Does God temporarily shut doors?

Question

If you have an experience with this, please share your story. I'm reading Joel Osteen's new book, "Become a Better You." In it, he talks about how God shuts doors forever and doesn't want them reopened. I guess I'm confused because I think of people like my parents who have broken up and gotten back together, and eventually had a wonderful marriage.
Insight please :) Thanks!

Answer 1

I definitly believe they can be closed temporarily, Example, I prayed for a job for a long time and doors kept closing and closing, but right before I almost gave up doing applications and all, a job came open for me. I just knew it was God, so I started and then a week into it, I had to quite due to daycare mess-ups, so I figured God why, I thought you opened this door and now its closed. 3 months later, I got a call from that job, and they wanted me back, but for a better higher paying position, I took it.. See God just was telling me, he was closing it for a little while and If I had patience there would be something bigger and better on the other side, I just had to wait and let the Lord take charge. He knows what he is doing... I hope I helped...

Answer 2

Wow, that question really asks a lot more than the few words in it may imply!

Yes, God does shut doors. I have had several shut on my at different times when I was going in a wrong direction (my foolishness) or when God needed me someplace else (his wisdom)
I have several testimonies on these occurrences but space does not allow for them here.

Does God close doors permanently? There are a ton of scriptures about God guiding us (try http://gospelcom.net for a large selection of Bible versions to search). The way I most often hear the phrase 'closes doors' in reference to the God of the Christian faith is in guiding us through our lives. Could he permanently prevent us from traveling a path? I think so. A very basic example would be where he brings about situations to cause a believer to be caught in sin where the consequence of the sin is a punishment which prevents them from getting into the area where they had trouble in the first place. Think of Jim Baker. I don't think that door is permanently closed but Jim has been wise enough to not seek any position that might lead him into the temptation of greed and envy. God led him to a fall which in the end gave Jim Baker a special place to testify and minister.

Last note - What does Joel Olsteen mean when he makes his statements? I haven't read his book and honestly don't agree with the non-essential details of his beliefs (essential = how are you saved? Joel and I both agree that salvation is through the sacrificial blood of Christ on the cross that paid for our sins. Our belief in Jesus sacrifice and confessing to Him that we cannot make it to heaven without Him is the simplest way to state how we attain salvation. Teachings that tell why that is so are essential. Teachings beyond that, while sometimes very different from how we read scripture, are not essential.)

A summary answer would be Yes, God can close doors. It's usually not wise to try opening them back up out of your own desires but if you really feel God telling you to go there give the doorknob a turn and see what happens!

Eric

Answer 3

god does not shut doors or anything else. People isolate themselves, abandon relationships and make decisions.

These books are written to make the author wealthy. In order to sell them they all have to come up with something different. You are reading something different.

To become a better you, make goals, accomplish them. Make no goal that is practically or emotionally unobtainable. Treat others with respect. Learn to listen more than you talk. Be positive on your attitude. Overcome failure and go on. Have a Win mentality rather than defeatist. Be optomistic even in bad times. Remember that not all things that happen are under your control Other people influence you life. Try to keep your efforts among those who are "Doers rather than losers.

Relations are give and take, Not all one or the other. You parents are good examples of folks who didn't understand the basics of enduring relations until the separated and could quietly asses what was needed to be togther.

You are the one who makes the different between a good and succesful YOU and a meandering life. You have to asses your lifestyle and go from there. Emphasize the goods and alter the bads.

Answer 4

yes i believe God shuts doors both permanently and temporarily. Just like any good parent puts up a baby gate at the stairs before we can walk good and then removes it when we learn. at first i didn't think i had personal experience to add but i went to nursing school to be an RN and that door was closed. i got married raised my family and went to school to be a surgical tech. that door was closed. now i am an LPN door to nursing reopenned.

Answer 5

First, there is no God. Second, live your life the best you can, and let others do so too. It's that simple. The only thing opening and closing doors in a person's life is themselves. Take credit AND responsibility.

Answer 6

Believe me, if God did not want them reopened they would not be. Maybe what we are calling a door is really a window with a steep drop outside. If your parents got back together then that was the open door, and only then did they decide to enter it.

Answer 7

God is love, and gives us freewill to make our own choices. When one door closes in our lives, God in His infinite mercy opens another door for us. Our God is an awesome God and He will guide our paths when we ask in prayer. He knows our needs and wants as well as the desires of our hearts before we even ask, yet He still asks us to pray.

We are an impatient people and want instant answers, but God answers in His own time, not ours. Before Lazarus was raised from the dead, his sister rebuked Jesus saying, had you been here he would not have died, we sent word to you that he was sick (paraphrased), now it is to late.!

When Lazarus was summoned to 'come forth' (from the grave), he did so. When God is late, He still is on time.

Answer 8

Re 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
Re 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Re 4:1 ¶ After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
(KJV)

only places in the bible it says door. nowhere does it say doors.
reading joel is fine. but put your faith in Gods word.

Answer 9

God shuts doors, slams doors, smashes your face into a door and then drives a big, long spike into the base of your skull before leaving with a smile and saying, "Have a nice day, my daughter. I love you."

Answer 10

when God shuts a door he opens a window. nothing is the same but it can be similar. you can get outside through a door or a window, and the ways arent' the same yet you end up in the same place! and by the way, if you understand it it ain't God.