Gods Favor..Gods Plan..Gods Ideas
All Mothers are special and should be celebrated...
A little boy forgot his lines in a Sunday school presentation. His mother was in the front row to prompt him.
She gestured and formed the words silently with her lips, but it did not help.
Her son’s memory was blank. Finally, she leaned forward and whispered the cue, "I am the light of the world."
The child beamed and with great feeling and a loud clear voice said, "My mother is the light of the world!"
Moms are great aren’t they? They care for us, they teach us,
encourage us, help us, feed us, love us, defend us and protect us.
Mothers also see things in us that others don't see...like potential.
I recently saw an interview with Dr. Ben Carson… He said he was so thankful
For his mother, for the encouragement and positive reinforcement that she gave him...
It was the strength that helped him become one of the greatest surgeons
In the world.
He said… To get him off the street, his mother encouraged her sons to read two books every week and also write book reports about those books and she graded them…
All the while only having a third-grade education and never being able to write or read herself.
There are many, many hats a mother wears in her lifetime.
In short there is nothing a mother won’t do for their children.
A mothers love, requires her to give of herself in many ways throughout her life,
But there is one thing she never gives, “A mothers love never gives up, it never quits.”
Dr. Carson also went on to say… That his mother had a no excuses policy
and she was determined, she knew that giving up was not an option...if her children were ever going to rise out of adversity!
It doesn't matter where you are...or where you may have been born.
God can take any situation and turn it amazingly around for your good!
The Favor of God is an amazing thing, especially when He has a plan for some ones life. He can cause the impossible to become possible in every situation.
Matthew 18:26 NKJ
But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Jeremiah 29:11 NASB
For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
God hears a praying mother's heart!
What I want to talk about this morning… Is associating King David
with Jeremiah 29:11...and how the plans that he had for David, going from a shepherd boy to being the king of Israel.
Started long before his father ever called him from the fields...to walk before the prophet of God and have his destiny prophesied over him.
Gods plans for David… Started hundreds of years before David's destiny would come to fruition.
Lets look at another story about a woman that was determined this morning.
The story of Ruth, Ruth was a women determined to find the favor of God!
Ruth was from the nation of Moab. She was not originally an Israelite and was looked down upon for that reason.
However she was married to one...she was married to one of Naomi's sons.
Naomi's Family and fled their homeland in the time of famine and had wound up in Moab in things and gone from bad to worse...
when the Scripture says that Elimelech and her sons Mahlon and Chilion all died and left them with nothing in a foreign land.
Understandably Naomi…had become bitter over what had happened and the pain of losing her husband and her two boys was too much for her...
everything she had ever known was gone.
And so Naomi decides to return to her hometown which is Bethlehem and tells her daughter-in-law's Ruth and Orpah...that it probably would be best if they just stayed in Moab their home country.
Orpah quickly decides to do exactly that… But Ruth on the other hand wants no part of Naomi's request.
Ruth 1:16-17 MSG.
But Ruth said, "Don't force me to leave you; don't make me go home. Where you go, I go; and where you live, I'll live. Your people are my people, your God is my god; where you die, I'll die, and that's where I'll be buried, so help me God—...not even death itself is going to come between us!"
Ruth was determined…she had her mind made up, she wasn’t going anywhere
and so Ruth and Naomi traveled together all the way back to Bethlehem
Ruth 2:1 NKJ.
1.There was a relative of Naomi’s husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz.
2. So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor.”
Now let's be clear here… Ruth was going to the fields, to pick up the leftovers the harvesting servants had missed...and the servants job..was to not miss any!
Did you know that God can bless you and shine his favor on you....anytime, anywhere, no matter what your circumstances are?
Your circumstances will never overrule God's plans!! Amen??
Circumstances have no choice but to bow to God's plans!!! Amen??
In every situation your in, no matter what your words have power...Naomi and Ruth had been down, but they weren't out.
Ruth was determined she was going to be successful and by proclaiming her success before she went out...she proclaimed that she would find favor.
She didn't say woe is me...
I never have any luck...
Life isn't fair...
She believed that there were still better days ahead...
Vs. 3. NKJ Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.
She just happened to come to the field belonging to Boaz...
Did you know that there are no coincidences when you proclaim the favor of God over your life!
Only divine interventions and appointments!
Jeremiah 29:11 for I know the plans I have for you...
how many of you know..sometimes God's plans are exciting plans
Sometimes God's plans… Are the heart fluttering kind of plans
Boaz was quite intrigued when he saw Ruth and asked who she was, whether it was love at first sight for him or not, we do not know.
But we do know he was interested in her and went out of his way to make sure she was taken care of.
Vs. 8. NKJ Then Boaz said to Ruth, “You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. 9. Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.”
He didn’t want her going anywhere and he wanted her to feel safe. She had found favor just like she had proclaimed.
She couldn’t believe her ears. God had gone before her and prepared the way for her.
That’s what God does when you confess and ask for His Favor over your life! He prepares the way...He works His Plans!! Amen??
But still she had to ask...I suppose it was human nature…why
have you shown me favor?
Many people have pondered that question… Why is this happening to me?
The question would be more understandable when things were going completely wrong and you wanted them to be different but they weren't.
But when you wonder why things were going good...it seems like it would be a different story...doesn't make much sense
you asked, you received, you still wonder why??
When you seek God's favor and receive it..it needs no explanation
Only a thankful heart to receive it!! Amen??
Vs.11. NKJ And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before.
12. The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”
Boaz was proclaiming on her a full reward for trusting in God, what a privilege for someone who wasn’t even one of God’s chosen people,
she was an outcast, she was disqualified by the law from receiving anything from God,
Yet because she trusted God and proclaimed His Favor, He was proclaiming for her a full reward,
Gods plans...even though she may have not completely understood them…
were happening right before her very eyes....and I'm sure she was probably
rubbing her eyes in astonishment, as to what was happening!
That’s just how God is, He is a good God!
TBS in Ps 23...Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
You see...he wants to bless you so bad...that He has Goodness and Mercy continually following you around looking for every opportunity to do so... Amen??
When you trust, believe and walk in Gods divine favor...He will find every excuse that there is to bless you and work His Plans for you!!
Vs.14 NKJ Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, “Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept some back.
What she kept back, was what she would take home to Naomi, she had more than been satisfied...God always gives you more than enough to satisfy you.
Vs. 15. NKJ And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.
16. Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.”
What he was really saying was...you have a new job
Your new job… Is now to be lousy at your old job!
He was telling them to show her favor
God does the same for all who believe and put their trust in Him still yet today!
Everyone who believes and trust God…He continually sets up with His Favor!
For His Plans to work in their lives... Amen??
*Like getting a good parking spot when your not looking for one
*Finding a good bargain, even when you don’t need one
*Getting a warning ticket, when you really deserve a ticket
The world and the accuser will never tell you this....
But If you want the favor of God on your life, God wants you to know
you can have it...He loves it when you ask Him for it!
Vs. 17 NKJ So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.
An ephah is a certain amount of Grain, a ephah is a ten day supply, most gleaners would work all day and end up with a one day supply.
In one day....God had given her a 1000% blessing of His Favor!
When she went home to tell her mother-in-law, she couldn’t believe it.
Vs.19 NKJ And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work?
Blessed be the one who took notice of you.”
So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.”
20. Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!” And Naomi said to her, “This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives.”
Things were starting to really look up for both of them, one moment of God’s Favor had turned their whole state of affairs around.
Naomi, could sense that good things were in store for Ruth and told her to keep on Gleaning in Boaz’s field until harvest was over.
God is not a respecter of persons, His favor is available to all...
(say) I Proclaim...Gods Favor Over My Life!
He will do the same for you if you ask Him to...the sooner you start believing it and expecting it, the sooner you will start experiencing it in every area of your life.
*Healing
*Financial
*Spiritual
*Physical, whatever your need is, every area of your life will be affected, if you are willing to trust God and only Believe!
Ruth 3:1-2. MSG.
One day her mother-in-law Naomi said to Ruth, "My dear daughter, isn't it about time I arranged a good home for you so you can have a happy life? And isn't Boaz our close relative, the one with whose young women you've been working? Maybe it's time to make our move. Tonight is the night of Boaz's barley harvest at the threshing floor.
3-4. "Take a bath. Put on some perfume. Get all dressed up and go to the threshing floor. But don't let him know you're there until the party is well under way and he's had plenty of food and drink. When you see him slipping off to sleep, watch where he lies down and then go there. Lie at his feet to let him know that you are available to him for marriage. Then wait and see what he says. He'll tell you what to do."
5. Ruth said, "If you say so, I'll do it, just as you've told me."
6. She went down to the threshing floor and put her mother-in-law's plan into action.
God is more than willing to shine His favor on you, if you are only willing to step out in faith and trust Him in every situation.
You have to rest on Gods ability not yours, nothing is impossible when you depend on Gods ability, instead of your own...
His results know no boundaries, His results are limitless.
Vs 7. MSG. Boaz had a good time, eating and drinking his fill—he felt great. Then he went off to get some sleep, lying down at the end of a stack of barley. Ruth quietly followed; she lay down to signal her availability for marriage.
8. In the middle of the night the man was suddenly startled and sat up. Surprise! This woman asleep at his feet!
9. He said, "And who are you?"
She said, "I am Ruth, your maiden; take me under your protecting wing. You're my close relative, you know, in the circle of covenant redeemers— you do have the right to marry me."
That was the custom of that day, kinsmen had first rights to marry a widow.
10-13. He said, "God bless you, my dear daughter! What a splendid expression of love! And when you could have had your pick of any of the young men around. And now, my dear daughter, don't you worry about a thing; I'll do all you could want or ask. Everybody in town knows what a courageous woman you are— a real prize! You're right, I am a close relative to you, but there is one even closer than I am. So stay the rest of the night. In the morning, if he wants to exercise his customary rights and responsibilities as the closest covenant redeemer, he'll have his chance; but if he isn't interested, as God lives, I'll do it. Now go back to sleep until morning."
14. Ruth slept at his feet until dawn, but she got up while it was still dark and wouldn't be recognized. Then Boaz said to himself, "No one must know that Ruth came to the threshing floor."
Boaz, was a well respected man and he was going to keep it that way, for him and for her.
15. So Boaz said, "Bring the shawl you're wearing and spread it out."
She spread it out and he poured it full of barley, six measures, and put it on her shoulders. Then she went back to town.
16-17. When she came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, "And how did things go, my dear daughter?"
Ruth told her everything that the man had done for her, adding, "And he gave me all this barley besides— six quarts! He told me, 'You can't go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law!'"
Notice through this whole story, how God continuously kept pouring out His favor on Ruth. Six measures, was a 60 day supply!
18. Naomi said, "Sit back and relax, my dear daughter, until we find out how things turn out; that man isn't going to fool around. Mark my words, he's going to get everything wrapped up today."
Naomi said, "Sit back and relax, my dear daughter, until we find out how things turn out....So many people are just not willing to do this part of the Plan...
to just simply rest in the ability of “The Great I Am”
You know, Boaz here represents in this story, Jesus our blessed redeemer and nothing is impossible when you rest on His ability and what He accomplished for all of us on the cross.
Ruth 4:1-4 MSG
1. Boaz went straight to the public square and took his place there.
Before long the "closer relative," the one mentioned earlier by Boaz, strolled by.
"Step aside, old friend," said Boaz. "Take a seat." The man sat down.
2. Boaz then gathered ten of the town elders together and said, "Sit down here with us; we've got some business to take care of." And they sat down.
3-4. Boaz then said to his relative, "The piece of property that belonged to our relative Elimelech is being sold by his widow Naomi, who has just returned from the country of Moab. I thought you ought to know about it. Buy it back if you want it—you can make it official in the presence of those sitting here and before the town elders. You have first redeemer rights. If you don't want it, tell me so I'll know where I stand. You're first in line to do this and I'm next after you."
He said, "I'll buy it."
He was very interested in the property, until Boaz told him that Ruth the foreigner was part of the deal and how he would have to marry her and be obligated to have a family with her... When he learned of the responsibility he declined without hesitation.
Ruth 4:13-17 MSG.
13.Boaz married Ruth. She became his wife. Boaz slept with her. By God's gracious gift she conceived and had a son.
Ruth’s story and life was nothing short of amazing, from rags to riches to supernatural spiritual riches to be remembered throughout the ages,
Can you imagine, what a beautiful story...
Gods Plans and Favor never stopped working in her life and her families life,
She never dreamed that God's plans in her life… would directly affect
the plans that God had for her son Obeds life,
or his son Jesse's life, or his son David's life, or his son Solomon's life, right on down the line to JESUS the Messiahs life....
and still continues down the line to whosoever proclaims and receives JESUS as their savior....
Don't you just love it when a good plan comes together! Amen?
Nothing is impossible when you become a part of Gods Plans for your life!! Amen??
Mothers...are you realizing Gods Plans in and over your lives today?
Are you proclaiming the favor of God over your life and your families life today.
Just like Ruth's story and life was miraculous...yours can be too!!
Won’t you do it today, God is ready, willing and able to do the miraculous in your life and take you places you’ve never even dreamed of.
Amen?
Let's pray!
