Acts 16:6
Paul...traveled...having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.

Have you ever struggled with closed doors? I have. Have you ever looked at the stuff on earth and wondered what on earth God was up to? I have. Closed doors are reality. They are hard, they are brutal and very often, I get my foot stuck in them. And that can be painful. But if we don't learn anything else from this verse, we have to recognize that closed doors in our lives can be from God. Put yourself in Paul's shoes: he's given his life over to God's control, he has a clear call from God to preach, and God has closed the door and kept him from preaching! Can't you see Paul scratching his head? I can.

Now if you read the rest of the story, you'll find that God was "funnelling" Paul right to the shore line where he would face a dead end. There would be nowhere to go and in that place God would call him to board a boat and set out for Macedonia. It is important to remember that the things that are going on in our lives are being used by God to lead us right where He wants us. What that means for us, though, is that we can't dwell on the good that might have happened when it's time to press on to what God has waiting for us. If Paul had sulked about not getting to preach in Asia, a church would not have been started in Philippi, a slave girl would not have been delivered, Paul and Silas would not have been miraculously set free from prison, a jailer and his enitire family would not have been saved and many Jews in Berea would not have believed. In short, look what would not have happened if Paul had chosen not to trust God with his life and ministry.

What about you? Have you found God saying "no" to things that are good in your life? Are you willing to trust Him? Are you willing to say "yes" to what you do not know by saying "yes" to the One you do know? If so, buckle up.

The best part of the ride starts now.