The Universal Gap

UV 2896/10000 The Universal Gap
For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.
Job 23 v 14
In this world, we face an universal gap- the gap between our dreams and our achievements, the gap between our words and our deeds, the gap between our thoughts and our actions, the gap between our intentions, feelings and reactions, the gap between goals and realization, the gap between people or in relationships. Whatever man generally aims for, there is a gap or hamartia between aim and achievement or performance but the Lord always fulfils His purpose fully. We need His grace to fill the gaps in our lives, the gaps in our character, the gaps in our relationships, the gaps in our goal-achievement graphs. Jesus is the only One who can stand in the gap between God and man and fill it. His grace is sufficient to fill all the other gaps in our lives.
The Lord has performed, performs and will perform His promises to us. His promises are His appointments that He has held in store for us. Unless we believe in these precious promises, unless we claim these promises, we cannot experience and proclaim either His grace or His glory. He is not like a man who does not fulfil his promises. Scripture says that in respect of His word and promises, God is not a liar and His hand is not too short. He is able to do that which He promised- namely, to save us, to deliver us, to lift us, to use us to prove His own greatness. His ways are too deep and complex for us to discern at one go but He will reveal what He has appointed for us over our lifetime as we hold onto our faith. Nobody can thwart the fulfilment of His promises to us. The Lord has appointed many things in our lives that are beyond our senses, thoughts, imagination, expectation. As we cling to the promises of the Lord, He will reveal these wonderful plans. His plans are not only deeper than we can fathom, they are bigger and higher than we can imagine or perceive. We need to wait on Him to unroll or unpack it in His time, in His inimitable style.
Everyone needs a promised land, a promised Saviour and a promised life. The hope that these three provide for us is like the life-sustaining oxygen that is released to all parts and cells of our being from the haemoglobin that is bonded with oxygen in our blood. Faith is like the heart that keeps pumping love and hope to all parts of our being. Like the blood that is deoxygenated and has to be renewed with a cellular load of oxygen again, our faith needs to be continually renewed. While the Lord is interested in the end results, He is also engaged with the process of our continual renewal and revival. He expects us to be patient, to be responsible and responsive to do our part in whatever promise we have claimed. Once the promise is fulfilled, we are also expected to be thankful and grateful even as we were hopeful while the process was on.
Prateep V Philip