"I will do something new." Isaiah 43:19
I found myself asking, "What is it, Lord? You are always doing something new; help me not to miss it. I can get so busy focusing on other things..."
You see, I believe the Lord has been closing some doors in my life (Click to Tweet This). They may or may not be closed forever, but when you sense the click of the door latch, I really think God is speaking. It's as if He doesn't want me spending my energy on THAT right now.
My closed doors were pretty clear.
- I was scheduled to teach three local community education classes. And, no one signed up. That's pretty clear, right?
- I planned a writer's getaway for women but only one registered; it wasn't enough to meet the financial cost. Another closed door.
Closed doors are hard. (Click to Tweet This) They can be discouraging. But, why would I want to keep pounding on a closed one?
So, the question becomes, is your door open or closed?
So, the question becomes, is your door open or closed?
I asked the Lord to show me the doors that ARE open.
Teaching the Bible
Writing
As I thanked Him for the answer, I noticed the following verses:
"...to open doors before Him so that gates will not shut; I will go before you and make the rough places smooth..." Isaiah 45:1-2
"Commit to me the work of My hands..." Isaiah 45:11
It is HIS WORK! I am just the vessel. And, I do believe when the Lord opens a door of opportunity, He will go before me.
I knew I needed to thank Him...for showing me this in His word!
Lord, it is your work and I commit it to you. Help me to focus on the doors you have opened. Shut every door that doesn't have a part of your will for me. Let me leave those doors for others who have been called and led to open them.
Do you have open or closed doors in your life right now? How can I pray for you as you seek His direction?
Will you also pray for me?
Jeanne
Also, read this great post by Cindi McMenamin on Crosswalk called, 3 Ways to Know if an Open Door is from God
This John Orgberg title is on my list to read:
Photos by Jeanne Doyon
Great post, dear Jeanne. It helped me recently to list out open ministry options and pray about which direction God has for me. While I might not feel like I'm doing exactly/completely what I want, the Lord has given me opportunities to minister. This needs to be me focus rather then pushing for what I want. Love to you in Christ!
ReplyDeleteThat makes such sense, Emily. Thanks for your input on this. I think I can feel like I am supposed to try everything to see what is successful. Now I want to ask Him first.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this encouraging post, Jeanne. We all know the discouragement of closed doors, but, oh the joy when we discover the ones He opens that wouldn't have been possible for us to enter if He hadn't closed the other first.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, Cindi. Thanks for the reminder. We need to see past the disappointment to hear the click of the new door opening to us. My ears are open today....
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