Stand in the Gap

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”  And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”  Isaiah 6:8

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you  Matthew 28:18-20

The Christian life is a soldier's life.  We are fighting a war for holiness, for righteousness, with epic battles for eternal outcomes.  Each soldier has a role.  Each soldier has a purpose. Each soldier has a mission.  

Jesus told us in Matthew 28 what the purpose of the mission is:  to make disciples.  This is what we are fighting for.  And then, he equips us with every piece of armor we need to overcome the dark and evil forces of our enemy.  Ultimately, the war has already been won - by Jesus, the Messiah, the Redeemer, the Conqueror of sin and death.  Yet he stills calls us to join him in the battle for souls - the lives of our friends, our loved ones. 

While we were created individually, with special and unique gifts and talents, the overriding purpose of those talents is to tell people about God.  However you do it - as a doctor, a stay at home mom, a sales clerk - that's what you are called to do. 

It's actually a pretty simple battle plan.  

This is a spiritual battle, but this is a physical world.  Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 that we don't battle flesh and blood, but spiritual forces.  These forces are the enemy of the Christ follower, who wants nothing less than our souls to be damned, for eternity.  But Paul wasn't saying that there is not physical work to be done.  In fact, the spiritual campaign for souls involves massive physical work.  

It requires going.  

The Lord asked Isaiah, who will go?    That is not a rhetorical question.  It's real life, with real implications.  It's about blood, sweat, tears.  It's going physically, going emotionally, going mentally, going spiritually.  It's work.

Jesus told us to go and make disciples.  That is not a rhetorical command.  It's real life, with real implications.  It's about blood, sweat, tears.  It's going physically, going emotionally, going mentally, going spiritually.  It's work.

Sometimes, in this battle, a soldier falls or is brought home.  What will happen to the people that soldier was fighting for?  Who will pray now?  Who will disciple now?  Who will go now?

That's the question, the point of this post.  Who will stand in the gap for the soldier who has left?  Will it be you?  

This weekend, one of our soldiers went home.  It's where she'd been working, praying, fighting to be.  My heart is ... heavy is not the right word.  Because I know where she is and I can only imagine what she's doing.  My heart is ... full, because I will miss her.  I will need her.  I will remember her.

But who will stand in her place?  Who will pray and intercede and give and love and remember?  Who will do the things she did?  

Here am I, Lord.  Send me.  Send me to my knees, praying for the lost.  Send me to the bedside of the sick, bearing their burdens.  Send me to my wallet to give money, helping those in need.

Just send me.

There are two battle songs that come to my mind.  One is called "Hosanna."  The second verse says, "I see a generation, rising up to take their place, with selfless faith."  The other song is "Break Every Chain."  One of the verses goes, "There's an army rising up, to break every chain."

Battle songs.  War cries.  Victory anthems. 

There are still battles left to fight and victories left to win.  Whether you want to be at war or not, you are.  Whether you want to be in battle or not, you are.  Every day there is a victory waiting for you to claim.  

Who will go?  Will you take your place?  Will you rise up?

Pray that God will make you brave enough to say, "Here am I.  Send me."