerable to destruction; the only way to secure it was for people to risk their lives by literally standing in the gap in the wall and fighting the enemy. (https://worldrelief.org/standing-in-the-gap/)

Our friends and family, our nation and world, need us to stand in the broken places and fight for them in prayer. Will you stand in the gap for their protection, reconciliation, or return to God? When He looks at the world today, may God find us armed and unafraid, resolutely standing in the gap.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
Psalm 40:2

It’s fun to stand on the sand in shallow ocean water, feeling the waves shift our stance. We plant our feet in the wet sand and resist the tide’s challenge. But when menacing weather or rising waters threaten, we look for solid rock. We don’t allow ourselves to be helplessly pulled into the mire, but find firm ground.

Too often we’re not aware of our precarious footing until our balance is threatened and we suddenly scramble for the safety of solid rock. Whether the threat is self-imposed, or from a flash storm, or mutely poses danger, we need to find safety if we want to stay on our feet. We may grapple, slipping and sliding in our climb to firm ground, but when we cry to God He rescues us, setting us safely on rock.

Look down at your feet. Where are you standing? Don’t wait for danger… find secure footing now. Step out of emotion and onto truth. Feelings are fickle, truth is secure. Stand on the rock that is Jesus and be safe.

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house;
yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Matthew 7:25