Just after Jesus was resurrected, he appeared with two disciples walking to the town of Emmaus. They were trying to comprehend the events of the past few days, and Jesus explained the meaning of what had happened by teaching from their Hebrew scriptures. Paul often used the same explanation when he approached Jewish leaders of whatever town he was in–from the “big” leaders in Jerusalem finally to those who lead the Jewish community in Rome.
As he explained to the leaders in Rome their own scriptures, they did not believe him. So he quoted Isaiah to them, that their hearts were deadened, they were hard of hearing and could not see. The last part of the quote is interesting, though. God says through Isaiah that if they looked with their eyes and listened with their ears and understood with their hearts, then God would heal them.
God bursts in to people’s lives, but only if there has been some preparation. Paul was a seeker of God, he was just looking in the wrong place–that is, until God broke into his life on the way to Damascus and told him to look in a different place. Paul did, and history was made.
How do you awaken someone whose heart is deadened? For sure, both of you who read this are seekers or you wouldn’t be here. But how about those who won’t look, or don’t hear? Don’t you feel for them and wish that they’d open up to God?
Our job is to make sure we’re open to God and to encourage other people one-on-one to open up and seek God.
Faith Venture 
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