“The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; so he shall open, and on one shall shut; and he shall shut, and no one shall open.” (Isaiah 22:22)
Dear People Who Keep Company with God,
The open and closed doors of life play a significant role in setting the course of our lives. Most of the time, when there is an open door before us, we believe God is giving us the green light to proceed through the door. And many times, He is. There will also be doors that we thought were open that slam in our face. This is especially troubling when we’ve prayed and sought counsel before we attempted to go through the door. When that happens, it creates a lot of questions, disappointments, and confusion in your heart. It can be humiliating and it feels like failure. It makes you wonder if you ever heard God in the first place or if you’ve done something wrong that caused the door to shut. No one wants to hear God say, “No,” especially, when you have done all you know to discern and follow His voice. But, the closed doors of life can be as much a blessing as the open doors. Closed doors do not mean that God is upset with you or denied you something that is meant for you.
God has a purpose in closed doors. Some have a mirror on them. They are opportunities to see yourself from a clearer and more objective perspective. It can be challenging to face yourself and see things that you would rather not, but if you do, it can make you stronger and wiser in the Lord. A lot of time we think a closed door is the end of the matter, but not always. Sometimes, they can have a “wait” sign on them. There may be other things that need to happen or other people who need to be in place before God opens the door. Perhaps it’s God’s way of refining you and preparing you for the day He will open it. Jesus told us, “I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:1) Things in the spiritual realm need preparation just as things in the natural realm do. It could be you just need to wait and give God time to prepare the opportunity on the other side of the closed door. If God wants to open a door of opportunity for you, He’ll do it, and there is nothing that can stop Him. “For promotion comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. 7 But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another.” (Psalm 75:6-7) It takes faith and patience to inherit the promises of God, and when a door is closed, the best thing to do is rest in the wisdom and goodness of God. In time, you will see He was working on your behalf for your good. He’s in control and has a wonderful plan for you. He’ll lead you down the right path. Sooner or later, He’ll open the right door for you. And when you go through it, you will be so happy you allowed God to direct your paths.
Many Blessings, BW