Closed Doors

May Anne e-mailed this to me just now. It is just what I need this week. Thanks, May!

We need to learn to thank the Lord for closed doors just as much as we do for open doors. The reason God closes doors is because He has not prepared anything over there for us. If he didn’t close the wrong door we would never find our way to the right door. Even when we don’t realize it, God directs our paths through the closing and opening of doors. When one door closes, it forces us to change our course. Another door closes; it forces us to change our course yet again. Then finally, we find the open door and walk right into our blessing. But instead of praising God for the closed door, we get upset because we “judge by the appearances.” And in our own arrogance, or ignorance, we insist that we know what is right. We have a very present help in the time of need who is always standing guard. Because He walks ahead of us, He can see trouble down the road and HE sets up road blocks and detours accordingly. But through our lack of wisdom we try to tear down the roadblocks or push aside the detour signs. Then the minute we get into trouble, we start crying “Lord how could this happen to me?” We have got to realize that the closed door was a blessing. Didn’t He say that “No good thing will He withhold from them that love Him?” If you get terminated from your job - don’t be down, instead thank God for the new opportunities that will manifest themselves -- it might be a better job, or an opportunity to go to school. If that man or woman won’t return your call - it might not be them, it mig ht be the Lord setting up a roadblock.

One time a person had a bank he had been doing business with for many years tell him “NO” for a $10,000 loan. The Lord led him to call another bank. That bank approved a $40,000 loan for him at a lower interest rate than his own bank had advertised. I’m so grateful, for the many times God has closed doors to me, just to open them in the most unexpected places.