Came across an interesting idea the other day: “We see what we are prepared to see.”

Almost sounds like eastern mystical stuff, doesn’t it. It isn’t. It is actually ancient near eastern. You find it scattered all through the Word… David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc. Jesus, Paul, John, et.al. echo the same thought.

I am honestly amazed that people ask me, me for heaven’s sake, how it is that I hear from God and they don’t. They seem to think that I have some kind of red phone hotline sitting on my desk that goes straight to heaven or a magical zip line on which angels slide down into my den when I’m praying.

Why do I hear from God? Maybe because I’m listening?

Why do I find him? Could it be that I’m looking for him?

I don’t mean to sound trite or cute. Seriously. I want to see him; I expect him to be there; I come looking for him. I told someone the other day that I was “hungry” for him, I can’t seem to get my fill of him — strange thoughts for this fellow. But I’ve started showing up with the anticipation of him being there or of him arriving. He sometimes catches me looking in the wrong direction or arrives when I’m not expecting it, but he never blindsides me… he lets me know that he’s about to be present.

I used to never see him or hear from him. I wasn’t prepared to. But now that I come expecting it, he is usually waiting for me. To me, that is humorous, ironic, and sad. So many years wasted, wanting what I thought was impossible to have, only to find out that it has been there all along.

We see what we are prepared to see… wish I’d known that sooner (Jeremiah 29:13).