“Walking in the F.O.G.”
“Favor of God”
2nd Samuel 9 : 1 - 8
I like to watch the weather channel and on the weather channel they have a show that comes on called storm stories. On this show they show people that have experienced and lived through many different types of weather conditions. Some of the people have gone through hurricanes or tornadoes; others have been through floods and hail storms. Some have experienced mudslides or floods. However there is one story that sticks in my mind that I thought was truly amazing. The reason that I believe it sticks in my mind so much is because I never considered it has a storm. Nevertheless, the destruction that came because of it categorized it as a storm. In this one particular area there was a great concentration of fog that fell and the fog was so thick that it became impossible to see. During this week we have experienced a lot of fog ourselves and you know that fog can be an overwhelming experience Since this fog made it impossible to see many accidents along the highway resulted and numerous lives were killed as a result of the accidents, which were caused in part by the fog. When I watched the program one of the officers that worked the accidents said because people didn’t know how to operate in the fog they lost their lives.
I want to talk to you about operating in the fog; however, the fog that I want to talk to you about today is not a meteorological situation that is caused by droplets of water vapor suspended in the air. It is not the atmospheric pressure that causes visibility to become reduced. It is not a state of confusion or the lack of clarity. The fog I want to talk about is a mind blowing experience caused by the combination of prayer and praise, which in turn produces fog, F.O.G. the Favor of God.
No doubt you have heard the phrase “When praises go up blessing comes down.” That is a true statement; however, when praise is combined with prayer, not only will you receive blessing, but you shall have favor. What is it that causes people to ask the question? How could you take that? Why was my brother Mark able to write a song and sing it at my sisters funeral. How was my father able to preach his only daughter’s funeral? How come at the funeral people were able to shout at the funeral, it is because of favor.
WHAT IS FAVOR
Favor comes from a Greek word called “Charis” and means gratitude bestowed. Favor is the affection of God toward a person that releases a spirit of influence through that person so that other people are affected by that person and are inclined to like, trust, and cooperate with that person. Favor is a little different then grace. Grace is unmerited, undeserved, and unearned good will upon a person. Grace is Gods ability to do only what God can do. Favor is granted because of something that you have done the combination of prayer and praise. Favor makes the ordinary shine in an extraordinary way. Favor opens up doors that normally would be closed. Favor will protect you from the enemy. Favor gives you victory over the enemy. Favor places the wealth of the wicked to be laid up for you. Favor cause men to give unto you. Favor causes you to have life and to have it more abundantly. However favor ain’t free. Favor doesn’t mean that we will walk always in favorable circumstances all the time. Many people look at Mark the 10th chapter and verses 29-30 which says “Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sister, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s. But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands…(we like to stop there and say you see I am expecting a hundredfold in return because of what I have done; therefore I will get the favor of God, but the very next two word of this scripture let’s us know that favor ain’t free, for the Bible says) with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” With persecutions let’s us know that favor has a price.
Everyone wants the favor of God, but everyone ain’t willing to pay the price. Are you willing to pay the price in order to walk in the fog? My mind goes to the rich young man that wanted to have eternal life. Jesus said sell all that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure (favor) in heaven. The young man heard what Jesus said and went away. He wanted the favor of God, he wanted to walk in the fog, but he wasn’t willing to pay the price. Favor is going to cost you something.
We find in our text how the son of Jonathan, the grandson of Saul by the name of Mephibosheth received favor from King David. The story goes the Philistines had defeated Saul and his 3 sons and was coming to piledge the land. Mephibosheth’s nurse picked him up and fled the city in haste. While she was running she dropped Mephibosheth and broke his ankles and Mephibosheth became lame. David when he heard of what fate had fell upon Saul and his 3 sons he vowed to avenge their blood. Once he had avenged their blood he asked is there one left from the house of Saul that I may show kindness toward them for Jonathan’s sake. Ziba a servant of Saul said unto David Jonathan had a son that is lame in his feet and he is living in a place called Lodebar.
The word Lodebar means wilderness, a place of no hope. David said bring him to me and all the days of his life he shall eat at the kings table. Mephibosheth said unto David What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am. David said neither your situation nor you circumstances constitute what I am doing because you have found favor. Because of what your father done I am going to show you favor.
No doubt you had to go through or maybe you are going through your own personal Lodebar. No doubt in your life you have been dropped by someone that you felt was to take care of you which caused you to become emotionally lame. No doubt people have turned their backs upon you. No doubt even you yourself felt as if you were not worthy, but because you continued to pray and praise God you have found favor.
You may have been walking through life like Mephibosheth all crippled living in a state of Lodebar. Man may have said that you are no earthly good. You may have been Spiritually RAPED, which is repeatedly abused, plundered, emasculated, and devastated. You may feel like what’s the use. You may even be thinking of committing suicide, but keep on praying and praising and watch the F.O.G. come into your life.
You may not have the best education. You may not pronounce every word properly. You may be the total opposite of what people are looking for. Yet in still when it came to the job eventhough others were more qualified, eventhough others had more time and experience than you did, you were the one that got the job, why, because you were walking in the fog.
I said that favor has a price, but favor also has a purpose. Joseph the 11th son of Jacob was hated by his brothers because of favor. When the favor of God is upon you those closes to you are often the ones that are the most jealous of you. If you don’t believe that just walk in the favor of God and watch church folk get jealous. Get a blessing and people will say how come they got that, how come they get to lead the song, how come they got that position, it’s because of favor. Joseph went from the pit to the palace because of favor. Nevertheless there was a purpose to the favor, but he first had to pay the price, he had to go through his personal Lodebar. He was cast in the pit, sold into slavery, falsely accused, cast into prison, yet instill he kept praying and praising God, which caused the atmosphere of his situation to become affected. Once the atmosphere was changed he was able to fulfill his purpose.
Understand that the favor of God is for a purpose. You are blessed to be a blessing to someone else. Many people feel because I got the blessing that I have the favor of God and I’m going to keep it to myself, but they fail to understand that God has a purpose for the favor He has bestowed upon you. The reason you got that house in that neighborhood was because of favor, the purpose was so that you could be a light in that neighborhood. The reason you got that job was because of favor, the purpose was so that you would be a witness in that place. The reason why you received a healing was because of the favor of God; the purpose was so that you would be a testimony to those that may be able to see what God has done for you and glorify Him.
Favor has a purpose. If we look at the first mention of favor in the New Testament we find that the angel Gabriel said unto to Mary that art highly favored the Lord is with thee and because of favor God has a purpose for you. Her purpose was to carry the Word which was to become flesh, which is Jesus. Favor caused her to fulfill her purpose. Everyone of us are spiritual Mary’s that has a womb that God wants to impregnate with His purpose, but we must walk in the F.O.G.
Are you walking in the F.O.G.?
The dictionary says walking is the process of placing one foot in front of the other which causes the body to be in motion, which causes you to move from one place to another.
The Bible says the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. Therefore if I am walking in the favor of God and my steps are ordered by the Lord every place I set my foot He will give me has an inheritance, why, because I got favor. I’ve learned to walk in the F.O.G.
Donnie McClurkin has a song that says “I’m walking in authority, I’m living life the way it’s meant to be, so you might as well get use to me, I belong here it’s my destiny.”
Are you walking in the F.O.G.? When you walk in the favor you can tell the devil I’m not going to take the mess that you are trying to give me. When you are walking in the favor God, you can take back your streets that the drug dealers have taken from you. When you are walking in the favor of God No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper. When you walk in the favor of God the walls of Jericho in your life must come tumbling down.
I dare you to just begin to walk in the F.O.G.
Elder Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
Boanerge Ministries.
