'I will wait for the Lord, who hides His face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for Him.' Isaiah 8:17
In this verse we find a servant of the Lord waiting and looking for Him, not on behalf of himself, but on behalf of his people, from whom the Lord G-d of Israel was hiding His face.
Elijah was a man who was walking in the full light of G-d's countenance, and yet because of the sins of Israel's king and its leaders this caused the Lord to hide His face from the house of Jacob. What was Elijah to do? What are we called to do in times of darkness and distress like we live in today?
Should those of us who are seeking to walk according to G-d's ways be silent or self righteous believing this is just punishment for those who are sinning against G-d? No, we are called with tender hearts to think of their sad condition, and to go before the Lord in prayer to wait upon G-d on their behalf.
This is both a privilege and a great responsibility to wait upon the Lord and to stand in the gap before the Lord, to make a hedge on behalf of our people that He would not destroy our land. 
 'And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the breach 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; their own way have I brought upon their heads, saith the L-rd G-d.' Ezekiel 22:30-31Today there is so much worldliness, so much seeking after human wisdom and culture, so much trust in men and money, so much indulgence, and too little faith and prayer; too little love and humility, and so little belief that G-d can and will help those who wait upon Him and call upon Him to lead them guide them.
Instead of a tone of judgment and condemnation, of despondency or despair, realize you are called to wait upon G-d in prayer. You are to stand in the breach, make a hedge before the Lord for the land, that the Lord will not destroy it. Scripture speaks of a time where the Lord sought for just one man in all Israel to intercede on behalf of the nation He found none  NOT ONE! What an indictment! What an absolute disaster this was for our nation.
Scripture says, 'I poured out My indignation upon them; I consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their own way have I brought upon their heads!'
Those who believe in G-d, believe in His covenant promises, believe in His faithfulness, and believe in His holy Scriptures must take up their calling to stand in the gap before the Lord and to wait and look for Him to act on behalf of His people and His land. If others fail to do it we must give ourselves over to double duty lest the Lord say to us, 'I looked for one to stand in the gap and found not one!'
Like the prophet Daniel let us wait on our G-d, in humble confession of the sins of our people. Let us take the time to wait upon Him in loving intercession for our people, our leaders, and our priests however wrong their lives or their actions may appear.
Let us wait and look for our G-d in faith and expectation that He will hear our prayers and answer them so our people will not experience the fire of G-d's wrath that He should destroy our land. Let us wait and rend our hearts and not our garments that our G-d will pour out His Spirit on our land and our people and turn our hearts back to Him in repentance.
Let us wait upon the Lord and purpose to stand in the gap for our leaders and nation before our G-d and wait patiently for Him who now hides His face from so many of our people. Let us wait upon our G-d and give Him no rest until He makes Zion a joy in the earth.
'I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in His word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the L-rd, more than watchmen for the morning; yea, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in HaShem; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.  Psalm 130:5-8 
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