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All down through history, no one has been able to find God - the true God - unless God first finds them. Israel agonizing in bondage in Egypt waited four hundred years for their God to find them to deliver them. They had not found God because they had not looked for Him. Others may have looked for a god created in their own image, or one that they can manipulate and control, or that they can worship without obedience, or just something they can see. But the time finally in Israel for God to give them a heart to leave their bondage.

This is made abundantly clear also by the way God dealt with Abraham, and eventually with all of Israel. In Jeremiah 25:5-7, we see that God gives a group of Israelite captives a heart to return to their God, and also gives them the kind of heart that was to seek God with their whole heart. They were actually sent away into captivity so that He could have mercy on them later. Undoubtedly, this was difficult for them to understand at the time.

How many times have we misread God's purpose for events in our lives. Often, God brings them about in order to do us good later. This principle is shown by the Apostle Paul in Romans 11 in explaining what had happened to Israel and why. God uses the rejection of some as opportunity for others, and then the first will have their eyes opened to accept Him. There are times when He causes a blindness that leaves some in sin, so that He have mercy on them later. God does the blinding (sometimes Satan is His instrument), so that all can receive mercy together later (Romans 11:30-32). He has the view to also turn our hearts to Him with our whole heart that He will eventually give us. God is always the Initiator. He initiates, draws, grants, in all matters of relationship with Himself. Jesus said that no one can come to Him unless the Father draws him. The next few verses in Jeremiah show that God does not turn the hearts of another group of captives. God is the same "yesterday, today, and forever".

There is an almost invisible barrier between inmates in prison and visitors. They cannot touch each other. They can see, and hear - but they cannot touch each other. The same can be true between mankind and God, or mankind and mankind. This has sometimes in the past been the situation between God and His people, Israel. This is sometimes the situation between God and His people today. Do you feel at times that there is some type of barrier between you and God - that you can see and hear Him through His word or His servants? For some reason, you just can't touch Him, or be touched by Him? You may know He is there by reason or logic, but somehow you cannot touch (Isaiah 59:1- ) Somehow you are not getting through to each other.

Perhaps God is preparing to give you a heart for His will in your life.

We have all heard it said that timing is everything. God is a God of order, system, intricate planning. All is within His purpose. He causes some things to wait. He accelerates others. There is merit to the expression "timing is everything" - especially with God as He deals with His creation of sons and daughters for His family. No wonder there are so many admonitions in His Word about being patient, enduring - waiting. Rather than waiting on God, we are tempted to second guess Him, to anticipate Him. It is our own little subtle way of subconsciously trying to manipulate God. There was slogan once used in advertising that said "inquiring minds want to know", implying that it is our right to know, and affirming our natural inquisitive mind. However, we do not have the "right to know" everything, and an inquiring mind is not always a virtue.

We must always keep in mind that all of God's ways are past our understanding. Understanding our inability to understand God will strengthen our faith. After all, we could not trust a God that we could completely understand - He would be too much like us. And we know that often we cannot be trusted...don't we?

Pray that God will give you the gift of a heart for Him. He is in the business of preparing hearts. If things somehow just do not seem quiet right, they probably are not. He will prepare your heart.

I pray that you will wait for Him to prepare your heart to receive that which is good in His sight. He will...
In His time. In His way.

“O Lord, You have heard the desire and the longing of the humble and oppressed; You will prepare and strengthen and direct their hearts, You will cause Your ear to hear, to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man, who is of the earth, may not terrify them any more.” - Psalm 10:17 (AB)

"Inspiration For You" from Randy Mitchell

Honoring A Father