The repentance of a servant to Allah Almighty is surrounded by repentance from Allah before it and after it; his repentance, hence, is between two instances of repentance from Allah, before and after. For He turned to him in repentance by way of permission, granting of success, and inspiration, and then Allah turned to him again in acceptance and reward. The Almighty said,
“Allah has turned in repentance to the Prophet, and to the Immigrants and the Helpers who followed him in the hour of hardship. After the hearts of a party of them had almost swerved aside, then turned He unto them in repentance. Lo! He is Full of Pity, Mercy for them. And to the three also who were left behind, when the earth, vast as it is, was straitened for them, and their own souls were straitened for them till they bethought them that there is no refuge from Allah save toward Him. Then turned He unto them in repentance that they (too) might turn (repentant unto Him). Lo! Allah! He is the Relenting, the Merciful.” [9:117– 118]
The Exalted declares that His turning to them in repentance preceded their repentance to Him, for that is what made them penitent, and was the cause of their repentance, which shows that they did not repent until He came to them in repentance, for a thing cannot be found without its cause.
An example of this is His guidance of the servant before he finds guidance, for he finds guidance through His guiding him. The servant’s finding of guidance brings about another kind of guidance by which Allah establishes him in his guidance. Among the rewards of guidance is Allah’s guiding of a person, just as a punishment of misguidance is misguidance that follows it. Allah Almighty said, “And those who are guided He increases them in guidance” [47:17]. Allah guided them first so they found guidance, then He increased them in guidance. The opposite is true of the people of error, as the Almighty said, “When they went astray, Allah sent their hearts astray” [61:5]. This second straying is a punishment for their misguidance.
This kind of decree is the secret of His name, “the First and the Last,” for He is the one who prepares and extends [His help], from Him is the cause and the effect, He is the one who gives refuge from Himself, offers protection from Himself, as the most knowledgeable of creation to Him said, “I seek Your refuge from You.” The servant repents constantly, and Allah responds to it constantly; the repentance of the servant is to turn to his Master after rebellion, and the repentance from the Lord is of two kinds, granting of permission and the granting of success, acceptance, and preparation.
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, Madarij al-Salikin Ranks of the Divine Seekers Vol 1 p660-662
honey for the heart 