Picking the Lock

 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding,

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJ)

      You have probably heard the saying- When God closes a door, He opens a window. But have you ever gone through times when you felt like the doors and windows in your life were shut tight, and you were locked in a room getting nowhere? I have experienced this feeling before, and I must admit, I didn't take it very well. At first, I banged on the door with my prayers, thinking if I got louder God would hear me and open the door. Then, when that didn't work, I ran to the window (the one that was supposed to be opening) and tried to look out. I wanted to see what I was missing out there, and then I tried to open the window myself. After all, doesn't God help those who help themselves? - Another popular saying NOT in the bible.

      It didn't take long for panic to set in - "Oh no, I'm locked in this room with no way out!" That's when I took out the feeble tools of my limited understanding and tried to use them to pick the lock on the door, determined to get myself out. - "How could God want me in this room?" I reasoned. "Everything important is going on out there, not in here." I told myself. "Why wouldn't God want me to move forward? My dreams are out there!"

      Finally, realizing I could do nothing to open the door, I gave up and sat down. From that lowly place on the floor I looked up. That's when I saw what I had missed before. The direction God wanted to lead me wasn't out but up, toward Him. As I sought Him and His will for my life, the light of His Word filled the room and revealed what had been there all along; a staircase, and at the top an open door. I hadn't noticed it before - until I looked up.

      I didn't have to pick the lock or beat frantically on the door. I didn't need to desperately search for an open window, because He had already prepared a way out of the room and all it required was for me to sit down and look to Him (to be still and know that He was God). My hopes and dreams were not on the other side of a locked door, they were resting in His hands.

      The time spent in the room taught me things about God I pray I will never forget. That His plans for our lives never lead out until they lead up. If I reach for the handle of a door and find it locked, I need to step back (let go of the knob) and look to Him for direction.

      If you happen to find yourself behind a locked door, don't look for a window, look for God. You might want to have a seat on the floor, lean your head back and look up - God has already planned your way out, and it won't require picking the lock!