Now who’s next?
What a time to be alive! Who would have thought that the first half of 2020 would bring out a pandemic that would literally paralyze whole cities on every continent, forcing populations to be confined in their homes for safety? And who would have thought that this would only be the beginning of troubles, as just a few months into COVID-19 putting the world on pause, the tragic death of a black man at the hands of a Minneapolis law enforcement officer would pull multitudes [around the world] back out into the streets to protest against the injustice of another virus called racism?
If we ever had doubts about it, these two examples of a long list of crises shaking humanity are proof that the world can be put upside-down in a moment. And as many are wondering what’s next, here’s another question we should all be asking: who’s next? Who are the men that God has called and appointed for such a time as this?
God is sending men
Reading through the scriptures, there is a pattern in the way God intervenes in the affairs of our world. Whenever the people of Israel cried out to him to be delivered from their troubles, God’s solution would often involve a man.
Moses was the man sent to deliver them from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 3).
Nehemiah was the man sent to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2).
David was the young man sent to be king over the people (1 Samuel 16).
Paul was the man sent to bring the Gospel to the gentiles (Acts 22:21).
God would send men to speak, to fight, to rule, to build, to heal, to love… And when the time had come for His plan of salvation to be fulfilled, he himself took the form of a sent man. Now, what does that say to us, as our societies face great and intimidating challenges? Can we hear His voice as the prophet Isaiah did:
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” (Isaiah 6:8, NKJV)
And what will be our response in the context of this pandemic, in the midst of social turmoil and cries for justice, as economies crash, as our contemporaries lose faith in political systems, and as marriages and families across the country are falling apart? Well, the only response that will make a difference… the only response that has ever made a real difference, is Isaiah’s: “Here am I. Send me!”
Men are called to lead
It is not unusual for men to become passive in the face of difficult moments. But God designed us to stand and lead in times of trouble. As long as we will walk this earth, there will be situations that we cannot avoid – situations that will require God to intervene through us because we are leaders.
We are leaders because that’s what God made us from the very beginning. Yes, we were created in his image and given the great responsibility to lead. Not only that: in Jesus Christ, the King of kings, Lord of lords, Leader of leaders, we were also given the blueprint to how we should lead our generation through its troubles. The times we are living now call for godly men to stand and show the way. So, will the men please stand?
This is not about knowing exactly what to do in every situation. It’s about our willingness to be the men God is searching for, even if it means sacrificing our lives. As the prophet Ezekiel put it:
“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land…” (Ezekiel 22:30, NKJV)
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