One day, I came upon a fence (and I hated fences) that blocked my way. I decided to continue on by following the fence line until I could find an opening. Finally, I came upon an old rusty gate that obviously, had not been used in quite some time. Weeds, rocks and deadwood had almost completely blocked the gate and the latch was rusty and stiff.
Well, I'm not one to let a gate like that deter me, so I began to clear away the rubble and work at the gate latch until I could get it to open. After a considerable effort which left me quite spent, I propped open the gate, mounted my horse and went through. What lay on the other side of the gate was an explorers paradise! Streams to cross and meander alongside, woods to feel lost in, scenery that was fresh and beautiful. I was ecstatic to find such a place and went back again and again.
It didn't take long before I saw a trail was beginning to form through my secret gate. It was obvious that other riders had found my opening and had begun to go through it themselves and enjoy the journey beyond. They created a noticeable trail with their use. I had found it and cleared it, but it was they who were making it a trail of usefulness.
In Isaiah 62:10 the Lord says: "Go through, go through the gates. Clear the way for the people; Build up, build up the highway, Remove the stones, lift up a standard over the peoples."
Each of us have journeys with gates. Gates that the Lord is urging us through. Gates that have rubble that needs to be cleared and a path marked out for others to follow. Gates that lead us to highways of wonderful new explorations and journeys in the Kingdom. Let's be diligent to open the gates and forge the way for others to follow through, and enjoy the adventures that await on the other side of the gate.
absolutely wonderful!
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