The Father's Favor-Do You Have IT? #2

I want to continue my last message on the Father’s favor: As I mentioned in the last message the Hebrew word for Favor is “Chen” which is the state of being approved or held in regard by the LORD in our lives and all our situations, apart from any merit of our own. The incredible news about favor is that it is assigned to you! When you are chosen for it, you walk in it and it follows you where ever you may be or go! We can’t assume that all believers automatically walk in favor. All believers have received unmerited favor for salvation, but it is presumptuous to think that all walk in favor continually. Once you have this favor, it cannot leave you; only you can forsake it by believing more in the circumstances than the Father's word!

I want to show you more about the Father's favor by showing you more examples from the word: In Nehemiah Chapter 2, Nehemiah is in a strange country and is the cupbearer for the king. One day the king noticed that Nehemiah’s countenance was sad and he asked him why. Nehemiah said that he wanted to go back to Jerusalem and rebuilt the wall around the city. The favor of the Father was so strong around Nehemiah that the king offered to finance everything with the rebuilding process (verse 8, 9). Wow! What favor! The Father can do the same thing for you i.e. finance your complete work and purpose for Him!

In the book of Ruth Chapter 2, the Father's favor is on Ruth so strongly that when she threshes wheat on her rich relative’s field (Boaz) he tells his servants to allow her to glean anywhere she wants. Her mother in law – Naomi was so amazed at the amount of wheat that Ruth brought home. This was only the beginning of God’s favor in her life: Naomi told Ruth to go to Boaz her relative and lay at his feet, asking him to redeem her as his wife. She obeyed Naomi and Boaz did just that and she became his wife. Look at God’s favor! Her life was never the same. She gave birth to Obed who was the grandfather of King David.

Look in Exodus 12 verse 36: the LORD gave His people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that they “spoiled” them of gold, silver and clothing! We know that the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just (Prov. 13 verse 22).Claim this outpouring of God’s favor in your life now!

In Joshua Chapter 11 verse 16 – 23 the word shows how much favor God gave to His people in that Joshua took the whole land, destroyed his enemies utterly and each tribe received a portion of the land as an inheritance. The word even mentions in verse 20 that their enemies had no favor. This is why they were destroyed. It is dangerous to not have the favor of God! The word mentions in Judges Chapter 3 verse 8, 12, that when the children of Israel were right before God their enemies could never prosper against them. However, when they turned their backs on God their enemies defeated them and held them in bondage as slaves.

Some other benefits of God’s favor from the word are: in Isaiah 60 verse 5, 10 the word says that the riches of the sinners will come to you and strangers will even build your walls. In verse 14 the word says that those that came against and despised you will come bowing before you. The LORD says that he will give us extraordinary increase (verse 22). These are just some of the benefits of God’s favor.

Look at the favor that Queen Esther had as recorded in Esther Chapter 5: she was told by her uncle Mordecai that Haman had tricked the king into signing a proclamation to destroy all the Jews. She asked Mordecai to tell her people to fast for three days and at the end of three days she would risk her life by going to the king unannounced! She did go before the king and he received her and was willing to grant any request that she had. She requested that Haman be invited to two banquets and at the last one she revealed to her husband the king the plan that Haman had (Chapter 7 verses 3-6). The king had Haman hung on the gallows that Haman had prepared for Mordecai, Esther’s uncle!

Divine favor comes to those who view the “wilderness” as God’s preparation for promotion and blessing and not some “demonic trial.” Sure, the devil may have a part to play in the wilderness but the devil is controlled by God. The devil can’t bring you into a wilderness experience, unless God allows and orders him to do so. A wilderness is God's way to get your attention and to do a work on your “flesh.” Look at the people in the word who got promoted right after a trial or wilderness experience: Moses was hiding in the backside of the desert when God spoke to him out of a burning bush, telling him that He chose him to lead his people out of bondage into a new land flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3 verses 1-10). Daniel was promoted right after the lions den experience (Daniel 6 verse 16-28). The three Hebrew children were promoted right after the fiery furnace experience (Daniel 3 verses 15-30). Please look at the wilderness experience that you have to go through as a “purging process” and as a “preparation time” for a blessing or promotion! A wilderness experience is the beginning of a demonstration of God’s favor on your life!

Meditate on God’s favor that He has put on your life, dream big, enlarge you expectations (Isaiah 54- verses 1-5) and expect this favor to be always operating in your life (no matter how you feel).

Remember you can’t have God’s favor in your life until you ask God to conform you into the image of Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to mortify the deeds of your flesh. Read the epistles of Paul (Romans – Hebrews) and speak scriptures into you life that the Holy Spirit points out to you that deal with crucifying the flesh! You will find that as you allow the Holy Spirit to change you into the image of Jesus through these scriptures that His favor will be evident for all to see!