God is a good God and loves us all so much that He had to send His only Begotten Son to save us all from the kingdom of Satan and translated us into the kingdom of His Son Jesus Christ of Nazareth. We remember that He said in His word that He loved us even before we knew Him - 1 John 4:19.
The love that God has for us is more than we his children can ever comprehend. His love for us is just too much and until we go back to his kingdom and meet him face to face is when we can grasp the depth of his love for us as his children. God loves us and cares for us all so much that even the enemy Satan does not understand it - Psalm 8:4.
The earth that we are living in at the present moment has limited the love that God as for us all, and this is because of the things that is happening in our lives and around us, so much is going on that our understanding of the love that God has for us is been clouded by all the problems that we are going through every day and not only that Satan himself who is the god of this earth is causing us not to understand God's love for us. But God loves us all no matter how far we have gone from him. The love that He has for us is from eternity to eternity and all we can do is to embrace his love for us and delight in the fact that God loves us.
His love for us is why he Favors us his children that he sent his Son to die for us all. And this is Favor from our creator
God created us in his own image and likeness - Genesis 1:27 This is Favor.
God sent His Son to die for us all - John 3:16 This is also Favor.
God cares for us all and wants the best for us all at all times, even when we are not in a right state of mind, He still showers us all with favour. Favor is when God does things beyond our own imagination, in his infinite mercy when we do not deserve favour, he does favour us and does not go back on his word. The Favor of God is not something we should take lightly, He simply Favors us all and nothing on the face of this earth can ever stop him from favouring us, his children that he loves so much.
Let's check from the scriptures about God's Favor:
Proverbs 3:4
And so, find Favor and high esteem
In the sight of God and man.
Psalms 5:12
For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous.
With Favor, you will surround him as with a shield.
2 Corinthians 6:2
For He says:
In an acceptable time, I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation, I have helped you.
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Daniel 1:9
Now God had brought Daniel into the Favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs.
And looking at the scriptures we can also see how God Favors his children, in times of famine, trouble, sickness and all the things that Satan throws at us the children of God. God said in his word that he will never leave us nor, forsake us - Hebrews 13:5; Deuteronomy 31:6. God is ever a faithful God - 2 Timothy 2:13 is a powerful scripture to read often when we are faced with challenging situations that seem to shake our faith or trust in God. That in all circumstance of life we have a God that will always Favor us above it all. Like he said he is not ready to leave us in any difficult condition, when he has all the power to save us.
Let's go to the word of God and we see some of God's children that were in serious conditions, but God favoured them:
Esther 5:8
Esther’s Banquet
Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, across from the king’s house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the entrance of the house. So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found Favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the sceptre.
And the king said to her, “What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you—up to half the kingdom!”
So, Esther answered, “If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”
Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly, that he may do as Esther has said.” So, the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
At the banquet of wine, the king said to Esther, “What is your petition? It shall be granted you. What is your request, up to half the kingdom? It shall be done!”
Then Esther answered and said, “My petition and request is this: If I have found Favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfil my request, then let the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said.”
Haman’s Plot Against Mordecai
So, Haman went out that day joyful and with a glad heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, and that he did not stand or tremble before him, he was filled with indignation against Mordecai. Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and called for his friends and his wife Zeresh. Then Haman told them of his great riches, the multitude of his children, everything in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and servants of the king.
Moreover, Haman said, “Besides, Queen Esther invited no one but me to come in with the king to the banquet that she prepared; and tomorrow I am again invited by her, along with the king. Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high, and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it; then go merrily with the king to the banquet.”
And the thing pleased Haman; so, he had the gallows made.
Reading further we can see how God favoured Esther, the enemy - Satan had plotted against Mordecai to have him killed by Haman but because of the Favor of God on Esther, Haman did not prevail and at the end of it all the man that was intended to be killed was the same man that was killed with all members of his family, I believe that is Favor from God only that cannot be understood by man. Therefore, if we are in any of this situation, let's turn to the same God for Favor of such.
Daniel 6
Daniel in the Lions’ Den
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.
Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king’s decree: “Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?”
The king answered and said, “The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.”
So, they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
And the king, when he heard these words, was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him. Then these men approached the king, and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”
So, the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.
Daniel Saved from the Lions
Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also, his sleep went from him. Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”
Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So, Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.
Darius Honors God
And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.
Then King Darius wrote:
To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:
Peace be multiplied to you.
I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel.
For He is the living God,
And steadfast forever.
His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed,
And His dominion shall endure to the end.
He delivers and rescues,
And He works signs and wonders
In heaven and on earth,
Who has delivered Daniel from the [i]power of the lions.
So, this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Paul and Silas
Acts 16: 16 - 34
Paul and Silas Imprisoned
Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days.
But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.
And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
The Philippian Jailer Saved
But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
So, they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.
This is just a very few examples of the Favor of God in the lives of his children. The Favor of God will always show up in the midst of any trials or tribulation. We as children of God have already found Favor in God's sight simply because of the death of his Son Jeus Christ of Nazareth. Jesus came to set us free from the kingdom of Satan - Colossians 1:13. And in Jesus' kingdom we are free to receive Favor from God in every area of our lives.
God as favoured us because of his Son when He brought us into a new covenant relationship with him. Jesus broke the bondage that Satan held us under and because of this God had to Favor us his children and the Favor of God is ours to rest in. God said in his word that his Favor surrounds us all like a shield -Psalm 5:12.
The meaning of Favor
1. Approval, support, or liking for someone or something.
2. An act of kindness beyond what is due or usual
The Hebrew meaning of Favor is ratzon and it means goodwill, Favor, acceptable, will when combined with LORD, it becomes ratzon la Adonai: the divine goodwill. (taken from the Hebrew dictionary).
The benefits of having Favor with God:
- An abundance of blessings
- Protection
- Good health
- Open doors
- God's wisdom from above
- Favor from people
- Prayers answered
God is a God of love and wants all of his children to be favoured at all times, looking at the examples of God's Favor in the lives of his people we can see that they all found Favour at the end of their pain, and they were able to give God praise for all He did in their situation. God will always show up. He does not come too early or too late, he is always on time. And all He wants from us is to give him praise that in all of it he showed us that Favor.
We have a God who is full of Favor, and it does not cost him anything to pour out his Favor to us to an overflow. We are simply favoured by God and as we receive his Favor, he gives us more and more of his Favor. We are to trust him for his Favor at all times, he is not a selfish God that would withhold his Favor from us. Asking for his Favor is not too much for him to do.
God himself wants us to ask as he said in the book of Luke 11: 9 - 10 and when we ask, we shall receive God's Favor.
How do we receive the Favor of God Almighty.? by simply believing in the finished work of His Son Jesus Christ of Nazareth and this is by receiving the gift of salvation and once we ask, we would not be rejected. God's Favor is available to everyone of us, and he is waiting for us to ask.
The story of the prodigal son in Luke 15: 11 - 32 shows us God's favour indeed:
Luke 15: 11 - 32
The Parable of the Lost Son
Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So, he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, bring out the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
“Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So, he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’
“But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore, his father came out and pleaded with him. So, he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’
“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”
Definitely this parable is God showing Favor to a son that was lost and at the end of this, the child was received back into the fold because of the forgiveness of the father, and this simply means that when we are far gone from God, he in his mercy will show us mercy and grace in his presence always.
God's Favor is there for us all.
Be blessed in His presence always. Amen
