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Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Guest Post: WHO IS BEHIND THE CLOSED DOOR? by Linda Rondeau



1 Thessalonians 2:18 NIV: For we wanted to come to you — certainly I, Paul, did, again and again — but Satan stopped us.

Paul desperately wanted to see the believers in the Thessalonian church. He apparently was distressed over their welfare.  For whatever reason he felt compelled to return to Thessalonica, circumstances prevented his going, circumstances Paul attributed to demonic forces. However, God ‘s peace came when Paul sent Timothy to “strengthen and encourage you (Thessalonians) in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials.”


Many times the desires of our heart become thwarted, and it is difficult to know whether the roadblock is Satanic or divinely rooted.  

How do we tell the difference? It takes prayer — persistent and sometimes agonizing prayer. All too often, we choose to attribute the change, saying in our hearts, “Oh well, God must’ve changed his mind.”

God does not change his mind on a whim, and likewise, we should not be so quick to attribute obstacles to Him. If we believe God has set us on a course, and that course is obscured, it is very possible Satan does not want us to pursue God’s will to our better spiritual walk. In this instance, most often the course- changing winds are not God’s divine intervention. Staying the course in our hearts, we can then submit the circumstances to the Lord, trusting God to overcome.

It is also true, that God allows things into our lives in order to redirect our efforts to better adapt to His plan for us. It is not that God has changed his mind, for his purpose for us is always our spiritual welfare. We need to examine our desires, commit or recommit them to the Lord, and determine if these things will indeed enhance our devotion. If our desires distract us from an ever-deepening relationship with our Lord and Savior, God may very well send roadblocks destined to return us to his Everlasting Arms.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5 – 6 NIV).

 

Winner of the 2012 Selah Award for best first novel The Other Side of Darkness/Harbourlight,  LINDA WOOD RONDEAU writes stories of God’s mercies. Walk with her unforgettable characters as they journey paths not unlike our own. After a long career in human services, Linda now resides in Jacksonville, Florida.

Linda’s best-selling Adirondack Romance, It Really IS a Wonderful Life, is published by Lighthouse of the Carolinas and is available wherever books are sold.  Her next releases were her devotional book, I Prayed for Patience God Gave Me Children and Days of Vines and Roses.

Joy Comes to Dinsmore Street and A Christmas Prayer have been released in time for the Christmas  as well as her mini novel, Jolly Angel.  Songs in the Valley/ Helping Hands Press, will be released in 2014. 

Readers may visit her web site at www.lindarondeau.com or email her at lindarondeau@gmail.com  or find her on Facebook, Twitter, PInterest, LinkedIn, Google Plus and Goodreads.   

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