Standing in the Gap

During these days at the start of this year, I am sure many of you have felt like I have.  When the year started I was looking forward to a new start and leaving 2020 behind me.  The problem with leaving 2020 behind me is that I am not reflecting on what happened, how to learn from it, and what I am called to do moving forward.  During 2020 many of us felt as if we were just trying to tread water and barely able to find our footing on the ground. Now as 2021 has begun I am finding new ways to stand firm on the ground and learning to stand in those gaps in that ground that sometimes are created.  The gaps could look like discontentment, disagreement, or confusion in our world. Those gaps are where we as Christians are called to stand. Are we to stand on the strength of our own opinions? No, we are called to stand with the gospel in hand and God by our side. I have found that the moments in life when we feel most ill-equipped in our humanness is when the real surrender to Christ begins. If we are able to lean into the uncomfortableness, surrender our own personal thoughts and seek Christ’s leading, we can then be equipped.

At the beginning of this year, I made a decision to be led by scripture through my prayer time.  Many years I choose to read through the entire bible, but I chose this year to allow Christ to push me to the scripture where he sees fit. As I have been reflecting on the call to stand in the gap I was led to James chapter 5. As I read through it I was reminded that our call is to stand in the gap for our brothers and sisters in Christ and those who do not know Christ.

James 5:13-20

¹³ Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

¹⁷ Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.¹⁸ Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

¹⁹ My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, ²⁰ remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

What gaps are you seeing around you today? This is where we are to stand as Christ-followers. In 2021 more than ever we need people who will stand in these gaps and accept the call for kingdom building.

Blessings,
Pastor Hope Terhaar