Undeniable Favor

When I speak or write on breaking loose from the things hindering us from God’s best for our lives, sometimes people get the wrong idea. Often they’ve been bound up in some kind of negative habit or relationship for a long time, and it sounds like really hard work to break free from it.

Well, I’ll be honest: God may require you to take some steps of faith and obedience in order to break loose. He may tell you it’s time to be more disciplined about studying His Word, praying, or worshiping. Or He may instruct you to find a good Christian counselor, join an accountability group, or seek deliverance from a damaging mindset.

But be clear on this, my friend, God’s plan to set you free is not just another self-help program. The solution is not just to try harder or pull yourself up by your bootstraps. No, the Lord wants to help you personally. He wants to do something supernatural in your life – something you’re not able to do for yourself.

Paul puts this into proper balance:

Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him (Philippians 2:12-13 NLT).

You see, God’s help is the crucial ingredient in your breakthrough. He not only gives you the desire to change, but He also gives you the power to change. If you’ve given your life to Christ, He now lives in you through the power of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:27). That makes all the difference.

And once you’ve fully surrendered to Him, you can expect the circumstances around you to change as well. Let me explain …

If I asked how I could pray for you today, what would you say? Do you need God’s healing touch? A financial breakthrough? The restoration of your marriage? Deliverance from an addiction? The salvation of your kids or other loved ones?

From a human perspective, you could face many different needs at one time or another. However, from God’s point of view, there’s only one thing you really need: His undeniable favor!

You see, when you open your heart to God’s favor, everything else in your life is impacted. Not only will He reenergize your spiritual life, but there will be a transformation of your health, finances, and relationships as well.

That’s why David could boldly say, “Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing” (Psalm 34:10 NLT). So, in many ways, the only need you have is a “seek the Lord” need!

To David, this was more than a nice theory. Because he had drawn near to the Lord as his Good Shepherd, he lacked nothing (Psalm 23:1). And he was so confident of God’s ongoing favor in his life that he proclaimed, “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (v. 6 NLT).

David experienced this same kind of favor when the prophet Samuel was seeking God’s direction on who Israel’s next king should be (1 Samuel 16). Samuel knew the king was to be chosen from among the sons of Jesse, so he must have been puzzled when none of the seven oldest sons met with God’s approval. He told Jesse: “The Lord has not chosen these … Are these all the sons you have?” (vs. 10-11 NLT)

Apparently no one had thought to invite David to this important gathering. He was the youngest son, and he was out tending his father’s sheep.

But while everyone else was looking at factors like age and rank, God was looking for a man after His heart … who would fulfill His purposes (Acts 13:22, 36).

God was looking for a person He could show His favor to! That person can be you!

Friend, perhaps you feel like you’re just taking care of some smelly old sheep in a forgotten place today … but tomorrow your royalty may be revealed. God’s favor can change everything.

You Can Be Confident

At this point, you may want to protest, “But you don’t understand. I’ve tried to serve the Lord faithfully for many years, yet I don’t really sense His favor right now.”

Believe me, I’ve faced similar times of struggle. Plenty of them, in fact. And so did the Bible’s greatest heroes. But never forget that God’s favor often shines the brightest amid the darkest days. Look at these examples:

Noah lived in an exceptionally evil generation, and the Lord was about to pour out His judgment on humanity (Genesis 6:1-8). “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (v. 8 NLT). What an encouraging lesson for us. Even if judgment, destruction, disease, or financial lack is all around us, we can experience God’s blessings, protection, and favor.

Esther lived in extremely dangerous times, and powerful men like Haman were plotting to eradicate the Jewish people. But “Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her” (Esther 2:15 NASB). Later, that amazing favor enabled her to successfully petition the king for the Jews’ safety. And just as Esther experienced, God wants to give us His favor “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14) – so we can make an impact on the people around us.

Daniel was taken captive by the Babylonians and removed from his homeland. He could have thought the Lord had abandoned him, but instead we’re told, “God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel” (Daniel 1:9 NIV). This is such a wonderful reminder that God’s favor can come to us regardless of how difficult our circumstances seem and no matter where we are!

So, are you ready for God’s undeniable favor to break through in your life? It starts with an unshakeable confidence in your Heavenly Father’s desire to bless you and provide for you.

I also encourage you to listen for His instructions. Is there some step of faith and obedience God is asking you to take before His favor can be released?

People in the Bible often had to learn this lesson. They were asked to do such things as dip in the Jordan River … give their last bit of food to a prophet … stretch out their withered hand … wash in the pool of Siloam …or touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. But whenever people exercised their faith and obeyed the Lord, He did miracles!

What is God asking you to do today? If you are waiting for Him to release His favor, He may be waiting for you to release your faith. Be expectant! Be confident of His goodness. And never forget where your help comes from … It comes from the Lord!

David Cerullo