I Am The Gate

I Am The Gate

Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. Wherever they go, they will find green pastures. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. –John 10:9-10

As part of our trip to Norway, David and I visited a Christian bookstore in the heart of Oslo in which the owners have put together an amazing “walk through the Bible” display and experience. As our host walked us through the exhibit, he came to a sheepfold with an opening just big enough for sheep to enter, and he sat down, blocking the entrance and exit of the fold. He explained that this is what the people pictured when Jesus said to the people of his day, “I am the gate for the sheep.” Middle Eastern shepherds would oftentimes sleep in the gateway to guard their sheep, and Jesus used this image to assert his loving care for us as well as his being the only way “in” to true life with God. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is the only way into the fold of forever life.

But our Good Shepherd doesn’t just give us life that lasts forever. When we allow him to become the “gateway,” submitting to his control, we discover what a full life is all about. When we are in his fold, we can be freed from our striving and the self-centered pursuits of life. We are ushered into a life of deep joy and satisfaction, made so because he is there with us, enjoying us, directing us, filling us, using us. He is the Good Shepherd who longs to give us a quality of life that is beyond our human ambitions. This is not a life reserved for only the super-spiritual few who have the right spiritual genes or impulses or disciplines. This day-by-day, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute enjoyment of the presence of Jesus is a habit that must be nurtured in our lives. Here we discover the peace of his presence and power in every detail of our day. Here we can rest in the green pastures he provides for us.

So why do we think that giving God control of our lives will diminish our freedom and joy? When we give the Good Shepherd control and begin to cherish his constant presence, we’ll find an abundance of rest and freedom and absolute joy from living within his fold.

Guardian and Keeper of my soul, you keep me safe and content as I trust you to care for me. You give me peace and joy as I choose to welcome your presence in every detail of my life.

DIGGING DEEPER