Every so often I receive messages asking me how I gain
favor from God. It’s not an easy
question to answer actually. People tend
to think that receiving the favor of God always has to do with money when in
reality it doesn’t.
Living in and with favor comes in stages or levels. The
Bible describes it as increasing or “growing in favor” as Christ did. When I asked the Lord to help me to be able
to answer this better, the word “connect” was what He placed in my spirit.
Welcome new friends this week from:
See if your city/state/country made the list.
New on DFB – Bogata,
Distrito Especial, Colombia; London, ON, Canada; Davao City, Davao Region,
Philippines; Mosul, Nineveh Governorate, Iraq; Manila, Metro Manila,
Philippines; Hyderabad, Telangana, India; Lisbon, Portugal; Fiji.
USA – Dallas & Houston, TX; Ballston Spa,
Brooklyn & Scotia, NY; Hardingville, Marlton & Williamstown, NJ; San
Diego & Los Angeles, CA; Indianapolis, IN; Omaha, NE.
Thank you for your continued support and sharing Believing
Our Belief on Daily Favor. (DFB -
Daily Favor Blog) Living
my life before God and man, by sharing experiences as I walk out my faith.
You are welcome to leave comments or prayer requests below. All are private. I would love to hear from
you and how Daily Favor has worked in your life. Contact me by leaving a message in the box at
the bottom of this week’s post.
Don't miss
out on this week's challenge (below).
In the Beginning
My research began with pondering. Yes, simply thinking on
passages where God expressed and bestowed favor on an individual, situation or
group. Although there are plenty of
examples, I didn’t have to thumb through the Bible past the first book –
Genesis – in which God pointed out where His favor was given, passed over and
lost.
There were several people to whom the Lord had shown
favor, but I dwelled on the accounts having to do with Abram and Lot. As you read through the chapters, it is clear
that something happened in this relationship.
How did one man turn out so blessed, and the other completely
ruined? Both knew about God, but only
Abram believed to the point of obedience.
You Can’t Be “Lot”
From the start Abram took his nephew under his wing and
treated him as a son. Everything he had
he shared with Lot. Not having a son of
his own at the time, his brother’s orphan boy was heir to his wealth.
Reading down the pages we see how Abram obeyed God and
left town with his family. Along their
travels he became even wealthier, because the Lord blessed him. When family assets became so large that the
land could no longer support all the livestock, Abram bid his nephew to
separate from him so the families could live in peace.
Lot was glad to take his uncle up on his offer. Looking around he decided to grab what he
felt was the best land, leaving the left overs for Abram. No worries, Abe accepted the decision and let
God do the rest.
As soon as Lot and his family left for the “high” land,
God blessed Abram with more than he could have ever asked or thought. Not only would he gain more land and finally
have an heir, but he was extended favor that would flow down to his
descendants.
If you are a child of God’s that favor is available to
you. Here is the kicker … you can’t be a
Lot.
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
It had been many years since the two parted. Abram (now Abraham) was getting house calls
from God, while his nephew was putting out “house fires” one after
another. What do you think was going
through Lot’s mind now?
 |
| Here's a hint, it isn't Sidney Poitier. |
The LORD thought so much of His relationship with Abraham
that He wanted to spend time with him. Can you imagine being privy to what God
was doing before it happened?
What would
we do differently if we knew what God was about to do? Wait a sec …Oh, we do … so why do people act
like God isn’t going to do what He said?
Unbelief in the Word of God as truth causes mankind to follow the path
of Lot instead of Abraham’s.
God wanted to visit His friend and tell him what was
about to happen in the cities where the people were evil and had disobeyed Him.
Abraham’s nephew lived in one of those cities.
Once the news was out, a debate went back and forth
between the two. God informed His friend
that He was going to destroy the wicked cities.
Abraham tried to intercede for Sodom but failed, because God couldn’t
find ten people in the land that believed in Him. However, the Lord kept His word to Abraham in
sparing his nephew’s family. (Genesis chapters 8-20)
Stop Looking Back
The plan of the Lord was carried out with the angels
instructing Lot to gather his family and leave the city. When he confronted his
sons-in-law they laughed at him because they thought he was joking. His lifestyle with following Jehovah was so
changed that they didn’t recognize Lot as a godly man.
Come the next morning the angels literally took Lot, his
wife and two girls by the hand at led them out of the city that was about to be
destroyed. Lot was aware of what the
LORD was going to do to the city, yet the Bible says he still lingered. God was showing Lot’s family favor even
though they had not followed Him as his uncle Abraham did.
Nephew Lot received favor because of who he was connected
to despite his present way of life. He realized this also, but still had the
nerve to go against what God said in his departure.
“So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside
(the city), that he said, Escape for your life!
Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be
destroyed.”
This is where Lot made another mistake that took him out
of God’s favor and protection.
“Then Lot said to them, Please, no my lords! Indeed now,
your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy
which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the
mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die.
See now, this city (Zoar) is near enough to flee to, and
it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my
soul shall live.”
 |
| Looking back when God says look forward will put a stop to all your plans. Luke 17:32 |
God was willing to save Lot and his family because his
servant Abraham asked it of Him. The
Lord was also willing to let Lot make his own decision that went against better
judgment.
Sometimes we settle for second
best when God has a much better plan for our lives. We keep looking back at things the Lord is taking
us away from, which proves our trust isn’t genuine.
(If you're doing this, it would be a good time to pause and ask God for His forgiveness.)
Trusting the Lord and believing that His plans for us are
good is a big part to our gaining greater favor. Our eyes should be fixed on him, not looking
at what could have been or what was.
Apparently Lot wasn’t willing to trust the direction the
angels pointed his family to for safety.
He believed in fear and not faith.
If we do not believe that God’s way is the best, our fear will always
cancel out our faith and His favor.
“And he said to him (Lot), “See, I have favored you
concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which
you have spoken. Hurry, escape there.
For I cannot do anything, until you arrive there.” (Genesis 19:21 NKJV)
At one time Lot was connected to Abraham and his God. We
know that based on his reaction when the angels made their visitation to Sodom.
Something changed, something became more important.
God had blessed Lot along with his uncle and they became
very rich. Sadly Lot didn’t know what to
do with his wealth and followed after unrighteousness. He fell out of favor
when he took his eyes off God.
Lot made bad choices not staying in relationship with the
Lord. The place he begged God to “flee to” turned out to be a place where he
lived in continual fear. Consequently,
he lost everything including his wife, and ended up living out his days in a
cave.
Connecting with the favor of God isn’t for ourselves, but
so that we can continue the work of the Lord. All else will be lost. Lot’s life
story is a good reminder of becoming disconnected with the One who distributes
blessings, mercy and favor.
Staying in the FOG
People say that if you want to get rich, hang out with
rich people. There is a flaw in their
belief. Hanging out with people who have
wealth won’t make you rich. You have to
Do Something! In other words, you have to be willing to do what they did.
It’s the same with accessing Heaven. If you want to understand the F.O.G. (favor of
God) you need to be hooked up to people who have it.
You will notice that those people all have
something in common with Abraham.
Besides spending time fellowshipping with the Lord, they are considered
righteous friends because they believe Him.
“And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham
believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. And he was called
the friend of God.” (James 2:23 NKJV)
There are a lot of people who say they want to hang out with God,
but they still do their own thing and don’t believe there will be
consequences. That means they don’t believe
their “friend”. Who would want to share
something with anyone who doesn’t believe a word they say? Not me.
Something we can be sure of is when God chooses to include
a person in His plans (as with Abraham), it effects more than just that
person. His favor follows those who
totally give their heart to the Lord, because of the responsibility they now
bear in carrying out the will of God.
What I’ve gained from this particular study isn’t so much
about Abraham’s walk with the Lord, but the activity of the Lord in his
life. It’s something we should all
strive for in building our relationship with God.
Sorry, you’ve been disconnected.
Receiving the favor of God isn’t always wealth, but could
be protection, deliverance or anything like we read with Lot. It comes in
various levels (amounts) based on where you are in your faith, belief,
obedience and fellowship with the Lord.
We have learned that we can disconnect from God and His
favor through greed, fear and unbelief.
Those things will lead us to a land we don’t want to go to after all.
This Week’s Challenge:
Re-connect with Favor
In order to understand the plan of God, we have to
understand His character and nature. The
only way to do that is to spend time with our friend in His word and those who have
walked with God by faith.
The call of God on our lives should be our motivation for
doing anything, and that brings me to our challenge this week. It will have us re-connecting with friends of
faith who have walked in the blessings of the Lord, but before we do that there
may be some things we need to change in our life style.
First we’ll take a look at what activities we’re
participating in on a regular basis, and stop doing things that take us out of
fellowship with the Lord and others of like faith.
Remember to seek the Lord concerning matters,
otherwise you may miss something. Give
yourself a break here and let God help you “work out your salvation” as it says in Philippians 2:12. Stop looking back dwelling on guilt or the
past, and focus on the fact that you are forgiven.
Next connect with mature believers who are experiencing
the hand of God on their lives. It won’t be hard to spot them. Don’t limit your quest to those you know; do
some research. You may find articles,
blogs, videos, books or broadcasts that will be of assistance. If you don’t know where to look, try reading
some of my archive articles for a start. Each one has a resource to assist you in growing in God's favor by faith.
We’re going to watch, listen and learn what the
person(s)/people did to receive or hear from God. Do you see the pattern in their lives that
reveals God?
Unless we see things how God does in an individual, we
won’t be able to receive the blessing.
There is a purpose for God allowing us to connect to His favor. It will
bring Him glory, accomplish His plan and is eternal.
“The LORD of host has sworn, saying, surely, as I have
thought,
so it shall come
to pass, and as I have purposed,
so it shall stand.” (Isaiah 14:24 NKJV)
You can receive God’s favor. When you continue in fellowship with the
Lord, you will hear from Him, because He knows you want His will to be
accomplished in your life.
Are you a friend of God? What does He call you? What do you call Him?
God will share with His friends things that others want
to know, but don’t. Staying connected to favor is to believe Jesus, the One who
calls you friend.
Until next
time, re-connect to God’s favor!
“My favor is purpose driven.”
Jesus Christ
Note:
The words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because we give him
no place in our lives.
Disclaimer:
Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for mental or physical
issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness.
What’s New This
Week: Click on book or link below.
Created to Be God's Friend:
Lessons
from the Life of Abraham
by Henry
T. Blackaby
Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I
know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also. Click on the above tab “Tell Me About Jesus” for more
information on becoming a child of the Savior.
Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy.
Scripture
reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Bible Gateway.Image credit: Google Images or Dreamstime Creative Common License if not specified.
Image: Communicate Effectively Levels Chart Not to Do List Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? Remember Lot's Wife Living in the F.O.G. Favor of God
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
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