"Watch Your Fingers!"

By Zach Wood

Isaiah 55:8

'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways' declares the Lord.

 

 

Cabinet doors.  Car doors.  Front doors.  Closet doors.  So many doors where my daughter can place her fingers and she hears her mommy and daddy saying, "Watch your fingers, Jayda!"  She's grows so much more adorable each day as well as more curious each day.  She loves to discover what is behind closed doors.  She also has a fascination of shutting doors.  Many times, when we shut a door in front of her, she cries and screams because she no longer has access to a place she wants to go, but not allowed.  We try to make sure she does not get her fingers caught, but sometimes they do.  

 

There are many times in life when God also tells us "Watch your fingers!"  Perhaps it is when a door of opportunity has slightly opened, but shut for some reason unknown to us.  There are times when a door shuts and we just stand back and watch it happen.  Other times, we try to keep it open and do our own thing by pushing hard on the door to get our way.  Not a good idea!  So, figuratively speaking, we tend to get our fingers(hearts) hurt and it causes great pain.  Lately, I have been able to share with some other friends how doors seem to open, but then shut quickly again.  It is hard because we cannot understand why God closes opportunities when they seem so perfect.  

 

I do not always find out the answers to why doors of opportunity shut.  Maybe I will never know.  One thing I must remember is what the prophet Isaiah wrote about in this passage.  God reminds us that His ways are not ours and His thoughts are not ours.  He knows more than we will ever be able to comprehend.  We deal with jealousy, greed, and selfishness, which can cause us to keep our fingers in the doorway of which God is going to shut, or possibly slam shut because we are so determined to pass through.  If God does not want us to enter through a door of opportunity, He will shut it.  And, if we get our own selfishness desires in the way, we are going to have some hurt coming.  We must realize and trust in Him no matter what we can or cannot understand.

 

Maybe you have been dealing with doors of opportunity lately that have opened and shut quickly.  Maybe you have come to a point where you just want to give up trying because so many doors shut and it does not seem like one will open in the near future.  I want to encourage you to keep trusting that God will open the right opportunity when you probably least expect Him to and in a way that you never expected.  That is how wonderful He works His ways.  

 

Please do not even begin to think that I am talking from a professional experience of trusting.  It seems that every day and week, I struggle with fighting for my own selfish ways that just lead to pain and remembrance that God must be in control and be my Guide.  My wife is a great reminder for me in these times and she constantly encourages me to keep trusting and praying.

 

So, keep trusting and keep praying.  God does close doors and we just have to trust that He closes them for our own good.  Just trust in Him and let Him always be your Guide.