God said, "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. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath," (Ezekiel 22:31).
God consumed an entire generation of backsliders because nobody made the effort to turn them back to God. The only thing that troubles me more than the wrath of God demonstrated in those verses is the possibility that I might be the man who fails to stand in the gap for MY generation.
I don't think it's impossible for one man to make a huge difference. I can't think of a clearer example of that than Moses' mother, Jochebed. Stop and think about it.
If Jochebed had not made the effort to weave the little basket she placed baby Moses in; if she had not waterproofed it with pitch; if she had not risked her own life by attempting to save the male child alive in the first place (against Pharaoh's orders); then Moses would have never lived to become an adult.
Think about it. No Moses. No Exodus. No burning bush. No rod turned into a snake. No confrontation with Pharaoh. No plagues upon Egypt. No Passover sacrifice. No Red Sea crossing. No fire on Mt. Sinai. No tablets with the Ten Commandments. No Tabernacle plan. No Promised Land. No Nation of Israel. No Christ.
Jochebed. One intercessor. One tiny thread.
An entire nation's survival hung on that tiny thread called Jochebed. The whole Bible came from that thread called Jochebed. The entire Judeo-Christian civilization that we live in today came from that tiny thread called Jochebed. Our very modern rule of law came from that tiny thread called Jochebed.
Don't EVER think that you don't count. You count FAR more than you could ever possibly imagine. And the reality of it is that you will probably NEVER know how important your intercession is until you stand in the presence of Jesus Christ one day and hear Him say, "Well done!" Then you will be able to look around the heavenly multitudes and recognize all the people whose lives were clearly impacted by your godly role in this life.
Many years ago, I began an Internet ministry, long before most folks got involved in the Internet. In those days, you could find my name in the top listings of Yahoo's rankings on just about any Bible subject. Over the years, millions of people from virtually every nation and island in the world (256 in all) - have visited my website and read my articles on a wide variety of Bible subjects. I have thousands and thousands of emails from people I have never met who thanked me for writing them.
I can't wait to get to heaven and discover what came out of all those efforts. Right now, I can hardly lay a finger on any of the long-term results. I still get letters every single day from around the world from people who read those articles and are blessed. By now, I am no longer able to respond to all the letters I get.
But, do you know what? I believe I am going to be wonderfully surprised when I get to heaven to see how many people were changed by those articles. And I don't think it will be limited to the people who emailed me. I expect that there will be multi-generational results from those efforts. Many of those articles were translated into other languages and published in newspapers and magazines and church bulletins, and taught in Bible Classes and Bible Colleges and preached as sermons and on and on. I have seen those articles appearing in French, Portuguese, Spanish, Filippino, Vietnamese, even Chinese. I cannot possibly imagine how many people have seen and read them.
That's the power of ONE. So many men and women of God have made their mark without ever receiving recognition in this world, but don't ever think that God loses track of those efforts. God is not unfaithful to forget your labor of love in His service.
You may not be a preacher, a teacher, a singer, or a public figure of any kind. But you can pray. So help me God, I don't believe ANYBODY holds a more important office in the work of God than a true intercessor. Eternity will be full of multitudes of people who came into the kingdom because someone carefully interceded for their souls.
I must add one more observation on this subject, perhaps more important than the one I have already made:
NOBODY GETS SAVED WITHOUT AN INTERCESSOR!
If you can prove me wrong on that statement, I challenge you to. If you can find one person who was ever saved without the influence of an intercessor, I'd like to know who it was. That's like saying you were born without a mother! That just can't happen!
So ask yourself this question: For all the people you love and hold dear -- who will intercede for them??
If you can't identify an intercessor for someone you love, then YOU are most certainly their intercessor! And the extension of that logic says that if YOU don't do it, it won't get done.
So, it's up to you. Is your mother-in-law going to be saved? It's up to you. Is your boss going to be saved? It's up to you. Is your nephew going to be saved? It's up to you.
On one hand, it's a daunting task and an awesome responsibility. On the other hand, it's one of the most exciting privileges you will ever have! Just the possibility that YOU and you alone could stand before God's throne and call that person's name in believing prayer, and touch the heart of God -- that is exciting! And when the results come, that is the most joyous and gratifying experience on earth!
What is the price of a soul? The Bible said that if a man gains the entire world, but loses his soul, he has not profited. That tells me that ONE SOUL is worth MORE than all the wealth in the entire earth!
One soul is worth all the diamonds, rubies, oil, uranium, minerals, cattle, livestock, and all the harvests of all the crops on earth, and all the profits of all the stock markets and all the banking conglomerates and all the industries and all the corporations.
Just one soul.
Your mother-in-law. Your nephew. Your boss. Worth more than three worlds just like this one.
So, are you going to try to intercede for them, or are you just going to sit there and watch some ridiculous, insulting, mind-numbing, immoral situation comedy on television tonight instead of praying?
