John 10:9 NIV
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture.
This incredible promise from Jesus is one of the reasons for my zeal as a servant of the living God. Jesus is the gate that leads to a land filled with milk and honey. In life, I meet many people who are seeking happiness and peace. I was once one of these people. They are often frustrated because every time they think this is it, disappointments and setbacks overwhelm them. Jesus is offering a land that we can have access to that we truly seek. He is calling us to a green land where joy, peace, and true happiness reside. His promise has no condition, he simply accepts a willing heart to walk with him and to keep the words of the prophesy that is in the Bible (Revelation 22:7). Apostle John was given the honor to see the restoration of God’s pasture that is promised to those of us who choose to enter through Jesus, our gate. This was God’s original plan in the garden of Eden when Satan deceived Adam and Eve (Genesis-3). “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse! The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 22:1-5).
It is amazing that God’s promises never changed. God promised the Israelites in Exodus 33:3 that he would bring them " into a land flowing with milk and honey.” And in Joshua 23:14 Joshua reminded the nation of Israel that God promises to them have come true. He, Jehovah, brought them to that land. Joshua said, "every promise has been fulfilled and not one has failed." Despite the warnings from God, the nation of Israel went against God's commands and did not obey his instructions. In your spare time read Joshua's warning from God in chapter 22, 23 and 24. I am not at all surprised that the Israelites failed God after he had completed his promises to them. Like the Israelites, our flesh is weak, and we often find Satan's kingdom (earthly things) more appealing because it is visible or tangible. Nonetheless, God, Jehovah Jireh always provides a way out and not just for the Israelites but for the entire human race. Humanity has failed him since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis-3) and Noah's flood (Genesis 6:5-8). Jesus declared he is the way to get to our destination to the land of milk and honey. In Matthew 16:24-27, Jesus laid out how we can enter the gate which is available to anyone who is willing to lose their earthly life. This time when we leave the life of bondage (sinful life) like the Israelites and surrender our lives to Jesus we are walking toward the eternal pasture that God has promised under the new covenant. Jesus said we will find pasture. Pasture is defined by Webster’s dictionary as a land that is suitable for animals to get all their nutrients. The land usually has self-seeding grass that allows it to stay green and healthy for the animals to feed on. Praise you Jesus! If God can create such a land for agriculture, how much more can he take care of us if we say yes to his plans for our lives? Jesus in Matthew 6:30 shared with us that God is willing and able to care for you more than he cares for the grass that we walk on daily.
Are you feeling defeated today? Satan is always working against our inclination to seek God’s path for our lives. That is how I felt, when Satan attempted to make me believe taking my life at a young age was the solution to my feeling of emptiness. Twice in my life God intercepted through the manifestation of the Holy Spirit and protected me. At an early age, I just wanted to die but he brought me a Bible and called me out of bondage. The second time, I was much older; I had a plan to drink a gallon of bleach but again God allowed me to learn and embrace his purpose for my life. Unlike Joseph when his brothers threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery, I did not understand his hands were leading me to the path of victory (Genesis 37). But GOD! HE came and brought me to himself through Jesus Christ, and he is continuing to refine me and lead me through his pasture until I reach the heavenly pasture that Jesus promises. As apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:8-9, "We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So, we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it." Our pasture does not start when we leave the earthly tent(body). Our pasture must start now on earth. Jesus, in John 14:6, tells us he is the only way to find the land of pasture. No matter where you are in your life, upper class, middle class, and lower class all these human caste systems can lead you to emptiness and loneliness if you allow your position or circumstances to consume your existence. My life is a testimony of what is going through the gate and coming out to strive to live toward my final pasture with a new purpose. My life is not what the world considers rich, yet, in Jesus Christ I am richer than the richest person in the world. I recently celebrated a birthday. I am so grateful that he heard my cry at the age of nine. I can't wait to see what God will do with the remainder of the time he will allow me to have on this earth. Would you be willing to step out in faith and walk through the gate that leads to complete fulfillment on this earth and after death?
