“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.” –Psalm 20:7-8 [NIV]

There are moments in our lives when it’s hard to see hope and when faith fights with doubt. These moments of life can be called the darkness moment, the dreary winter, etc. It feels like everything we have planned so carefully is destroyed by unpredicted distraction. Or perhaps there is a chance that was opened widely before but suddenly the door is slammed right on our faces. Ouch! In this season, it really makes sense for us to think that God is unfaithful to his promises. Perhaps we are tempted to think, “God is so mean to me!” “If God is really good, he won’t let this happen to me.” But is it truly God mean for us? What is actually his plan when he suddenly closes a door in our lives? What does God really think when he makes us waiting for quite some time?

Firstly, we need to plant the truth into our minds, that God is forever good to us. Even when the circumstances try to convince us the opposite, we need to believe that God is good. The whole Bible can give you many testimonies regarding his goodness.

“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” -Exodus 34:6-7a

“And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” -Mark 10:18

Other times, we are too comfortable in our comfort zone that we forget to seek his face. In fact, most of us only seek him when we are in trouble which makes us grow the most in suffering. Thereby, the difficult times are times when we are called the most to seek God through prayer. Just like the sincerest gratitude often born when we have no reason to be grateful, the sincerest prayer usually is born out of adversity when we acknowledge how desperate we need God.

Sometimes God closes the door so that we can stop depending on humans’ strength whether our strength or other people’s and fully depend on him. Some other times, he closes the door to redirect our heart so that we place it at the right place. It is easy for us to love other things more than God in our good times. God knows that the safest place for our hearts are on his lap. He wants to protect us from things that can hurt us when we place our hearts at the wrong places.

God can close the door so that we learn to wait for his time. As the unripe food will taste not so delicious, people who are not ready yet to handle his blessings can only invite troubles. Even the right thing at the wrong timing can become the wrong thing. God always put attention more on inside of us rather than our circumstances. He concerns more to our characters rather than our look. Our holiness, than our pleasure. He loves us so much so that he won’t allow the right thing becomes the wrong thing simply because we are not ready yet.

There is no fix and absolute formula to explain what God is doing in our lives. God works in such a unique way in everyone’s life. But one thing for sure is that if it is God’s will, even the present closed door can one day be opened. Keep fighting and keep waiting for it. But if it is not God’s will and the door is opened for us, it will not be wise to keep going there. Not all the opened door is a chance for us. We can differentiate them as we maintain intimacy with God. God will show us his way step-by-step according to our ability. My prayer is that you might have longing to seek his face and his will in your current circumstances. Trust in the Lord, trust in his goodness. The dark moments is only a season, it will pass …

Don’t ask, “Why God?” but ask instead, “What do you want me to learn in this situation?” “God I don’t understand what you are doing now, but keep doing what you want to do.”

“The darkest moment is the biggest turning point in your life.”

Blessings,
Leticia

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