Our Daily Bread -- Cat Gate March 9, 2015

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. —John 10:9 Read: John 10:1-10 Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 8-10; Mark 11:19-33 My husband, Jay, and I have a new family member—a 2-month-old tabby cat named Jasper. To keep our new kitten safe, we’ve had to break some old habits, like leaving doors open. But one thing remains a challenge: the open stairway. Cats like to climb. Even as kittens, they know that the world looks better when you’re looking down on it. So whenever I have Jasper downstairs with me, she is determined to go upstairs. Trying to keep her confined to a safe place near me has tested my ingenuity. Gates that work with children and dogs do not work with cats. My cat gate dilemma brings to mind the metaphor Jesus used to describe Himself: “I am the gate for the sheep,” He said (John 10:7 niv). Middle Eastern sheepfolds were enclosures with an opening for the sheep to go in and out. At night, when the sheep were safely inside, the shepherd would lie in the opening so that neither sheep nor predators could get past him. Although I want to keep Jasper safe, I am not willing to make myself the gate. I have other things to do. But that’s what Jesus Christ does for us. He places Himself between us and our enemy, the devil, to protect us from spiritual harm. —Julie Ackerman Link Thank You, Jesus, for being my gate. Through You I have salvation and by Your power I am safe from spiritual harm. Surround me with Your protection. I trust in You. The closer to the Shepherd, the farther from the wolf. Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Our mission is to make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all. Our vision is to see people of all nations experiencing a personal relationship with Christ, growing to be more like Him, and serving in a local body of His family. To read today's Our Daily Bread online visit www.odb.org. Copyright © 2015, Our Daily Bread Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI 49555 USA. Written permission must be obtained from Our Daily Bread Ministries for any further posting or distribution. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Unsubscribe