I want to start by saying this plainly: we are not “too emotional.” We’re human. When we’ve watched door after door close—school, career opportunities, community, friendships, even the path we were convinced was finally the right one—it can leave us confused, lonely, and disappointed. And when it happens repeatedly, we know all too well that we begin to question our own thinking, and then we ask, “Lord, what are You doing in my life, and where are You leading me?”
A phrase people often repeat in moments like this is, “When God shuts a door, He opens a window.” That saying may not comfort us, but it’s important to be honest: it isn’t a Bible verse. Scripture doesn’t promise that every closed door will be immediately replaced by a new opportunity that makes sense to us. But Scripture does clearly teach that God is sovereign over access and direction. Jesus Himself is described as the One “who opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens” (Revelation 3:7–8). That means the doors we are grieving are not outside His authority, and the delays we cannot explain are not proof that He has forgotten us.
Sometimes what hurts the most isn’t just the closed door—it’s the silence that seems to follow. We’re left in that uncomfortable “in-between” place, where we don’t know what to do next, and we feel like we’re waiting without a map. Yet this is exactly where God often does some of His deepest work in us. Scripture reminds us that we are not meant to lean on our own understanding, but to trust the Lord with all our heart and acknowledge Him in every step (Proverbs 3:5–6). When we do, He promises to direct our paths—not always according to our timeline, but always according to His wisdom.
This is where I think we must hold two truths together. First, God really does care about our future. He is not careless with our lives. He tells us, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you… thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). Second, God’s plans often unfold in ways that we would never choose for ourselves. The Lord says plainly, “My thoughts are not your thoughts… nor are your ways My ways” (Isaiah 55:8–9). In other words, what looks like a dead end to us may be protection, preparation, or redirection in God’s hands.
If we need a picture of God’s providence, we don’t have to look far. We can look at Joseph. Joseph didn’t understand the closed doors in his life either. He was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and forgotten in prison—yet Scripture repeatedly shows that God was with him through every stage of that process. Joseph’s story reminds us that God is not only guiding outcomes; He is shaping hearts. God was preparing Joseph for the position he would one day carry, and Joseph could not have stewarded that calling without first being refined through suffering, injustice, waiting, and humility. What others meant for evil, God used for good—and in Joseph’s life, the “closed doors” were not abandonment; they were training.
And that’s one of the hardest lessons for us to accept: sometimes the closed door isn’t God rejecting us—it’s God protecting us. Sometimes the door closes because the timing is wrong. Sometimes it closes because we’re not ready yet. Sometimes it closes because the opportunity would actually shrink our faith rather than strengthen it. And sometimes God closes a door simply because He is leading us somewhere we would never choose if we had the full control of the pen.
We also need to remember that Scripture shows us people praying specifically for open doors—but always for God’s purposes, not just our comfort. Paul wrote about how “a door was opened to me by the Lord” for gospel work (2 Corinthians 2:12), and he urged believers to pray “that God would open to us a door for the word” (Colossians 4:3). In other words, open doors are real, but they are not random. God opens doors that align with His will, His timing, and His glory—even when we don’t yet see how.
At the same time, we can’t ignore the emotional weight of disappointment. When we’ve hoped for something good, prayed over it, planned for it, and then watched it collapse, it can feel personal. It can feel like God is withholding something we needed. But Scripture says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord… though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand” (Psalm 37:23–24). Even our stumbles and setbacks are not wasted when God is holding us steady.
So what do we do when we can’t see what God is doing?
First, we keep praying—not because prayer forces God’s hand, but because prayer anchors our hearts. God commands us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God… will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7). That peace doesn’t always come with answers, but it comes with God’s presence.
Second, we stay faithful to what we can do today. Waiting seasons are still seasons of obedience. Ecclesiastes tells us, “To everything there is a season” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). And waiting is not inactivity—it is learning to trust God when we don’t get immediate clarity. “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart” (Psalm 27:14).
Third, we remember that God often builds the road as we walk. He says, “Behold, I will do a new thing… I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19). Wilderness seasons feel barren, but God specializes in bringing provision where we thought nothing could grow.
Finally, we surrender the need to control the outcome. James warns us not to live as if we own tomorrow: “You do not know what will happen tomorrow… Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that’” (James 4:13–15). That isn’t fatalism. That’s freedom. It’s the peace of knowing our life is not held together by our ability to predict the future, but by God’s ability to guide it.
So yes, doors close. And sometimes it hurts deeply. But God has not stopped leading us simply because we can’t see the next step. He is still the One who opens and shuts. He is still the One who goes before us (Deuteronomy 31:8). He is still the One who instructs us and teaches us in the way we should go (Psalm 32:8). And He is still working all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
Closing Prayer
Lord, when we cannot understand why doors keep closing, help us trust Your heart. Teach us not to lean on our own understanding, but to acknowledge You in all our ways. Strengthen us in seasons of waiting, guard our hearts from bitterness, and keep our faith steady when our plans fall apart. Just as You were with Joseph in the pit, in the prison, and in the palace, be with us in the unknown places too. Open the doors You desire for our lives, close the ones that would harm us, and make us willing to follow You—even when we don’t yet see the whole path. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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