The Favor of God: The Differentiating Dynamic in Great Men & Women
The Lord is merciful and gracious! Thus, he gives sustenance to his creation (Matthew 5:45). Out of his kind heart, he allows or causes us to receive and enjoy many good things. It is in him that we live, move, and exist (Acts 17:28). I deeply appreciate that I am alive and enjoy many good things because of God’s grace and kindness.
But there is a call inside me from the Holy Spirit to go for the greater and bigger things of God’s kingdom! This conviction comes from the Holy Scriptures that teach that a God-follower is sustained by God’s kindness, but he is elevated to greater heights by God’s favor. It’s still the grace of God at work (because everything is, ultimately, an undeserved blessing), but there is a second dynamic that is at work. That is the favor of God. It is the favor of God that makes a man or a woman great in God’s eyes as well as in the eyes of people!
Today, let us allow the Holy Spirit to give us understanding on the difference between just being sustained by God’s mercy and conquering because of God’s favor! We will look at some examples in the Bible of how the favor of God gave a man or woman something which the majority did not receive. We can say that most people survived and enjoyed somehow, but it’s the men and women who pleased God who made it to the “Hall of Fame” in God’s eyes. They were the people who accomplished great things for God!
Do you want to be a great man or woman in God’s eyes? Do you want to receive and enjoy more than what most people receive? Are you dreaming of an extraordinary life for the glory of God? These things can happen to you! If you pursue God and his favor, you will make a powerful impact for God in the world around you. Your life will be lifted to heights that you could never achieve in your own strength or wisdom. And you will be able to leave a legacy that will continue to change lives even after you are gone from this life.
I pray that all of us in the Lighthouse family will pursue God and his favor! Great things await us as we do. It’s going to be exciting, amazing, and even surprising!