What Does Your Pasture Look Like?

We’ve been going through the book of John as a family. It’s amazing you can read something more than 10 times and new thoughts, new wonderings dwell within the words on the page. In my mind from my elementary days, The Good Shepherd and his sheep is a picture of just that: a man holding a staff, standing as the gate to let the sheep in and call to them. They don’t even question because they KNOW this is good pasture. Can’t you see it on the wall? With the sheep and their curly hair, amongst a field of grass at the mercy of one man, their shepherd. Their lives are in his hands. But as I sat reminiscing of the picture framed on the Sunday school wall, a question wells up inside?

“Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

John Chapter 10:9-11

What does your GOOD pasture look like, Lord?

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Have you looked back on your life to see if you’ve laid in a good pasture? Freely coming and going under the protection of the good shepherd? What does it look like? What can you feel? Who is with you? What is around you? Who led you there?

Or are you finding yourself in a barren land, with every sense expounded from uncomfortable surroundings? Maybe this isn’t the GOOD pasture. Maybe this PASTURE WASN’T EVEN INTENDED FOR YOU! This pasture has stolen you, deceived you, lied to you, and even slaughtered you so fiercely that you might be unrecognizable. However, you know this place isn’t for you. You hear a familiar whisper booming from your heart, beckoning to you. And you know you must leave the pasture you’ve laid in even though your imprint is deep. 

I want to know the good pasture the shepherd has for me. The one that brings richness to my life and satisfies. One that’s full of life and freedom. So much abundance that it seems selfish to keep it to myself so it must overflow. Trust in my shepherd is needed to make the journey. Faith too, that his plans for me are GOOD. My plans don’t even compare to the glorious richness found in the GOOD pasture he’s laid for me. If he’s laid it for me I have to trust his voice…I have to KNOW him and follow him and rest assured in his goodness. I have built a relationship of love and trust with the Good Shepherd enough to know that he would only lead me to THE BEST pasture. And guess what - He’s the ONE true rest. Here in the good pasture I find rest. I find myself, my entirety of identity. Here I can be free from the lies and deceit. And I am satisfied.