What to Do with Closed Doors!

Most of us have asked the Lord for direction in making decisions and will continue to. The bible says that the “Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth” (John 16;13).

​The process of guidance for us can sometimes consist of trial and error on our part, or as a good friend of mine says “follow what has life on it”. As we mature, the guidance of the Lord should become more easier because we would at that time have noticed patterns and learned the ways of the Lord.

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In the midst of this, can closed doors sometimes indicate that we are on the wrong path?

Let’s have a look at this account from scripture:
Luke 9; 51- 58
51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
 
From the above scriptures we can see that Jesus was set to go to Jerusalem. This is because this is where  Jesus would be betrayed and crucified (Luke 18; 31). The Lord send messengers ahead, however it can be assumed that they went to the wrong place. The instruction in verse 52 does not state that a specific location was commanded. All we know is that they went into a village of the Samaritans, therefore we do not know the name of the village.

Luke 9; 53 is very interesting , it states “And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem”. So how would the Samaritans know that Jesus had to go to Jerusalem?

It appears that a higher agenda was at work, and this is why Jesus was not received in this village. The messengers went to the wrong place, that is why Jesus was not received. Jesus destination was Jerusalem (Luke 9; 51, Luke 18;31) and not the village they went to.

We all know that that there is another account where Jesus asked His disciples to prepare a place for the Passover; Luke 22; 10 – 12 And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in.
11 And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?
12 And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready.
 
So in other words, getting a place ready for the Lord was not the problem, the issue here was going to the right place.

So what happened after the first village rejected Him? They simply went to another village (Luke 9; 56).
This Samaritan village did not receive the Lord because it wasn’t on the Lord's agenda. It was the wrong place (Luke 9; 53).

Sometimes closed doors are a sign speaking to us saying “its not here” or “it is not supposed to be this way”.

Revelation 3; 7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth”;

If the Lord shuts a door and you are trying to open it, it is simply a waste of time.

Yes there are times when doors are shut and we have to forcefully open the door, however if the Lord shuts the door, it cannot be opened. Its a sign simply saying “your open door is somewhere else”. So just rest and trust the Lord to open your own door.

​Bisi Oladipupo