Only God Opens Doors

Doors

Doors come in a variety of shapes and sizes. From the vast oak studded doors in cathedrals and castles, to tiny little doors in toy houses. From huge wide and tall doors to short and skinny doors. Doors also come in different shapes too. Like a book or a song – both opening your eyes to a different world. Metaphorically speaking, life is a succession of doors opening and closing. Doors to friends or spouses. Doors to work or doors to places. Some doors even have multi purposes – like a job in a new area which is a door not only to work but also to housing, friends, and the whole area.

Doors are truly quite fascinating.

Many people simply jump at any new door being opened for them, while others give the new door a wide berth, hesitating to go anywhere near it. People either like change or they don’t. There is always something exciting and maybe frightening about a new door in life. Some people like change – almost for changes’ sake. Others eschew change because they like the status quo as it is and, not wishing to rock their boat, avoid change like the plague.

As a Christian, I approach doors slightly differently. Who put the door there? Who opened/closed it? Is this God with an answer to prayer or a new path to follow? Or is this not God and a distraction placed in my path as a test or even an entrapment. When people are facing difficulties, we often pray for the Lord to open doors that no man can close or close doors that no man can open. Even when we are presented with a new door, we have to ask God if this is Him or not.

It was this way when life became too much for us in our old place. It was as if doors were closing all around us. We searched around and were finding very little we could afford so we widened our search. A call to an old friend was key to everything which followed. I called him and explained the situation. Within one single day, a property paper from his area landed on our doormat. My wife spotted an idyllic cottage on the internet. We called and made an appointment. Having seen us and we having seen the cottage, the agent did a most unusual thing. In front of us, he called the owner and said he had found the perfect new people – the place was taken off the market there and then – truly astonishing. Within three weeks we were moving in. We sensed and knew God’s hand all over everything.

That’s how we came to our new town – through a door that God opened for us.

That door led to several others and now we are settled into our new home, with new neighbours, a new and wonderful church, a new town, and with many new friends. The church has released us into a new ministry too. All because of one phone call that started it all off. Why did I call that friend? After all, he lived over 150 miles away – that’s a fair distance over here in England. I believe that God opened the door by placing the thought in my mind to call the man.

That’s what I’m talking about with all these odd doors. God opened a door for us that no man could close. To do that, He had to close doors where we were so that we had to look elsewhere. When we couldn’t decide where to look, He opened a door in my memory. The rest is history – as they say. If doors are closing or opening for you, ask the Lord if it is Him. If it is Him, ask Him why by all means, but heed the doors of opportunity (openings) or dead ends (closings). God opens or closes doors for a purpose, and that is to put you where He wants you, usually doing what He wants you to do. The peace you get is amazing.

It’s called “being in His will and plan for your life”. Are you where God wants you, doing what He wants you to do, and being who He wants you to be?