God is Searching (Ezekiel 22:30)
“I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one." (Ezekiel 22:30)
It's no wonder why God would not sit by while His people sinned. It's not like they occasionally misbehaved; they were completely corrupt. In chapter 22 He gives a short list of how bad things really were: murder, disrespecting parents, oppressing poor orphans and widows, idol worship, violating the Sabbath, lying in court, rampant adultery and sexual immorality, extortion, and many other sins.
Since God is no hypocrite, He couldn't just overlook Israel's blatant rebellion. But before He decreed their destruction, He first scoured the city for someone to intervene. Just like Moses averted God's judgment by His prayers (Psalm 106:23), all God needed now was someone to pray. If He could just secure one individual to pray for this "lost cause" nation, God might have a way to redeem it.
But sadly, after a thorough search, God found no one. If both Jeremiah and Ezekiel did pray, their messages to Israel were now His last resort beyond the point of no return. God only told Jeremiah to stop praying after it was already too late (Jeremiah 11:14) and the hardening of their hearts against God's rebuke was now settled.
Things aren't so different today. As culture continues to spiral out of control, God's heart for redemption has not changed and His search for someone to pray remains the same. It's tempting to think that one person's prayer doesn't stand a chance against such overwhelming odds; but perhaps we underestimate the power of one. If God promised to spare Sodom on the account of just a few righteous men, and He only needed one to help Jerusalem, the same just might be true of where we live.
When God is involved it doesn't require an army to turn things around. God seems to work best when the odds are not in our favor. Perhaps you and I are the last ones standing between God's judgment and our co-worker's sin. Maybe that one prayer has extended them just a little more time to repent that they would not have otherwise received (2 Peter 3:9).
Truth is we never know the effect our prayers may have. But let's not wait like the people of Ezekiel's day until its already too late. God is still searching for the faithful few who offer up the prayers for those nobody else will. But what we do know is that those prayers are serving eternal purposes for those who need Him most.
Let's continue to be found by God filling the gaps between God's judgment and those Jesus died for. God make us the conduits of Your mercy with the few prayers only we can pray.
It's no wonder why God would not sit by while His people sinned. It's not like they occasionally misbehaved; they were completely corrupt. In chapter 22 He gives a short list of how bad things really were: murder, disrespecting parents, oppressing poor orphans and widows, idol worship, violating the Sabbath, lying in court, rampant adultery and sexual immorality, extortion, and many other sins.
Since God is no hypocrite, He couldn't just overlook Israel's blatant rebellion. But before He decreed their destruction, He first scoured the city for someone to intervene. Just like Moses averted God's judgment by His prayers (Psalm 106:23), all God needed now was someone to pray. If He could just secure one individual to pray for this "lost cause" nation, God might have a way to redeem it.
But sadly, after a thorough search, God found no one. If both Jeremiah and Ezekiel did pray, their messages to Israel were now His last resort beyond the point of no return. God only told Jeremiah to stop praying after it was already too late (Jeremiah 11:14) and the hardening of their hearts against God's rebuke was now settled.
Things aren't so different today. As culture continues to spiral out of control, God's heart for redemption has not changed and His search for someone to pray remains the same. It's tempting to think that one person's prayer doesn't stand a chance against such overwhelming odds; but perhaps we underestimate the power of one. If God promised to spare Sodom on the account of just a few righteous men, and He only needed one to help Jerusalem, the same just might be true of where we live.
When God is involved it doesn't require an army to turn things around. God seems to work best when the odds are not in our favor. Perhaps you and I are the last ones standing between God's judgment and our co-worker's sin. Maybe that one prayer has extended them just a little more time to repent that they would not have otherwise received (2 Peter 3:9).
Truth is we never know the effect our prayers may have. But let's not wait like the people of Ezekiel's day until its already too late. God is still searching for the faithful few who offer up the prayers for those nobody else will. But what we do know is that those prayers are serving eternal purposes for those who need Him most.
Let's continue to be found by God filling the gaps between God's judgment and those Jesus died for. God make us the conduits of Your mercy with the few prayers only we can pray.
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