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Find Pasture ...

Friday, June 6, 2014. I love the New Testament. Over time I have learned to realize how realistic it is, that it describes reality as it is there, around me and around you. And the community which is with “the father, the son and the holy spirit” is great, real salvation indeed.

Go in and out …

We have been reading the Gospel of John for a while now already. Today, have a look at chapter 10, where Jesus talks about himself as the good shepherd. He first gives an image, then he repeats the same in plain words:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. (John 10)

Find pasture … that refers to spiritual pasture. It refers to input we get in our life - input on the level of our heart, of our emotions, but also on our reason, our mind! It refers to spiritual food, it refers to an environment, where trust is more than an empty word.

We can find all this trust when we come to the Lord. It can be found in the community with him in prayer, and in Christian community as well. In particular when things are full of stress or conflicts in some part of your life, it is good that you can trust the Lord!

He is my home …

God is my home, he is my castle. It is not only that old songs confirm this - it is as if I discovered this myself. He is my castle, since he is the only one I can really trust completely. He is not influenced by his own needs, since he is sufficient in himself. He is not influenced by strong human limitations, he is the creator of the Universe, encloses all what is, and is in its tiniest parts at the same time.

Jesus very clearly states his salvation story: “ If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” It is him, which is the door. It is him, which is the way. He is the Lord - he talks more about this a little later. To me, these sentences that we will go in and out and find pasture are a relief, they are reality, they are what save me from the frustrations I face in my job, they give hope and they give a future.

This is remarkable: The future is already reality! The trust which we find in Jesus, which we find in God, which we find in faith - it is reality already now. Even if we do not find this trust in our daily job environment, since for example our boss acts strangely. The trust which the Lord puts into our life is already there. And it is a strong force within us! (Roland Potthast) ... more texts