“Therefore Jesus said again, ‘I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:7-11).
Jesus is both the gate through whom we enter the fold of God and the good shepherd that leads and protects us once we are safely within. This is a beautiful picture of God’s grace working. Jesus opens the way and leads us through the mountains and valleys. We can have a full life as we listen to His gentle voice ~ and He calls us by name, so there should be no misunderstanding.
Yet, the mundane can lure us away from God’s fold and take us into dangerous pastures. Evil is sneaky. Sometimes it’s a wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing.
Ordinary events can turn your ear away from God’s voice if you aren’t listening: a car grabbing your parking spot in the mall, your spouse criticizing you, a child talking back, a store clerk being snippety, an employer overlooking your creativity ~ any of these and a million other trivial things could cause you to step off the godly path into inappropriate anger, filthy language, or total impatience.
We have to keep our ears tuned to the Shepherd’s voice. We need to do whatever it takes to remain spiritually-minded.
Just as the mundane can woo us away from Jesus, it can also keep us close. Reading the Bible early in the morning; praying late in the day; encouraging another to live for the Shepherd; letting your light so shine that it brings glory to God ~ and other little things can help keep our feet on the path.
God’s gate of grace and path to heaven is worth giving our all. The Shepherd’s voice is so calming. Jesus said, “I know my sheep and my sheep know me ~ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father ~ and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:14-15).
Indeed, the Lord is our Shepherd.
Good thoughts.