Romans 10:20 - And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God saying, "I was found by people who were not looking for Me. I showed Myself to those who were not asking for Me."
We have all heard people say, "I found Jesus," or some variation of that phrase. But to be honest, how many of us were actually looking for Him when we "found" Him? While there are plenty of people who were looking for answers to questions that lead them to Jesus Christ, I'm sure there are many more who weren't even looking for Him.
I wasn't. When I first gave my life to Jesus Christ, I was recovering from drug addiction. I wasn't thinking about anything at the time, except staying clean one day at a time. I wasn't looking for any answers to any questions, because I was trying to stay focused on one single task - sobriety. So how did I come to accept Jesus Christ? Because He revealed Himself to me. But why?
As Paul quotes the prophet Isaiah in this passage (Isaiah 65:1), God has revealed Himself to those who weren't even looking for Him. He has offered His free gift of salvation to everyone.
To those who said they found Jesus when they were trying to find answers to their questions, He was never hiding. He was always there, waiting to reveal Himself to you when you looked for Him. None of us "accidentally" found Jesus. The title of this post may lead some to think that it was by accident that they "stumbled" onto the truth, but that's not accurate. Nothing ever happens by accident. God certainly doesn't work miracles in our hearts and through our lives by chance.
King Solomon told us that God planted eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). He has always been there waiting for us to seek Him out and accept His salvation. Jesus told us that when we knock, the door will be opened to us (Matthew 7:7-8), and the prophet Jeremiah told us that when we look wholeheartedly for the Lord, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:12).
As much as I would like to say that I wasn't looking for Him, I really was even though I didn't know it. He knows my heart, and He revealed Himself to me at just the right time. What I thought was my brain trying to focus on recovery, was my heart crying out for the Lord to save me from myself. My brain was saying, "How can we make it through today?" That's when Jesus told my heart, "Come to me and I will show you." God said that He searches all hearts and examines secret motives. He said that He gives people their rewards due according to their actions (Jeremiah 17:10). The reward He gave me that day was eternal life. He promises that to all who call on His name for salvation.
It was no accident that He revealed His plan of salvation to the gentiles when He did. That was always a part of His plan from the beginning. It happened exactly when He wanted it to - when the harvest was plentiful and the workers were few (Matthew 9:37). Just as we found our way to Him exactly when He wanted us to - when our hearts were ready.
Dear Lord God, thank You for saving me from myself. I am so grateful for Your perfect love and mercy, and the grace You have shown me through the sacrifice of Your Son Jesus Christ on the cross. Thank You for answering the door when I didn't even realize I was knocking. I pray for those that haven't opened their hearts to You. My prayer is that they will open their hearts and realize that You are waiting to reveal Yourself and Your unfailing love to them. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray this, Amen!
God Bless!!!
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