Shake the dust off your feet

     God knows the who, what, when, where and why for each of us. He picked you for HERE and NOW. When we live knowing this it changes what we expect and tolerate. This is our season! Our whole life is one big divine appointment! We were born for this! We should expect open doors! It's our time! The Bible says God knows the plans He has for us, plans to prosper us and not harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future (Jer.29:11). It also says He predestined our time and place. We were born for such a time as this.

     If we really believed and understood that our life is on purpose and not by chance, we wouldn't stick around and waste time in places we didn't have favor. We wouldn't hang around people who didn't receive us with goodness and gladness. The apostles knew this well. If a city or town did not receive them they moved on and shook the dust off their feet (Matthew 10:14). 

     It's not hard to tell if a person, or group of people's hearts are hardened toward you. Our problem is in thinking time will change them and one day we will be accepted. This is usually not the case and we waste days, months and even years in places we really aren't appointed to be, when instead, we could move on and land in a place that has an open heart toward us. It's nearly impossible to move forward, bloom and be productive when you're coming up against hardened hearts. Only God can soften and open hearts. 

       The biggest life lesson and spiritual lesson I've learned is to quickly recognize hardened hearts and have the courage to get out of there. I've wasted many years waiting around as if time would change someone's attitude toward me but time does not change hearts, only God can. 

      If this is your season, if God predestined your time and place, then surly He has a path for you which consists of open doors. The problem is we stick around in places and with people for far too long. If we'd be courageous enough to keep seeking God and shake the dust of our feet, we'd find doors that truly are open to us and people who truly do want us around. We all have a set of open doors in our life, but we have to be willing to leave hardened places behind. 

       Don't be discouraged by hardened hearts. Look at it as direction. Look at it as God's goodness. Hardened hearts allow you to recognize closed doors. Therefore, you can move on with your life. It's a blessing. 

          Learn to shake the dust off your feet.