Have you ever had any “closed doors” experiences? How did they make you feel? What was your attitude like? What have those experiences taught you? Have you ever wondered why God allowed those doors to be closed? Well, God in his infinite wisdom has a plan for your life. He sees and knows all things. He knows what is best for you. In his sovereign wisdom, grace and love He is able to lead you to what is best. People may think they are the ones closing the doors, but God is the great master planner behind the scene. No person, organization or group is able to know what is best for you in the short run and for eternity except God.
God guides us by using closed doors and opens doors if we are willing to submit to His total control and allow His will to be done in our lives. He has a way of directing our steps and leading us to the places he wants us to be. So, when doors close in your life, adopt a thankful attitude. God sees the bigger picture. You just never know what God might be saving you from. Maybe your vision was just too small or shortsighted. God uses closed doors to open up bigger and better ones for us down the road. So try not to get discouraged when doors get closed in your life. Trust God in the process of opening up a better opportunity. Many times God will say no to certain prayers in order to direct us to roads that will lead us to greater accomplishments.
Use the “closed door” opportunity as a time to rest in God and allow him to reveal the next pathway for you. Do not get anxious, angry or frustrated when the doors do not open immediately. Trust God and ask him to give you peace as you rest in Him knowing that He will make a way at the right time. Ask Him to keep your mind open to whatever He may be doing in your life at the moment. Put away any of your personal preferences, expectations or prejudices. Remember it is about God’s will for your life and not your own. Let God’s will be done. Trust Him to work in and through you to accomplish His purposes in ways that give Him maximum glory.
Our God is the one who opens doors that no man can close and opens other doors that no man can shut. His sovereignty works all circumstances for our good as long as we love Him and are called according to His plans (Rom. 8:28, 29). The Bible is filled with many examples of “closed doors” experiences that can be used as great encouragement during those times in your life. Use them to gain strength and clarity. Here are just a few of them:
The Apostle Paul and Timothy wanted to preach in Asia, but that opportunity was blocked. God closed the door. They tried to enter Bithynia but that opportunity was again blocked. God closed the door. The scripture stated that God’s Spirit prohibited them from going there. Why? Because God’s vision was bigger. He had something bigger and better for them. Rather than becoming upset, despondent or frustrated, they left the situation in God’s hands. They trusted Him. They believed God would open a better door to them. The scripture further stated that Paul then had a vision by night to go to Macedonia. When Paul was asleep a man appeared to him in a vision saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9). So they immediately left for that region.
You see, God is a great strategist. He has a master plan for everyone’s life. He knows when to close doors and when to open them. He had one for Paul and Timothy and He knew how and when to execute it. You see, man has a tendency to think they are in charge; they are in control of peoples’ lives because they have the power, but they are wrong. God permits and allows things to happen for a reason. God stopped Paul and Timothy from going to those places because God knew that when a thriving church would be planted in Macedonia, many more people would hear about salvation through Christ as a result of its strategic location. God’s timing is perfect. When God closes doors in our lives don’t ever try to apply force to open them. Leave them alone. Father God knows best. Leave it to Him. He is a master strategist and we must acknowledge Him in all our ways in order to be directed in the best pathways (Prov. 3:5, 6).
When you experience closed doors in your life, remember Joseph – think on his story. His brothers did all they could to get rid of him. They thought they were successful but little did they know God was behind the scenes. He was orchestrating things. Their act propelled him to his destiny, just where God wanted him and at the right time. He met obstacles after obstacles but those could not abort God’s plan for his life.
Think on the story of Jesus as well. He was a good man. He helped many but the crowd turned against him. They spat on him and did all manner of evil to him. Satan thought when He was buried that was the end of it. He thought he had it all wrapped up but the third day was afoot. It was not over yet. God had a plan and that plan was fulfilled. Nothing or no one can annul God’s plans no matter how hard they may try. These stories are powerful. They bring comfort. They should enable us to move forward. It is time for us to take our eyes off people and place them on God my friends. God has the final say in our lives not people.
God often works through unanswered prayer. No doubt Paul and Timothy prayed for an opening into Asia, but God allowed several doors to close to Paul in order for Him to gain greater understanding that God is in control of all things. Do not be afraid to have a few doors slammed in your face. Sometimes, we learn more or best from unanswered prayer than when we get our way. Let us ask God to help us never to get discouraged when our prayerful desires are not being met. Instead, let us ask God to give us the courage, tenacity and toughness to overcome rejection and exhibit a resilient attitude in our pursuit of God’s best.
God’s alternatives often sharpen our ability to discern what is best in future decisions. God has a way to gain our attention and grant us greater insight into His will. God used the closed doors to teach Paul more about what He did not want him to do. That is something we need to learn as well. “Closed doors” experiences help us to develop greater patience. Paul learned from this experience to develop patience and depth of character. He even wrote in Romans 5:1-5: “Tribulation works patience, and patience proven character and proven character hope and hope does not disappoint because the love of God is poured in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who is given to us.” God knows what He works in us is more important than what He does through us.
In seeking God’s will, it is important for us to know what we are not to do as well as what we are to do and where we are to go. When we trust God to lead and guide our steps we will experience greater fruitfulness. As a result of Paul’s ministry in Macedonia, he accomplished great exploits. He had a very fruitful ministry. He was able to start a vibrant church in the city of Philippi, led a demon possessed girl to Christ and delivered her from the power of Satan. He also led the Philippian jailer to Christ as well as his entire household. What an awesome accomplishment! Sometimes the closed doors allow us to see much greater fruit than if we would have gotten our initial prayers answered. Never despair when things do not go your way because God may have something far greater for you to accomplish through another means.
Through “closed doors” experiences also, we will be able to have a greater appreciation of God’s sovereignty. As a result of Paul’s detour to Macedonia, he was able to make a tremendous leap in His appreciation of God’s sovereign capacity/ability to control all circumstances and people in their lives. Those circumstances will also help us to develop greater confidence in God’s ability to turn a seeming negative situation to a positive one. When things did not work out as planned, Paul did not despair. He trusted God. In the end, he was able to see how God used the closed doors to open even better ones in Macedonia for him. It is wise for us to remember during those times that the Holy Spirit always guides us to places, people and opportunities that are far greater than all we can ask or think accord===ing to the power that works mightily within us (Eph. 3:20).
“Closed doors” experiences offer us a powerful teaching tool. They provide us with the opportunity to use ourselves as living testimonies of God’s goodness in our lives and at the same time help us to empower others on their life’s journey and with their walk with God. Paul was able to teach Timothy, Silas and Luke as they accompanied him on his detoured journey. Acts 16:10 tells us that Paul worked together in the fellowship of other godly men who partnered with him in the new exciting adventure sharing his burdens and joys. Joseph too was able to say to his brothers, “You meant my captivity and slavery for evil but God turned it for good for the saving of many lives” (Gen 50:10). Each step we take in life, and each closed door we may encounter, we have to remember that God has a much bigger plan than our own interests when it comes to the fulfilling of His will for our lives. As we sojourn on life’s journey, it is worth our while to remember that sometimes God sends tears to our eyes in order for a rainbow to appear in our hearts. May this poem written by M.S. Lowndes be a source of inspiration to you!
Closed Doors Lead To Open Doors
There are times in our lives; we come to a closed door
It does not always mean that we have not heard from the Lord
It may only mean that God is changing how we get there,
To show to us a better way that we were unaware.
So don’t see this as an end to the outworking of God’s will,
The thing that God has birthed in you, He wants to see fulfilled
Just continue to trust in Him and leave it in His hands,
He will work this whole thing out, for it is what He has planned.
And as we look back, we will see how God had been our guide
And directed us along the path where doors stood open wide
So thank Him for these hard times, the setbacks we go through,
For it is God who is leading us to make our dreams come true.
About the Author: Mrs. Marilyn Hodge owns and operates the Wellness Centre in the Farrington, Anguilla. The Centre offers Counselling Services by Appointment Only and has now published Positive Living Volume 2. Contact information: 476-3517 or email:marilynb@anguillanet.com. www.facebook.com/axawellnesscentre
