Noah. One of the most obedient men of the old testament. In the face of ridicule and old age, the guy built a BOAT. When the boat was done, he had so much faith in the word of the Lord, he waited inside the boat for a whole week before a drop of rain even hit the earth. Literally this is before rain was a thing. The ground misted to water the earth, yet he believed God when He said water would fall from the sky He was patient. He was devoted. He was righteous. Genesis 5:8 “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the lord.”
Gideon. He was called a mighty man of valor by an angel of the Lord, and he was clothed in the Spirit of the Lord (Judges 6:34). His journey and story in the Bible is one of endurance, GREAT faith, and again obedience beyond anything I could imagine. He marched into battle with only 300 men, when he could have chosen to take 22,000 with him. He is a model of obedience to follow after. He believed. He was strong. He was fierce. Judges 6 tells the story of Gideon realizing God’s favor on his life.
Mary. Luke 1:28 “And he (the angel Gabriel) came to her and said, ” Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you.” She rode a donkey for over 50 miles, while nine months pregnant, and then raised the Son of God even when every person in her life thought she was impure and dirty. This woman is a mind-blowing example of obedience, strength, endurance, trust, faith, wisdom, and courage.
Jesus. God in human body. Obedient to the Lord’s will all the way to the cross. Patient, gentle, kind. Luke 2:40 “And the child (Jesus) grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.”Strong and filled with wisdom. Covered in favor.
These people are major characters in the Bible and they all have something very important in common. God’s favor. What a powerful confidence to have in your life. To know that God’s eyes have looked on you and found pleasure and delight in you. To know that he is for you, for your best interest, for all you desire and need. He has spoken Psalm 84:11 over me and over you, saying:
“For the Lord God is a sun and sheild.
The Lord God bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
Not one good thing does he withhold.
What a promise. Its hard for me to believe sometimes, because he doesn’t give every good thing the instant I ask for it. Sometimes he waits to give it, because the perfect time in which I would receive it would make the gift so much better. He wants the very best for me. He asked me to ask him for anything in his name. He said ask and you shall receive. He said anything you ask in his father’s name it will be done for you.
These characters have 3 other things in common. Obedience. Strength. Faith. These play huge role in living a life full of the favor of God.
I have been thinking about obedience a lot and here’s what I’ve come to know. Doing exactly as God asks is hard, impossible on our own, actually I believe that’s why we have the Trinity. God the Father offers us his favor, yet he asks us to be holy just as he is holy. Jesus came to show us that he understands us and he understands our humanity: the truth that we CANT be holy. He came so that we would not have a far-off dictator, but a Father and friend that is near. The Holy Spirit is our Helper. The one who helps us do the things that seem impossible. He is the strength between our shoulders. He is the one who convicts and comforts.
So what does walking in that favor look like?
It looks like waiting in expectation, confidence in trials, asking for big things, and praying for impossible things. Shouting in triumph with all of creation because God is just that good. It looks like no fear and only victory. It looks like worship in the coming and going, in the mountains and the valleys, in the plenty and the lack. The people in the Bible who were living in God’s favor lived in steadfast obedience, in daring courage, in freedom from others opinions of them, and in the pursuit of wisdom and strength. They did things that seemed impossible and they succeeded and tasted victory.
Because of the cross, God looks at us and sees Jesus. Do you know what this means? WE ARE LIVING IN GODS FAVOR. These promises of victory and freedom are mine to grab hold of.
I’m going to go ahead and start asking God for big things. Why wouldn’t I? Why would I not live this life full of confidence? I don’t know about you, but I want a life filled with miracles and moments where I taste and see the GOODNESS and FAVOR of God.
My squad mentor, Kate G, (what a woman, holy cow) says all the time that she is God’s favorite, and so is everyone else. What a way to live? I love the thought of being anyone’s favorite, yet I forget most of the time that I am the Creator of the Universe’s FAVOR-ite. Not only that, but I get to see others as God does. I get to let go of the idea that I have to judge, decide how good their character is, determine the state of their heart. What an exhausting job that would be. Good thing I don’t have to do it. I don’t mean to make light of the very real temptation to judge, but seriously, I’m so glad that’s not my job. All I need to worry about is learning how to walk in God’s favor. I’ll chose that path. I want that life.
God, thanks that I’m your FAVOR-ite. Thanks that you love me. Thanks that this life can be full and rich and beautiful and wild because of your favor in my life. Teach me obedience, strength, and faith and teach me how to wholly follow you.
