I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief an a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won't follow a stranger; they will run from him because they do not know his voice.
[John 10:1-5]
I love reading through tough scriptures and encountering God through His word. We had a discussion over this particular section in John (as well as verses 6-10, which I would encourage you to read as well). My group had a hard time deciding who each of the pieces were. In verse 9, Jesus says he is the gate, but that is the only piece to the puzzle we have. I think that we are the shepherds and that we must live holy lives in order that others may see and become followers of God. I'm not sure if this the right interpretation, because there is no right or wrong answer! It could be that God/Jesus are the gatekeeper and the shepherd (Jesus is the gate because He is the only way to get "through" to salvation). I encourage you to read the Bible pervasively and do not take it all at face value. The Bible is the heart of God and He desires you to not just read it, but to engage in it and encounter Him while in meditation.
Thursdays are my long day, so Aaron and I went for a walk on this beautiful fall day and I was able to decompress. I had a million thoughts running through my head from different classes and conversations and small group. God is shaping me so much here, but I'm really noticing the need for self-care. I think we're going to be working on this in my counseling sessions over the next few weeks.
Many blessings,
-Ash
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