There’s a kind of pain that doesn’t always make the headlines of your heart, but it sits quietly in the corners: being overlooked, not included, uninvited. You scroll through social media and see the gathering you didn’t get invited to. You hear about the opportunity you weren’t considered for. You find out about the group you were never even considered to be part of.
It stings. However, here's a truth that I've learned and I hope it will set you free:
Be thankful for the invites you didn’t receive and the groups you were never welcomed into. It’s God preserving you.
Thank God for the Doors That Didn’t Open!
Rejection often disguises itself as failure or unworthiness. But in God’s Kingdom, what looks like rejection is often His divine protection or even His redirection. He sees the whole story, the beginning and the end, and He knows which environments would crush your spirit, dull your anointing or derail your purpose. Some doors stayed shut, because God never meant for you to walk through them. Some circles stayed closed, because God knew their influence would contaminate your calling. Some people never called your name, because God was hiding you until the right moment.
Let's look at David. David was anointed in obscurity. In 1 Samuel 16, we see the prophet Samuel sent to anoint the next king of Israel. He goes to Jesse’s house, and Jesse proudly parades seven of his sons before the prophet. Each one tall, strong and qualified in the eyes of man. But God whispers a different standard:
“Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at… the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
After all the “qualified” brothers were passed over, Samuel asks if there’s anyone else. Jesse reluctantly mentions David. He was the youngest and the shepherd boy left in the field. He was overlooked, forgotten and uninvited. But David was the one God had chosen. David didn’t need to be in the room to be on God’s mind. When people exclude you, it doesn’t disqualify you from what God has already ordained. God sent the prophet to wait until David showed up because heaven doesn’t move by human popularity, it moves by divine purpose.
Let's look at Joseph. The one God had set apart for a greater story. From Genesis 37–50, we follow the life of Joseph who is a dreamer, beloved by his father and hated by his brothers. He didn’t ask to be different. He simply shared what God showed him and it cost him everything. His brothers plotted against him, threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery. He lost his place in his family, his reputation and even his freedom. Yet the entire time, Joseph was never out of God’s sight. Through betrayal, slavery, false accusation, and prison; Joseph was being preserved, refined and positioned.
Eventually, Joseph rose to power in Egypt and became the very one who would save his family and a nation from famine. Looking back, he said something powerful to the same brothers who once rejected him:
“You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…” Genesis 50:20
What if the betrayal wasn’t a curse, but a setup? What if the doors that closed were never meant to open? What if the people who overlooked you were just playing their part in leading you to the right place at the right time? Your hidden season are not wasted, they were essential for where God is taking you. Don't see it as punishment, see it as preparation. God sees you even when others don’t. He hasn’t forgotten you. He hasn’t disqualified you. He’s saving you for the right moment, the right platform and the right assignment. So the next time you find yourself not on the guest list, not in the inner circle, not chosen for the opportunity; pause and give thanks, because you never know what God is saving you from… or what He’s preparing you for.
Take a moment today to reflect:
- What doors are you still grieving over that God may have closed for your protection?
- Where might He be preserving you in a “field” season like David?
- Are you willing to trust that the pit isn’t the end of your story—but the beginning of your elevation?
Prayer:
Preserve me, O Lord. Thank you for watching over me. Help me to trust You in the moments I feel forgotten. When I feel excluded, remind me that are with me and You see me. Help me to see that every closed door is part of Your loving protection. And give me the grace to wait in the field like David or persevere in the pit like Joseph until the day You call my name forward. In Jesus name. Amen.
Preserved : To keep or save from injury or destruction; to guard or defend from evil, harm, danger, etc.; to protect; To keep or defend from corruption; To uphold; to sustain.