WHEN GOD CLOSES A DOOR

This past Tuesday night, I had the opportunity to speak to our young adults on the topic, “When God Closes a Door.” As I researched and prepared for my sermon, I realized that this subject was a good reminder to me to always trust in God and know that he has a greater plan for us all. This message spoke to my own heart as I was preparing for it, and is something we should all keep close to us as we go throughout life.

One of the scriptures I began my message with was Proverbs 3:5-6 which states,

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

This scripture is one that I have had memorized for a very long time. It is something that I know, but do not always meditate on. It can be very difficult to do what this scripture is commanding—to trust fully in the Lord. So many times, we want to take life into our own hands and do our own things. We want to be in charge and not give Him control. However, we must remember that God is sovereign and we have to trust in his ways. He knows what is best for us, even if we have a different opinion. He has a great plan for our lives, but we must trust in him and let him be God. We must give him all the control and surrender all to him. 

In many situations, giving God everything is very difficult. Sometimes, his ways can seem 
strange and foreign to us. We may not understand why things are happening a certain way or what he is really up to. We question God because he thinks and understands on a completely different level than we do. Isaiah 55:8-9 says, 

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.“ And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."

God thinks in ways we could never imagine and sees in ways we cannot see. He has plans for us that we would never dream of—which is what is so amazing. We have to give God everything and trust in him so that we can experience the very best. We have to give him control so that He can fulfill our wildest dreams. 

God will shut doors in our lives so that he can lead us into even greater things. When things are not working out as we would like them to, we become frustrated, mad, and upset. However, my encouragement to you today is to remember that God is sovereign and has something prepared for each one of us that we have never even considered. His ways and thoughts are so much better than our own and all we need to do is trust in Him. Do not be discouraged when things turn out differently than you would like them to be. God is in control and is by your side. He wants the best for your life and has something in store for you that is unlike anything you could ever fathom. Whatever doors may shut in your life—opportunities, relationships, experiences—do not lose hope, but find faith in knowing that God is closing certain doors so that he can open even greater ones for you.

Thank you for reading, 

Israel
italamantes@b4church.org