September 10

Green Pastures

I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. — John 10:9 BSB

A shepherd makes sure his sheep are well fed, and Christ does the same for His people. He leads them to rich pastures. The Bible is His pastureland, and its nourishment is always good. Every chapter is a field of rich grass. Some of these fields may seem barren at first, but even in the most unlikely places, there is food for a hungry soul.

There are also the pastures of prayer. These fields lie close to heaven’s border, in the quiet valleys among the mountains. The Good Shepherd leads us into these green pastures through the gates of prayer. As we humble ourselves and pray, we enter these pastures and find satisfaction for our souls.

The Church is another of Christ’s pastures. When we enter the sanctuary, we are fed spiritually through the services, the sacraments, and the fellowship of other believers.

Even in the challenges of everyday life, as long as we faithfully follow Christ, we are always in fields of rich pasture. Christ never leads us to places where there is no spiritual nourishment. Even in times of trial or sorrow, there is food for our souls. We may think our daily lives are filled with nothing but hardship, temptation, and sacrifice, but the Good Shepherd is with us, and there is always pasture.

The whole world is a rich field when Jesus leads His flock. If any Christians are not well fed, it’s not because the food isn’t there—it’s because they aren’t feeding on it. The real tragedy is not a soul that hungers, but a soul that feels no hunger. Many souls starve in the midst of the abundant provision Christ offers, not for lack of food, but for lack of desire.