December 30, 2020
Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
~John 10:7~
We are approaching a new year very quickly. I think we can all agree this year has been a mixture of different emotions and battles. Now even though the year has been chaotic, there has been amazing things that took place as well. Where there are hard times, there are also blessings. Children being born, people receiving healing, marraige taking place and lessons being learned. As we approach 2021 lets focus on the positive parts we shared together. If we decide to focus on the good stuff, we are choosing to focus on Jesus. Before we enter into the door of a new year, let us enter into the Door that is Jesus Christ. In order to be in a new room or area in life we will go through many doors to get there, that is the only way to do so. If you are approaching a building that you want to go in and you reach the door and decide not to open it then you will never get into that building. You will be stuck wandering around outside while everyone around you is walking inside. What causes you to not open this door? Perhaps its fear of the unknown, anxiety about what will occur once you walk through or you just aren't sure it is the right place for you at the time. In the Old Testament of 2 Kings there was a great famine in the land. At the gate entrance sat four leprous men who began to ponder why they wasted their time sitting at the gate waiting to die when they could just easily enter in and attempt to live life. They realized the worst case senario would be the same as if they just continued to sit there. "Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die.”
(II Kings 7:3-4)
When they finally decide to enter the gate they found, to their suprise, nobody was around in the Syrian camp. A great distraction had occured so these men went in unharmed; they ate, drank and went tent to tent with not one disturbance. Although this wasn't a literal door, it was for these men. An entrance to unknown territory. If we choose to stay out of an area the Lord is calling us to go into we will miss out on our blessing. Jesus tells us by entering Him we receive rest. It takes a trusting heart to follow the Lord wherever He goes, even if it may feel uneasy, unknown or scary at the time. We know for a fact Jesus is truth. He will not lead you to a place that is wrong for you. We can always put our trust in Jesus; It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man."
(Psalms 118:8) The four leprous men put their trust in the Lord as they entered the gate of the camp. They knew it was pointless to sit and wait, and in doing so they were blessed by the Lord.
If you are concerned about the new year and entering through this new door, know that to Jesus it is not new and He is in control. There may be good, there may be bad but as we come to the Door that is Him we will find exactly what we need behind it, Glory! The Lord is our Good Shepherd and He will guide us in by His soft voice and lead us safely through. Let us drop our own desire to wait, push forward the wrong way or make our own doorway. When a sheep gets lost, it can only end well if it finds its way back to its Shepherd. Let us stay focused on Jesus, our Shepherd. Let us enter in the Door of belief, patience, trust and obedience. Let us remain there. For He is knocking on the other side waiting for you to open and He has something great for you on the other side;" Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."
(Revelation 3:20)
We have to hear His voice to open. We can't hear the voice of the Lord when we are bombarded with worldly distractions. Set aside worldly things and focus on the Spirit of God and what He is pushing us to enter in next. "Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”
(John 18:36)
He is preparing us for the biggest entrance of all but we must trust Him along the way. Jesus will always guide you to the right place in the right time.
Prayer:
Father God, thank you for giving me a Good Shepherd to take care of me. The amount of love You have showed me this year is beyond anything I could imagine. I trust You enough to enter the Door even if I can't see what You have for me on the other side. I know You would never guide me into unsafe territory. Help me to focus on You Lord, to fulfill whatever plans You have laid out for me today. I declare that one day I will enter in the biggest Door of all and see You face to face, until then my hope rests in You on this journey to get there. I praise You for preparing me a place, giving me the time to understand and showing me how to stand beside You in faith. Lord open up my ears to hear You clearly, my eyes to see where You need me and my heart to trust everything You tell me. I receive Your mercy and answered prayer in Your Most Holy Name, Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.