Right Gate Psalm 118

Psalm 118:19-21
Open for me the gates of righteousness: I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter.
I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.
John 10: 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.

Does it feel like your life consists of wandering down one dead-end alley after another? And at the end of each alley there is an enticing gate. You are hoping it leads out or should it lead in. You grab and push and twist on each handle, struggling to open it, convinced that this is the one for you. Over the years your mind and ears have been dulled by the constant clanging of gates and the insidious whispers that yell, “Try this gate, it is just what you need.” Yet you find each one leads nowhere, all are gated cubicles, dark and empty.
   Once again you stand alone. You cast your head around trying to make sense of it all. In your peripheral vision you notice a narrow lane leading up a slight hill. And yes there is a gate at the end of the lane. It is a roughly built gate with wooden beams crossing each other. You admit you have seen it before but now that you have tried all and tired of all; you are ready to turn toward it. As soon as your heart steps that way, you see someone standing guard at the gate. He has one hand poised to push it open and with the other he beckons you over while he calls out. “I am the gate, whoever enters through me will be saved.”
   Come then to this gate of righteousness. Dare to call out, “Open for me the gates of righteousness: I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.”  
Jesus will hear you and take you at your word and your heart. He will open the gate for you. As you walk through the narrow gate you end up close by him and he whispers in your ear, “This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter.”
Your heart leaps for joy, as do your feet, for you realize he is talking about you being righteous. You look up to him and by God’s grace you can promise him with all of your heart and the rest on your life, “I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.”