By Benescke Janse van Rensburg

During 2009, Jan Koum and Brian Acton worked at Yahoo! They both decided to apply for jobs at the social media giant, Facebook. Unfortunately, both their applications were rejected. Disappointed, the two decided to start building a new application for smart phones, known as WhatsApp.

Five years later, in 2014, Facebook bought WhatsApp for $19 billion from Koum and Acton. In the process, Koum became CEO of WhatsApp, working for Facebook. It is unknown what position Acton currently holds. Since the takeover, WhatsApp’s users doubled in number. This past Monday they passed the 1 billion mark in users, making WhatsApp the world’s largest messaging service used by 1 in 7 people.

In the same way as Koum and Acton, we too, at times experience closed doors. We do, for example, apply for a job at that "dream company" and experience rejection; the relationship we were convinced will end in a marriage, breaks up; the marriage you fought and prayed for ends in divorce; or the sick person you prayed for day and night dies.

During times of disappointment or when we receive a closed door, it remains extremely important to maintain perspective. God never changes. He works outside time and space as we know it and He knows exactly what lies in our future. Unfortunately, a closed door only makes sense in retrospect. However it is mostly in retrospective that we realize that that closed door you were so upset about was actually God’s way of protecting you from further harm or wrong decisions, as He had something better for you in store in the future.

In Revelation 3: 8-9, God says: “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close." God holds the keys to lock or unlock doors. We just need to trust him - even if situations do not make sense. In Isaiah 55: 8-9 He reminds us: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord; For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

I cannot help but wonder what would have happened if Koum and Acton got the jobs at Facebook in 2009. Would WhatsApp ever have seen the light? I am convinced that both are thankful today for their applications being rejected. They used the closed door as inspiration to come up with an idea that benefits all of us in terms of easier communication today.

What disappointments are you currently experiencing? Don’t waste time by staring at the closed door. You might just miss the opportunity it presents to grow and be inspired. God knows what He is doing. The joy of the next open door might just blow your mind. God bless.

Father God, thank You for the knowledge that You know my future. Please help me to not get stuck in the “closed-door moments”, but to keep my eyes on You, knowing that You remain in control. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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