God Always Makes the First Move

Isaiah 65:24 says "I will answer them before they even call to me.  While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!"  And this is a statement from the same God who says earlier in the same passage that he had been reaching out to people who didn't listen to him at all. God didn't reject Israel--and he doesn't reject people today--just because they didn't pay attention to him the first time, even the 50th time.

God draws us, not the other way around. And don't despair because you think you should have heard him a long time ago. He has total patience with us, no matter how stubborn and difficult we are. Paul said this to his young apprentice Timothy: 

"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus. This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life."

 Jesus had mercy on Paul, and he already has forgiven you because he has always loved you. What's not to like?