Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
October 28, 2024
John 10:1-10
1 I assure you that whoever doesn’t enter into the sheep pen through the gate but climbs over the wall is a thief and an outlaw. 2 The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The guard at the gate opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 Whenever he has gathered all of his sheep, he goes before them and they follow him, because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger but will run away because they don’t know the stranger’s voice.” 6 Those who heard Jesus use this analogy didn’t understand what he was saying. 7 So Jesus spoke again, “I assure you that I am the gate of the sheep. 8 All who came before me were thieves and outlaws, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief enters only to steal, kill, and destroy. I came so that they could have life—indeed, so that they could live life to the fullest.
Good Morning! Listen! God is calling!
Many years ago, my family went to a large shopping mall. We parked, entered the closest door, and wandered around the mall, visiting the different shops. At some point, we found a movie theater and decided to watch a movie. We had a great time, but when the movie was over, we realized that the rest of the mall had closed while we were in the theater.
The storefronts were dark, and the gates were closed, but we walked down the path toward where we had entered the mall. At some point, a massive gate blocked our way. We turned around and looked for a different way out, but the other corridors were also blocked. We began to feel lost and didn’t know what to do. Finally, we stumbled upon a mall security person, and we explained why we were in the mall after hours.
He led us through a locked door and down a narrow pathway that weaved its way behind the stores until we reached the mall's exit door. We were relieved when he opened the door so that we could return to our car. We thanked the guard, and of course, we walked outside for a long time because our car was on the far side of the mall.
Without the security guard, we would not have found our way to the locked door, and even if we had, we could not have opened it without the key. Jesus is the gatekeeper for our journey of faith. The Bible is the map that leads us to him. When we feel lost, Jesus calls and assures us that we are on the right path.
Dear Lord, We are your children! You call us, and we try to follow. Sometimes, we get lost and frightened, but you continue to call so we can find our way. Thank you! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: God is speaking to us; Listen and respond.
I once was lost, but now I am found! Pastor Liz
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