Standing in the gap

"0 Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery .....and give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life...." 1Samuel 1: 11. "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..." Ezekiel 22:30.

In those days there was no King in Israel, and God's glory departed from His people. (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25;Isa.4: 22). There was no Vision and no word of the Lord revealed. The leadership failed and there was spiritual darkness and utter confusion in the daily ministry at the temple. God was seeking for a man who will be His mouthpiece to proclaim His truth and to restore the glory of God, and guide His people according to His will. Yes, all through history, we notice that God always sought for a 'man after His own heart' to fulfill His plan and to glorify His name among the nations (I Sam 13:14; Ac 13:22).

In the beginning when Adam's first son Cain failed to obey God & Abel was killed. God gave another son, Seth to Adam to continue & fulfill His eternal plan. And when the whole world was corrupt. God chose Noah & his three sons to bring in a new & godly generation to fill the face of the earth. Isaac was given to Abraham as the fulfillment of His long-awaited promise and to multiply his seed into a nation to bring blessing to all nations. Out of all the children of Jacob, God chose Joseph to save and keep His people alive in the time of famine.

Moses was miraculously preserved and was wonderfully prepared in the Pharaoh's court to lead God's people out of Egyptian bondage into the freedom of the promised land. Also Esther & Daniel were needed by God at crucial times in history to take a stand for His name before the nations. Thus, in every generation. God was in need of someone to be on His side when He wanted to accomplish part of His eternal plan. Here, we see how God was waiting for a man to be available for His work.

As He asked Isaiah long ago, "who will go for us?" (Is 6:8), even today God is asking the same searching question. What is your answer, dear brothers & sisters?

At such a time, Hannah was praying for a son. She was also in need of a son to remove her reproach & shame & to bring joy to her own life. Of course, it is legitimate and natural for anyone to so desire. But why the Lord didn't answer her prayer for so long? How often we pray like Hannah to fulfill our own needs & to make ourselves happy? But when Hannah changed her prayer and said that she will give back her son if God blessed her with one; then her request was granted immediately and she needed not to pray again anymore! Why, because in saying so she was meeting God's need! Hallelujah!

Yes, we need to seek to know and meet God's need in our prayers. Basically & usually our prayers are so self-centered or 'others-centered', we rarely or rather never, think of what is God's need and how we can meet it. As we have noted above. God is seeking for those who are committed to Him voluntarily, wholeheartedly & unreservedly and who are available for His use to accomplish His eternal plan.

From Hannah's prayer, we learn the principle of 'knowing & meeting God's need' and thus being a partner in God's restoration work among His people today. Samuel was prepared & received by prayer by Hannah. How many parents today are so conscious of the importance of prayer in bringing forth and bringing up their children? God began to speak to & use Samuel as His mouthpiece because he was offered to Him fully and he was also available to God. Unless and until we lay all our Isaacs ("whom you love so much") on the altar we are unfit and useless for God. S

amuel grew before the Lord (I Sa. 2:21) Where are we growing? Beside still waters of sound doctrine, feeding on green pastures of the word of God (Ps 1,23) or in the worldly philosophies & sinful pleasures (I Jn 2:15-17)? We are challenged by Hannah's prayer & Samuel's dedication to be part of God's wonderful plan. Are you willing? Are you available? Amen!

Yes, "All to Thee my Blessed Savior, I surrender all"