When God Slams Doors Shut

I find it interesting that many of us are constantly asking God to “open the doors” or say yes to the job, the thing, the move. We believe we know what we want and that what we are asking for is exactly the ticket to our happiness and health.

Life has delivered a lot of unfortunate consequences to me or my husband and I for squeezing ourselves into the decision that really was just our soulish selves who wanted it. We didn’t verify with God; we just said yes to it. And just like when we are wearing shoes that don’t fit properly, we get a few blisters from the choice, and it becomes painful.

Let me also point out that sometimes, when we are in the right place, we may get a few blisters! It's just more guaranteed to happen when we don’t consult God first.

Why should we not also ask God to shut the doors on the choices we should be saying no to? I can’t tell you how many times we have been presented with a new business idea, a new business partner, a trip, a move, ect. In my life experience, I do not think it is prudent to move into a new thing without first consulting the master consultant: God.

God will move us places when we are listening to Him.
 When—we are listening to Him…
 Are we listening to Him?

There are cases of the master thief and deceiver where he has robbed us of those things that are rightfully ours. The devil isn’t called a thief for no reason. This is why it is so important for us to not be ignorant of the devil's schemes. And it's also imperative that we know our Fathers voice. We can’t decide on which road to take if we can’t hear clearly.
Sometimes God doesn’t just shut doors; He slams them shut.

 And when He does, He is very serious about us not continuing to walk in a certain direction.

 He lifts the grace.

I think most of us have experienced this grace lifting but perhaps have not had the language to articulate it.

I have recently had the unfortunate encounter of grace lifting.
 
It was something that I had been participating in as a volunteer for many years. God said, “you’re done here.” And just like that, service felt like pulling a wagon of bricks uphill, tension was high, and I felt like I could barely go near the building. It was uncomfortable.

God slammed the door shut in this case.

I knew from previous dreams he had been speaking to me about what might be coming, so I had seen the door slowly closing—but then it was a loud bam!

We can ruminate for years on why something happened, why God did this or that, why someone did or didn’t do. Maybe we will never know the why behind the move of God. And we need to be ok with that. He doesn’t always give us the answers, and sometimes the answers don’t reveal themselves till years later.

God has His ways of preparing us for a new direction.

 He knows us better than we know ourselves.

 He knows how to settle us, to bring peace, and do the invisible surgery on our hearts in the quiet of the night or the bustle of the day.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV): “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Praise God we can trust Him completely, and especially on those days where God slams the door shut!

God is good—no matter what!

~ Prudence