Dear Heavenly Father, You alone are God and you alone are the Giver of all life. Dear Lord, quiet our thoughts and open our hearts to help us fully focus on you. Teach each of us Lord, the truths we need to learn from this passage and show us how to use it in our life.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen
John 10:7-10
English Standard Version (ESV)
7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Jesus tells us in this passage that He is not only our Shepherd, who leads us, provides for us and protects us He is the door we go through to join the flock and to have Jesus as our own Shepherd. Then He warns us that there is a thief that comes to steal and kill and destroy the abundant life He promises. Satan stole the abundant life Adam and Eve had in the Garden with God. Satan enticed them with lies and they chose to yield to the lies and believe they could have a better life. He does the same thing to us. He tempts us with the “bling” of the world like houses, cars, travel, money, status and more. We can choose to listen to Satan and believe our life will be better if we have them. However, in trying to achieve them we lose the abundant life Jesus promises such as time to spend with Him, our relationships with our spouse, children, parents, and others Jesus has placed in our live. We struggle to get to the top, to achieve success in the world’s eyes, and lose our peace and joy and feel abandoned and alone.
There was a book I read years ago called Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus. It is a story about 2 caterpillars who observed many other caterpillars crawling somewhere so they followed to see where everyone was going. Then, they saw it, a huge caterpillar column rising so high the top was lost in the clouds. All the caterpillars were trying to get to the top but they did not know what was at the top because it was lost in the clouds. Finally the one called Strip could take it no more. He had to know what was at the top so he left everything and started to climb. But, when he got to the top, nothing was there. Then flying around him, as a beautiful butterfly, was his friend Yellow who he had left behind.
Jesus offers us the abundant, joy-filled, peace-filled, love-filled life with Him. He is faithful. He will do everything He has promised and He will never ever leave us. He never promised us an easy life but He does promise us that He will always be with us through everything and that we will have abundant life now and eternal life with Him in heaven. We have the choice just as Adam and Eve did.
When I made the choice in my life to let the plans I had made, since I was a little girl, go and reach out and trust Jesus with what He had planned for my life it changed. I had a purpose and a job to do that I loved. I have been blessed by that choice beyond what I ever deserved and have had joy and love poured out on me. God told me to trust Him with my dreams and He promised me that I would find fulfillment in Him. He never filled my dreams that I started with but changed them, over time, to His. I am very thankful that I stepped out of myself and reached out and accepted His calling for my life. I would have missed sooooo many benefits and blessings.
What is God asking you to choose between?
How is Satan trying to tempt you and steal the abundant life Jesus promises now and for eternity?
Dear Lord Jesus, We thank you for your faithfulness to us. Thank you for the abundant life you have promised us. Forgive us for not turning to you with every decision we have. We love you and desire to choose the plans you have for us and not the bling of the world Satan offers. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and keep Satan from our thoughts and our decisions. Thank you for your love, for your, peace and for your joy that you give us every day.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen
Charleen
“The Lord is faithful and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”
2 Thessalonians 3:3