A Change of Direction
After Oswald's death, Biddy Chambers felt that his words and teachings were too precious to die with him. She had spent years transcribing his lectures and lessons, so she began to gather these and organise them into different products - the first being a calendar with a short quote for each day from Oswald's teachings.
In her book Mrs Oswald Chambers, Michelle Ule talks about how Biddy struggled to get this calendar published. When she was turned down, at first Biddy became quite dejected. As she was trying to understand why this was happening, she decided to change her mindset. Ule writes this: "Biddy refused to be discouraged once she prayed about the meeting with the publishers. Instead, she chose to see the answer as a change of direction."
Seeing Closed Doors Differently
I thought this was profound. So often, when things don't go our way, we get discouraged and we struggle to understand why God hasn't opened the doors we thought He would. But if we can see a closed door as a God-led change of direction, we will surely be more fruitful than if we mope around staring at the closed door.
For Biddy, she began arranging Oswald's works into full books, rather than just the calendar she had first envisioned. Soon these books became popular. Publishers were interested in them and started to put them out. Before long, Biddy began working on a daily devotional using Oswald's work - as it turned out, this became the best-selling and most-loved devotional of the 20th century, titled "My Utmost for His Highest". I am sure that many of you listening have benefitted from that devotional.
Trusting God's Better Plan
Here's the point - don't give up when you are rejected or when a door closes. Sometimes your idea of where God wants you might not be quite correct. Sometimes He needs to change your direction, so that a greater work can be done. Will you allow Him to do that?
Friends, don't mope and get angry and upset when a door closes. Like Biddy found out, God knows better than us! When He closes a door, it's not to ruin your dream - it's to change your direction so that you end in His will, which is always for the better!
Oswald Chambers' greatest ministry began after his death through Biddy's faithful compilation of his teachings. God's miracles often unfold slowly over time.