Green Pastures

John chapter 10 verse 1-5. "Anyone refusing to walk through the gate into a sheepfold, who sneaks over the wall, must surely be a thief! For a shepherd comes through the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him and the sheep hear his voice and come to him and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. He walks ahead of them and they follow him, for they recognize his voice. They won't follow a stranger but will run from him, for they don't recognize his voice."

I love this verse because it is a great example of who we are with God. Jesus goes on to explain that He is the "gate", that can be opened to anyone who hears his voice and wants to come in. When you think of a herd of sheep being watched over by their owner, keeping them safe so that they can graze and enjoy life together, that is the example God is offering us through Jesus. Our days can be so busy, from the moment we awake our day has to start. We need to clean up and get ourselves fed so that we can go off to work to earn a living and get the things we need to live. If only life could be that easy, we may have family, who start the day with attitude about getting them ready and fed in the morning, let alone cleaning and organizing the house before we get ourselves ready and off to work. Then there is work, where there are expectations and responsibilities to be kept and all along thinking about the evening meal and the house up keep and the family recreation and school studies. Yes, life is busy and does not stop, yet God wants us to come through a gate to have a peaceful life with Jesus.

But what if God is right? He see's how busy we are and the stress we can bring onto ourselves. He cares about our health and our well being. So He sent Jesus to teach us a better way of living. To show us that we can have a life with all it's busyness and still be able to enjoy the peace that comes from following Him. God's promises are true. This I found was hard to accept at first because it meant letting go of my attitude that I can do it instead of letting God have control over everything. For example I worked with a rough and tough sort of guy who gave me grief about everything. Each day I would be concerned about what he would bring on next. Then came the day when I trusted God to watch over my day. Wow! There was no more attitude and if there was, the guy could see it did not bother me. My job got easier to perform and I was successful in getting a raise.

Jesus stands at the gate ready to open it for anyone who wants to seek a better life. We still have all the baggage that comes with us, but now we are not alone to deal with it. By trusting in God we become quick to listen and forgive. Our thoughts are quick to look at Jesus and ask for help in speaking the right words. Like the sheep who live in peace with a shepherd looking over them protecting them from harm and searching for them if the wander. That is the life God wants us to have with Him. So try letting God be the one who you can call upon and watch as He helps you. He will give you a life to be thankful for as you trust and rely upon Him. God is there and Jesus wants to show you the way.

Thank-you Father. 😊

2 Peter Chapter 1 verses 2,3 and 11. "Do you want more of God's kindness and peace? Then learn to know Him better and better. For as you know Him better, he will give you, through great power, everything you need for living a truly good life. He even shares His own glory and His own goodness with us! God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

Philippians chapter 2 verse 3 and 4. "Don't be selfish, don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don't just think about your own affairs but be interested in others, too and in what they are doing."