Bible Reading: Ezekiel 22:23-31
Key Verse: Verse 30 - “And I sought for
a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me
for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.”
Key Words: that should make up the hedge
A hedge in Bible lands was and is
used as a wall of separation. The hedge
separates orchards and gardens, and is used as a wall of protection. From our text it is obvious that God was
looking for a man to fill the gap, stand up for righteousness; but not a single
man could be found.
I believe the principle is
clear. Not only are the Marines looking
for a few good men, so is God—men of righteousness who will separate themselves
from the world and stand up for righteousness.
The opportunity for us to mentor those young men is great. We should very well take advantage of this
opportunity.
The Olympic games seem reserved
for youth. And even then, “youth” is
defined as “under 25.” When youthful
Melvin Stewart, 23, won the Gold Medal in the men’s 200-meter butterfly he
shared some keen insight on age. In
1988, Stewart finished a disappointing fifth at the games in Seoul. His family was there with a gentleman named
George Baxter. Mr. B, as Stewart calls
him, paid for his boarding school when he flunked out of school. “He gave me a chance to turn things
around. I owe my education to him. He was, and is, my mentor.” Stewart continued, “That day in Seoul, Mr. B
took me aside and said, ‘This is a blessing in disguise. Use this to fuel the fire toward the next
Olympics.’”
After emerging victorious in
Barcelona, Melvin Stewart threw his victory flowers to Mr. B and, “I told him,
‘I love you.’ I am going to give him my
gold medal, too. Mr. B is seventy-six
years old and I do not do many things without talking to him first. He’s incredible! And he’s been married to the same woman for
fifty-three years. It is too bad, but
older people are a great resource that too many young people do not rely on
today.” Melvin Stewart appears to be a
gold medalist outside of the pool as well.
Are you allowing God to use you
to stand in the gap and impact others for God’s glory?
Dr. Mike Rouse
What to do:
✞The next time you see or hear of a hedge, remember God is looking for you to stand in the gap for His glory.
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