WHEN GOD SHUTS A DOOR. By Silas Amaral Pinto

WHEN GOD SHUTS A DOOR. By Silas Amaral Pinto

   The next time a door closes in your life, before complaining or murmuring, pray and ask the Lord who closed that door!

   The divine objective is our growth in faith, hope and love, and we only learn these virtues in the storm; just as a sailor can only be made in the depths of the sea, and not in the safety of the port.

   Vincent Van Gogh had a strong desire to serve God. He abandoned his studies, left Amsterdam and went to be a lay preacher in the Borinage mining region of Belgium, where he taught, visited the sick and preached the Gospel.

   Van Gogh began to irritate his superiors when he gave up his beautiful lodgings to a homeless man and moved to a hut near the miners, where he slept on straw. For these decisions he was fired.

   The official reason given was that his speech was not eloquent enough to be a preacher, but in fact, he did not behave according to the expectations of the institutional church.

   Van Gogh found solace in art, becoming one of the most celebrated artists of all time, discovering God's calling on his life.

   The first gift of the Spirit given by God was the artistic gift. Art glorifies God. 

   God plans such great things in our lives that, instead of opening doors or windows, He knocks down a wall, or, if necessary, even breaks down walls, just to bless us (Acts 16:6-10).

   The Lord God said to Moses:

   I chose Bezalel, and I filled him with my Spirit. I gave him intelligence, competence and ability to do all kinds of artistic work; to make designs and work in gold, silver and bronze; for cutting and mounting precious stones; for carving wood; and to make all kinds of crafts.

   I chose Oholiab to work with him. I also gave ability to all the skilled men to do all the things that I commanded... the fine cloth clothes, the sacred clothes that the priests wear. Exodus 31:1-5

   Translated from Brazilian-Portuguese to English by Josimar Salum 

   #ASONE