| ............ | A Word In Due Season AUG 2021 8/2/21 JESUS IS OUR DOOR Scripture: John 10:7 "Then Jesus said to them again, … I am the door of the sheep." The shepherd was a familiar figure in Jesus' day. He had many duties to perform but one of his main responsibilities was to protect his sheep from any harm. Shepherds allowed their sheep to graze in the open pastures during the day, but before the sun went down they gathered them into a safe place, which was called a sheepfold. After the shepherd had gathered all of his sheep into the sheepfold in the evening, he would lay his own body down across the entrance. This was a common practice amongst the shepherds. The shepherd's body became like a door, which guarded the sheep. Nothing could pass through the entrance of the sheepfold without going through the door, which meant that nothing could get to the sheep without first encountering the presence of the shepherd. Jesus spoke these comforting words to us because we are the sheep of His pasture. He lovingly cares for us in every way. He leads us into green pastures so that we can be nourished and beside the still waters so that our souls can be restored. He does not quit there, however. Instead, He is also our way into the Kingdom of God or our door into the sheepfold, for no one can come to the Father except through Jesus. Like the sheep inside the sheepfold, we may have no idea what is on the outside of the safety that our Good Shepherd provides for us. Yet, Jesus is aware of every peril that seeks to destroy us and He places Himself between us and all danger. We never have to fear the unknown because nothing can get to us without first encountering the Lord’s divine supernatural presence. We deal with doors every day and most of us check to make sure that they are secured when we go in and out. A few years ago, I had a door that was not very secure. It was safe as far as keeping the rain and creatures out of the house, but it was too old and worn to protect me in the time of real trouble. When the fierce winds of a hurricane came my way, the door could not fulfill its purpose. And even though it was locked and braced with a makeshift board, it still blew open as the raging winds of the storm passed by. The door that Jesus offers us is not like this, for He, Himself, is the door and He is faithful and dependable. His presence provides safety and security beyond our natural comprehension. The Lord is the Good Shepherd and He will not flee when the enemy attacks and He will not collapse in the midst of the storm. Even when facing the cross, Jesus willingly laid down His own life for us. It is a great assurance to know that we are safely hidden away from harm, for the Lord is our door and His presence is between us and any danger. This thought should give us sweet peace and destroy any terror in our soul. +++ 8/3/21 DREAMS WORTH LAUGHING AT Scripture: Genesis 18:14 "Is there anything too hard for the Lord?" God told Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son in their old age and both of them laughed when they heard the news. If God were telling the truth, this meant that Abraham would be 100 years old and Sarah would be 90 when the child was born. This news seemed too good to be true. God responded to their laughter by saying, "Is there anything too hard for the Lord?" Their natural situation had become impossible for them to have children, but the scriptures declare that "the things which are impossible with men are possible with God" (Luke 18:27). Abraham and Sarah were not dealing with medical science but with the almighty God who had created all life. If this miracle working God had made Adam from the dust of the earth and then created Eve from Adam's rib, surely He could perform a miracle for them. For nothing is too hard for God. God also asked Jeremiah the same question that He asked Abraham, "Is there anything too hard for Me?" Jeremiah declared, "Behold, You have made the heaven and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You" (Jeremiah 32:17, 27). If we could just believe like Jeremiah that "nothing is too hard for God" and expect miracles from Him, we would see great and mighty things happen in our lives. However, we often look at the promises of God's Word and then look at our lack and our difficult situations and we feel that the promises are impossible for us to obtain. Big dreams will not come to pass in the natural unless they are envisioned in the spirit. God desires to plant a dream and a vision in your heart that is so big, that like Abraham and Sarah's promise, it is worth laughing at. God wants you to attempt something so great that unless He intervenes, it is bound to fail. You must give God something to work with. Dream a big dream and hold on to it. Remember that nothing is too hard for God if you believe in Him because God deals with impossibilities. +++ Copyright © 2021 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com |
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