‘I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They 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.’ (vv9–10) John 10:7–13
A gate serves a purpose. It keeps things out, or in. So we enter our homes and close the door to keep unwanted strangers from entering uninvited. Yet, a prisoner is locked inside a cell to keep them from going out. Similarly, we have the opportunity to invite Jesus to be the gate to protect us from damage arising from influences and impulses that work to destroy us, albeit slowly rather than all at once.
I remember, whilst caring for my wife, how I found myself drawing comfort from a source other than God. This was not done maliciously, but simply under the stress of the demands that caring places on the carer. With God’s insight and help I shut the door because it was not what I wanted.
Again, it’s easy to hold certain emotions within, whilst presenting a well-ordered persona to a watching world. However, such internal self-control can eventually cause us to break under the strain. We have tried to lock something deep inside that actually needs to be acknowledged and released.
God provides us with the gate that helps us to establish the normal Christian life revealed through Scripture. We must remain vigilant, for there are always those seeking to take advantage when we fail to shut the door behind us.
RELATED SCRIPTURE TO CONSIDER: 2 Chron. 23:12–21; Psa. 84; Matt. 7:13–23; Rev. 3:14–22.
AN ACTION TO TAKE: What steps can you take to ensure that God is the gatekeeper of your life?
A PRAYER TO MAKE: ‘Lord, may I work to always maintain You as the gatekeeper of my life, and so resist the thieves who wish to steal from me. Amen.’
Photo by Austin Neill on Unsplash
