Day #76 - I AM the Door

The Presence - A Devotional for Living in Thanksgiving, Worship and Wonder

“Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.”

‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Photo by BRUNO on Unsplash

Have you ever seen a game show that has prizes hidden behind three doors?

What door do you pick? Number one, two or three? It would be exiting to be a contestant where you could win a large prize and I would imagine kind of an adrenaline rush having to have to pick only one door. The excitement would also depend upon what is actually behind the door that you would choose.

I love the revelation of Jesus that he is the door. A door speaks of entrance, access and even of possibilities or opportunities. Some translations say a gate. Doors connect one space to another.

Jesus goes on to say,  “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

As Jesus elaborates on being the door, he tells us that it is by him that we are saved. He likens us to sheep and our salvation being connected to a place of pasture. The door of salvation is only through the person and work of Jesus. For your soul to be saved and receive the benefits of salvation you have to come through Jesus. This is the gospel, good news.

To be a person of the presence is to not only go through Jesus as the door for salvation one time, but is to learn to dwell behind the door and enter into everything that God has for you. Every time in the presence of God there is incredible opportunity awaiting you behind the door of who Christ is. People say there is a lot more than the gospel to the Christian life and I say no, there is a lot more in the gospel. Jesus has provided the way for us into salvation but also to pasture, to a place of provision and rest, in and through who he is.

Jesus said the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. That is the work of false teachers. Theft, death and destruction are the way of the evil one. But the way of Jesus is abundant life. Through the door of Jesus Christ is abundant life in his presence. Life is full of opportunity and possibility, peace and provision when you come through this door.

Each day in his presence is an experience of the abundant life in Christ. I sense when I go to be alone in his presence that I am grazing beyond the door in the world and realm that are available only through the salvation that I have in Christ. Have you come through the door of Jesus for salvation? Are you living in the abundant life through the door?

Jesus, thank you for being the door of salvation and safe passage. Thank you for abundant life. I am done being ripped off by the thief who steals, kills and destroys. As I enter into your presence each day I want to live in all that you have for me and enter into the fullness of life and opportunity that you have made available to me. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.