COME IN…GO OUT…FIND PASTURE…GO! Part I of II

“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 and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the 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 don’t know his voice.” Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. John 10:1-10 (NLT)

Ever sense a tug or an aching in your heart that you just couldn't explain or get rid of? Ever sense a disconnection or possibly a disbelief of God or of Jesus? We have all felt this from time to time, you are not alone! The Good News is even before we were born God put the thoughts of eternity and the “chip” in our DNA that recognizes we belong and long for our Creator. God is pursuing each one of us however we tend to fill this longing with other things that only bring temporary satisfaction, never totally fulfill the missing pieces of our lives until we surrender. If you are like me surrendering in not easy! I want to be in charge, be in control of my decisions and life. Surrendering takes courage sometimes even desperation to be willing to lose control in order to gain freedom.
In the above verses the Gatekeeper (Jesus) has walked through the sheep pen prior to calling the sheep to follow him. We don’t have to enter with fear, because we have learned to trust the Gatekeeper. He has told us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”, “I am with you always.” In biblical times and even now in some places there are multiple shepherds who use the same sheep pen to protect their sheep. But the sheep will always recognize their particular shepherd’s voice. We live in a world sheep pen with multiple shepherds overseeing a variety of flocks. Not all shepherds lead with the same purity, sincerity and the best interest of their flocks as our Shepherd does. Some shepherds even delegate the privilege of leading to hired hands that run and abandon the sheep when they experience danger or difficulty.
The purpose of the sheep pen is not for the sheep to remain permanently but as a retreat for a specific time. At night, when the danger is more prevalent from wild animals a sheep pen provides safety and salvation for the sheep.
Jesus said, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.”
But he also said, “He (the sheep) will COME IN, GO OUT and FIND PASTURE.”
Let's look at these three actions:

COME IN… Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30)
Our COMING IN is a time of release from the past—its pain and bondage, from misconceptions, from the labor of our control, pride and our works. It is a time of leaving behind; a time of temporary and not permanent staying. We all need times of retreat, rest and renewal in order to go back out into the pastures. Throughout our lives there will be multiple COME IN’s. Jesus had multiple times of COME IN when He sought times of refreshing with God. COME IN is a preparation for......GO OUT.

(Part II coming......)
Blessings,
Kay