You,
climbing over the walls,
you’re up to no good.
No one who is genuine comes that way.
Why are you here?
What trouble are you coming to cause?
You are not a person that I should have in my life,
but someone to run from.
You do not have my best interests at heart.
The one the gatekeeper knows though,
who is welcome and admitted freely,
you are the care giver,
the love shower-er,
the peace keeper.
The one who loves me and cares for me so deeply,
passionately
and wants the best for me.
I recognise you,
the sound of your voice,
the tread of your foot,
the shape of your presence,
your call to me.
You lead me to the place of safety,
the place where I can be my best self,
the person you made me to be.
I run to you,
follow you,
the one I know
and can trust with my all.
You are my gate,
the trusted path,
the one who takes me to the place of life –
in all it’s fullness,
true life,
real life,
with you life.
I’ll come with you
and choose life
not destruction.
Bless me Lord,
bless us
as we discern
what to hear
who to follow.
May we hear your voice
know your love
and live in your peace
as we walk in your ways
John 10:1-10 (GNT)
The Parable of the Shepherd
10 Jesus said, “I am telling you the truth: the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The man who goes in through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him; the sheep hear his voice as he calls his own sheep by name, and he leads them out. 4 When he has brought them out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow someone else; instead, they will run away from such a person, because they do not know his voice.”
6 Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what he meant.
Jesus the Good Shepherd
7 So Jesus said again, “I am telling you the truth: I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All others who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Those who come in by me will be saved; they will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness.
Good News Translation (GNT)Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society
