The Open Places

"In the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by clans..."

Nehemiah 4:13

Above all, a leader prays...

In Ezekiel 22:33, we read, "I looked for a man among them to stand in the gap for the land, but could find none." The gap was that space between the hedgerows which left you most vulnerable to the enemies attack, but with the surest aim!

Public opinion had turned against Nehemiah, threatening the mission God called him to.  That's when he called the families to move into open places, and take their stand.

Out from the shadow of the walls, an army emerged and stood defiant.

In the open place we see our enemy, and know his advances

In the open place we are more vulnerable, but less encumbered.

In the open place we decide, this far and no more.

The open place is the place of prayer.  It's the place where God has stationed us to fight for our families, students and community.  Here, the leader's heart is fed, cross checked for hidden sin, and softened by God's mercy.  Here, the leader becomes emboldened through direct answers, and humbled by a view of God that can be seen nowhere else.

Can a leader ever possess a heart to lead, unless they're tested, and reshaped in the kiln of prayer?  For make no mistake, few choose to station in the open place, because of the savage assaults they know will come.

Have you hit a few boulders, bent a few plows lately?

Is your family under attack?

Have you had disturbing dreams, restless nights?

Can you feel tension between team members?

Do you feel the pull of lust?

Good.  You've got the old liar stirred, mad as a hornet, and hitting back.  Don't leave your post. It's here where we see most clearly a blazing image of Jesus Christ, who stepped into the open place for us, and now wills us to go and do the same.

Walking Toward God

In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise--in God I trust, I will not be afraid.  Psalm 56:10

The morning headlines shouted, "Dow drops 777 points!" The tabloids used 72-point font to make their argument, "America in Crisis."  Here in NYC, where the bear on Wall Street has been roaring, people are scared.  You can see it in the eyes of young professionals, fireman, single mothers and husky construction workers--everyone!  What we thought was secure, has suddenly lost its mooring.

That same day at the train station found me staring down the tracks in wonder at a sapling pushing its way up through the gravel.  Imagine the odds of a seed borne upon the wind coming to rest on an elevated bed amidst chunks of stone, and then sprouting!

The hand of God, I smiled.  For a moment He took my face, and gently turned it toward Himself.

David says in Psalm 55:13, that God has delivered us from death, and our feet from stumbling, "that I may walk before God in the light of life." The phrase 'walk before God' literally means to walk facing God.  Out of a narrative of desperation God uses prayer to keep our eyes facing Him, and our hearts open to a steady stream of revelation.  Lasting peace can be found in no other way.

In 1939 England faced imminent invasion by Hitler's war machine.  It was Britain's greatest threat and their king's most harrowing days.  On Christmas day King George concluded an address to the nation with the following; "I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, "Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown." "And he replied, "Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be better than the light and safer than the known way."

In the posture of prayer there is no room for fear. Ask God to cup your face in His hands, and allow you to walk facing Him.  Ask God to cup your face in His hands, and allow you to walk facing Him.  In so doing He'll enable you to walk facing Him, and find His hand in the light of life.

The Value of Solitude

In 1 Kings 13, King Ahab tempts the 'man of God' to "come home with me, refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward."  If taken out of context that invitation sounds like it could be from God.  Such is the nature of temptation.  Notice all three parts seek to replace God with immediate satisfaction.  Ahab was really saying, get your comfort from my company, quench your thirst from my cistern, and receive what you deserve Now!  The man of God turned and walked away--alone.

As a 'wet-behind-the-ears' director, I attended a conference where Dr. Howard Hendricks talked about how leaders often feel lonely in their role. AT one point I looked to my left and noticed a city director many years my senior, holding his face in his hands, weeping.  Though you won't find it in ay position focus sheet, being alone is inherent in the role of leader.  Yet, as Henry Nouwen so aptly put it, "the question is whether we let our aloneness become loneliness, or whether we allow it to lead us to solitude."  It's in a the quiet places we hear the Father's voice.

Often times God leads us into isolation, because He wants to teach us, as Psalm 87 concludes, "all our streams are IN HIM."  The word stream here means a natural source, as compared to a manmade one, like a cistern.  Billy Graham says, "Satan fishes with bait; he knows exactly what will tempt you to strike the hook." Like Ahab, Satan tempts us away from solitude through many good things, like music, activities, internet-social networks, or support groups.  They are good in and of themselves, but should never replace the intimacy God wants to build through a fierce pursuit of Him. (i.e. Prayer)

Do you ever feel alone, even among friends?  If so, you're in good company.  At those times God extends an invitation to slow down, draw near and drink from the river of living waters.

When was the last time you spent more than four hours alone with HIm in one sitting?