When God Closes Doors

Have you ever felt frustrated when God closes a door in your life? That disappointment, that questioning of "Why, God?" is exactly what we're addressing in this transformative episode.

Drawing wisdom from Genesis 7:16b - "and the Lord shut him in" - we unpack a powerful revelation about Noah's experience that completely reframes how we should view divine closed doors. When God closed Noah into the ark, He wasn't abandoning him - He was enclosing him with everything needed for survival. This seemingly simple scripture contains profound truth that has been resonating in my spirit for months.

The enemy wants us to believe we're alone behind closed doors, but nothing could be further from truth. God provides protection, provision, peace, joy, and supportive community right where we are. When doors remain shut despite our prayers, it's because our sovereign God knows what's best - either we're not ready for what's beyond that door, or He has something better in store.

This episode challenges you to take inventory of what God has already provided in your current season. What wisdom, grace, and resources has He given you? Who has He placed in your life? What skills are you developing during this waiting period? Just as Noah eventually emerged from the ark into a new world with fresh purpose, your closed door is not punishment but preparation for something life-changing that will advance God's kingdom.

Your relationship with God gives you freedom to express disappointment, but don't dwell there. Continue trusting that His plans are to prosper you, not to harm you. Even when doors remain closed, know that God has given you everything you need for this season, and your best days are still ahead. Connect with me on social media @Colette Marie Speaks or email colettemarieonline@gmail.com to share how this message has impacted you.

Chapters

• 0:00 What happens when God closes doors?
• 1:44 Genesis 7:16 - The Lord shut him in
• 4:34 Finding provision behind closed doors
• 8:51 God prepares us for new beginnings
• 11:11 Prayer and closing thoughts

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

What do you do when God closes the door?

Speaker 1: 0:06

What do you do? Hi, I'm your host, colette Marie, and welcome to today's episode of Positioned for Purpose Conversations with Colette Marie, a podcast about who you are now and where God has always been Using our mess for a message and our story for His glory Romans 8, 28. For we know that all things work together for good to them that know God and are called according to His purpose. On today's episode, I want to share with you what I learned from Genesis 7, 16b. From Genesis, chapter 7 and verses 16b. That thing has been ringing and resonating in my spirit for about a month or so. I pray that it will encourage you the same way it did for me.

Speaker 1: 0:59

Now, oftentimes, when we think of God closing a door, it's not something that I'm excited about. It's not anything that I'm jumping on a jar and I'm telling anyone about. It's not a great testimony Most times when God closes a door saying God, you know I need this door to be opened. Why is it taking so long? Aren't you hearing my prayer? What are you doing?

Speaker 1: 1:26

Recently, someone shared something with me and as I listened to the lady talking about Noah and all that, he went through doing what God called him to do, just following his instructions. Clearly, what struck me was the verse 16b, and it said and the Lord shut him in. Friends, you might have gotten this before I do, or maybe it's just sometimes we're at a particular season and God causes us to see something else Because we weren't't there before, we weren't able to really grasp or understand it. Now this is a passage that I've read before, because it talked about noah building the ark and the lord instructing him what he was to take into the ark he and his family should go in and everything that he will be taking who should be taking on the inside with him. And I don't know why that part, I would want to say that it lodged deep into the recesses of my heart and I could not let it go. It felt as if God was saying something to me and looking back. He was speaking to me because there's something that he showed me, and we know it's something that we normally say. God closes a door, right, we say God has closed a door, but what the Lord showed me, I know it could only be him. What is behind the door when I close that door, when I close you in what is on the inside with you, and I started to actually think about it deeply. Right now I'm sitting and my eyes are closed. I'm visualizing yet again that not only was Noah, not only was Noah in that ark, noah's family.

Speaker 1: 3:30

Everything that Noah needed to survive, noah had it behind closed doors. What do you do when God closes a door? What do you do when God closes a door? That's the question that he asked me. What do you do? Because before I would murmur, I would complain. I would say Lord, but why? But when? Why not? Where are you? When are you coming through? Don't you see me over here? And when he allowed me, and when he allowed me, when he gave me a glimpse, to say look. And I actually started looking and realizing that everything that he needed to survive was behind the closed doors.

Speaker 1: 4:28

No-transcript, and as we remember, the scripture says that even before we called, even before we asked, god knew what we were going to ask for. And so if he did not give it to us, if he did not open that door, it means that he who is sovereign, he who knows the end from the beginning, know that we're not yet in a place to receive what he has for us. He also knows that what we're asking for maybe it's not best for us any at all and it will be a straight up no, or he could be preparing us for it. And so when I look at my situation and look at my own life and the doors that God closed, and I was wondering why and even now it is even more relevant for me as I look through and as I'm standing behind the closed door and I'm looking around me and I'm seeing that I have everything God did not just close the door and left me by myself. He gave me protection, he gave me provision, he gave me peace, he gave me joy. I can access all of these things. I have a choice to choose. I have a choice to choose because when he closed me in, he did not leave me alone. And so, if we look back at the analogy with Noah, everything that was there to keep him, to sustain him, was there. He was not alone. He was not alone.

Speaker 1: 6:07

And I believe that's what the enemy wants us to feel, as if we are all alone. That when God closes a door, he left us alone. He just slams it shut and says you stay there but know everything that you need and I want you to pause and reflect right where you are now if you can Reflect on a door that God has closed and reflect at how you went through that season and then I want you to reach out to me. You can find me on social media or you can email me at connectmarieonline at gmailcom and tell me what did you, what did you notice when God closed that door? What did you see?

Speaker 1: 6:56

Because, can I tell you, what I saw is that I had friends praying for me, I had people investing in me, I had people encouraging me, I had the grace of God, I had the peace of God, because, even though the door was closed and the enemy wanted me to focus on that, I can tell you that what I did was to start shift my mindset, to say that if God closes it, he has best for me, but when he brought it to my attention, to say it's not only that, it's that I gave you everything that you needed, every single thing that you needed. When you were in that place waiting on me, when you were at that place thinking that I left you and that I forgot about you and that I didn't care about your needs, I gave you everything that you needed this thing that is on the outside, this thing on the outside that you're waiting for, that you're pining for, that you're questioning me about that. You want to give up on me, for I'm withholding from you because I know what's best for you, and what I liked is the fact that God was the one who closed the door, so Noah could not have opened the door to get out, because the Lord knew what was on the other side of that door. If he opened that door, he too could have been destroyed, his family could have been destroyed as well. And everything that God wanted to use to continue, to continue generations, to use to continue generations, whether it is family, whether it was animals, they were there. What do you have? What do you have with you? What has God given you behind those closed doors? No-transcript, you still have wisdom, you still have grace. God wants us to use these things that we have, that we think that we don't, and stop focusing on what we don't have, because can I tell you, after a few months, the doors were opened and Noah came out, noah and his family, noah and all the animals and I want to call them families, because you know we take those things seriously. They came out. They came out, god opened the door and something new happened.

Speaker 1: 9:27

So what happens when God closes a door? Can I tell you, when he closes a door, what happens is that he provides for us on that side. He is preparing us for what he has on the other side of that open door. He wants to ensure that we can store well what he has given us. He wants to ensure that we're able to go beyond the way we thought we could, because his sustaining power will be what kept us. So can I tell you, change your focus, change your mindset, set your things on what's above instead of just looking at what we don't have. Look and be reminded that he says he will do exceedingly, abundantly, above that which we could ever ask or even imagine, according to his power at work within us.

Speaker 1: 10:28

So, my friends, can I encourage you today to refocus and remember on the inside of that closed door, god has invested and given us so much and when he opens that door, we will be walking into something that is new, something that's life changing and something that will advance the kingdom of almighty God. That will advance the kingdom of Almighty God. So, as I am encouraged daily by this thought that God has given me all I need. I pray that it will be a blessing to you as well, and that you will continue to keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and the finisher of your faith. I'm not telling you that you can Tell the Lord that you're disappointed. Your relationship with him allows you the freedom to do that. All I'm saying don't dwell there. Don't dwell there. Continue to trust him and know that he has the best for you. That's where I'm at right now that, even though the doors are closed, I'm behind that door and it's given me the provision and my best days are still yet ahead of me.

Speaker 1: 11:41

I hope that this episode today was beneficial to you, that it helped you in some way, shape or form, and if it did, you can find me on all social media platform, at Colette Marie Speaks, and you can share with me, or you can email me at colettemarieonline at gmailcom. I would love to hear from you. So let me pray for you, father. I thank you for my sister, for my friend who is listening today.

Speaker 1: 12:12

I pray, lord, the same way how you revealed to me, lord, what's behind that closed door. I pray that you will reveal it to her as well. I pray, lord God, that her thoughts will be so aligned with you that, god, you will open her eyes to see that, lord, there is so much that you have invested and given to her. Lord God, in her moments of seeming lack. Almighty, God, help us to trust you that at the right time, you'll open the right door and it will be good, it will be the best thing for us. It will not be plans to harm us, but to give us hope and an expected end. We love you, daddy, and we tell you thanks in Jesus's name. Amen and amen.