John 10:9 I am the Door; anyone who enters in through Me will be saved (will live). He will come in and he will go out [freely], and will find pasture.
I love how Jesus explains how He is the way. He is the Door and when we enter in through Him, we will live! Notice the freedom, He said we will come in and go out freely, and we will find pasture. Pasture is a place of rest, to graze, a place to feed.
I love grazing in His presence, where He tells me things to come, informs me of my mistakes and where He feeds me revelations. The place where He directs me and guides me! I love that place, we all do!
Have you ever noticed though that when you have gone some other way and not through Jesus, He seems to be gone? Of course He is not gone, He will never leave us or forsake us, but we often times leave Him by going another direction, and then His voice becomes dim, then the going in and out freely and the pasture and grazing seems to suddenly have vanished!
John :10 10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it [overflows).
The enemy is good at performing as a angel of light and when he does we often go climbing with him. His objective is to try to get us to think he is God, and that we are following God when in actuality we are following him.
The struggle should be our indication that we haven’t stayed with Jesus, but we have gone astray-we left Him. Obviously when we don't follow Jesus we’re not going to hear Jesus, but the enemy. That means we have to find our way back.
John 10:11 I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd risks and lays down His [own] life for the sheep.
It is a pretty easy determination to follow Jesus, He is good, His way is love, comfortable, and full of compassion.
John 10:12 But the hired servant (he who merely serves for wages) who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away. And the wolf chases andsnatches them and scatters [the flock].
As soon as we start following Satan we are going to feel uncared for, left alone, and discouraged. A sure sign we have been deceived and missed Jesus.
How do we get back to that voice we know and love? The same way we followed what was a stranger (what was a struggle), we turn around and follow back to where that grazing was.
Jesus is the Door and His way is full of love, compassion, and faith. He is our help in our time of need. With Jesus there is no condemnation, no struggling, no sorrow or pain, only joy!
Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. 30 For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.
So how does Satan get us to roam from Jesus to begin with? He uses things like worry, fear, sickness, and rejection, anything opposed to the Truth!
Can I encourage you today to quit struggling, quit worrying, don't be afraid, but just go to Jesus, only believe. Don’t go with Satan, don't let him talk you into doubt. Jesus won’t be there.
You can only hear Jesus when you go through that Door where He is. Through that Door is faith. He,(Faith) is rest, you can graze there! You can hear Him there, and of course you can be with Him there.
There you will hear Him, and when you hear Him, that is all you need to live that good life He intended for you. He gave up His life so that you could have abundant life and He is inviting you to live there with Him!