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OPPORTUNITIES

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

—GALATIANS 6:7-10 KJV

One of the things that I know about the Lord is that He can open doors for us that no one can shut and shut doors that no one can open. God can advertise and promote someone better than we can ourselves or man could. An opportunity is a set of circumstances that makes it possible for someone to accomplish something. God is all about giving His people opportunities to do what He has called them to do. God creates opportunities for His people to fulfill His plan, will, and purpose for their lives. God speaks by opening doors and creating circumstances that give you a way to become and do all that you were born to do.

Hearing the voice of God is easy when something you’ve been praying for opens up suddenly. On the other hand, the opportunity can allow us to hear God to wait or proceed. Hearing the voice of God when in an opportunity can often be confusing depending on if an opportunity is something God opened or the enemy or yourself. We have to be cautious of certain open doors that are not in the plan and will of God. Having discernment is key to knowing what doors to walk through and which ones are not from Him.

Keep in mind that a good opportunity doesn’t mean it’s a God opportunity. I recall when I was applying for several different colleges after high school and I prayed and asked God to open the opportunity for the one that He wanted me to go to. I applied to six colleges and four rejected me and two accepted me. It was Marshall University in West Virginia and Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware. I attended first Delaware State University as a freshmen and transferred to Marshall University my sophomore year. Both universities were great for me, but I felt that God didn’t want me to transfer but to stay local at Delaware State University.

After being at Marshall University for two years I heard the Lord say to transfer back home and withdraw. I was very upset because I loved Marshall. I wanted to play collegiate football—I had walked on the field and made it on the roster. However, it wasn’t the will of God for me to play football but to graduate college at Delaware State University. God opened both opportunities, but I was supposed to hear God tell me specifically which out of the two was best for me. We have to pray and seek the Lord for wisdom when opportunities open up. The Lord is a good Father and knows what’s best for us.

Even concerning employment, I applied for dozens of jobs after college to find out later that I was considered over-qualified. I was out of work for three years and needed income desperately. Nothing seemed to open up, and I went on a three-day fast. When I broke my fast on the third day suddenly a hiring manager called me. I didn’t recall which job it was because I applied for so many; I couldn’t remember the position either. They wanted to hire me for a part-time customer service position but I applied for full time. God spoke to me to go for the interview and He would do the rest.

I went in for the interview and after the interview was concluded they stated that they would call me in a few days. They also mentioned that they were looking to hire three people for the part-time position. In other words, they were going to take one full-time position and hire three people and make it part-time instead of hiring one person for a full-time position. I didn’t want part-time but I needed something so I obeyed God. I didn’t hear from the hiring manager at all as days and weeks passed by.

I suddenly heard the Lord say, “Go on a one-day fast,” and I obeyed. I went on the fast and 24 hours later the same hiring manager called me apologizing for the delay and stated that they wanted to hire me for a full-time position instead of part-time because I was the best candidate out of hundreds of applicants. You see, God opened up an opportunity for me to work in banking when I had no prior experience in the industry. God opened the opportunity that man couldn’t close. Hearing God’s instruction to fast cause me to break through.

Working for that bank for eight years taught me a lot about how to discipline myself and be financially stable. God opportunities are not just a blessing for ourselves but for others as well. It was that job that gave me the able to turn my 525 bad credit score to a 748 great credit score. It was that job that took me from catching the public transportation to owning and paying off my car. It was that God opportunity that caused me to tithe, sow, and give to ministries and my own church to advance the Kingdom of God. God opportunities make way for other opportunities. Remember that Ecclesiastes 3:1 declares, “To everything there is a season” (NKJV). To everything there is a season that God will use to open up a divine opportunity for you. Have you ever heard the saying “It’s someone’s season”? This is what I call a divine opportunity of favor that God creates for a person who is obedient, faithful, and diligent to their calling, assignment, and purpose.

If you endure through the process and stick it out, your season will come. When your season comes, perpetual doors will begin to swing open effortlessly. Everything will begin to yield to you and you must take full advantage of the season of opportunity. God uses seasons in our lives to speak to us to prepare us ultimately for what is next. To prepare us for greater opportunity and harvesting seasons God must cultivate, groom, and polish us for the exposure He is bringing us into.

God has to test us and teach us in seasons of isolation, obscurity, and hiding before we are made visible, open, and exposed. Not every opportunity that presents itself is a God opportunity. The devil will lure people into opportunities of compromise, deceit, greed, perversion, sin, destruction, lack, temptation, and much more. God opportunities will impact and change the lives of others.