MARCH 9, 2015
Cat
Gate
I am
the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and
find pasture. —John 10:9
Read:
John
10:1-10
My husband, Jay, and I
have a new family member—a 2-month-old tabby cat named Jasper. To keep our new
kitten safe, we’ve had to break some old habits, like leaving doors open. But
one thing remains a challenge: the open stairway. Cats like to climb. Even as
kittens, they know that the world looks better when you’re looking down on it.
So whenever I have Jasper downstairs with me, she is determined to go upstairs.
Trying to keep her confined to a safe place near me has tested my ingenuity.
Gates that work with children and dogs do not work with cats.
My cat gate dilemma
brings to mind the metaphor Jesus used to describe Himself: “I am the gate for
the sheep,” He said (John 10:7 niv). Middle Eastern
sheepfolds were enclosures with an opening for the sheep to go in and out. At
night, when the sheep were safely inside, the shepherd would lie in the opening
so that neither sheep nor predators could get past him.
Although I want to keep Jasper safe, I am not willing to make
myself the gate. I have other things to do. But that’s what Jesus Christ does
for us. He places Himself between us and our enemy, the devil, to protect us
from spiritual harm.
Thank You, Jesus, for being my gate. Through You I have
salvation and by Your power I am safe from spiritual harm. Surround me with
Your protection. I trust in You.
The closer to the
Shepherd, the farther from the wolf.
INSIGHT:
John records several instances of the exclusive claims of Jesus. In today’s
passage, Jesus says that the only way to relationship with God is through Him
(John 10:9). Later, speaking to His disciples, Jesus says, “I am the way, the
truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (14:6).
Source: Our Daily Bread 2012
