Christmas Favor Series: Part 1
For most kids Christmas is a time of magic, when dreams
don’t seem so impossible and perhaps if they were exceptionally “good” they
might even come true.
Dreaming or hoping I should say, is something that every child
does; can you remember that far back? We
pondered all sorts of things in our hearts, wishing and believing that some of
it will surely happen. As we got older
though, those things we once believed in fell away from our thinking and were
replaced by reality of what we can only see physically.
The things that once made our hearts race in
anticipation, no longer make it to the list of desires. Why does that happen to
us? Somewhere along our journey we’ve
forgotten what it was like to simply believe without questioning.
Hey … but what if we really believed like a child? What if we said “be it unto me” as young Mary
did not knowing what was going to happen next? Would things begin to change and favor be
restored as it was when we once believed?
Does God still grant extra-ordinary favor like He did way back when?
Welcome new friends this week from:
See if your city/state/country made the list.
New on DFB – Mannersdorf am
Leithagebirge, Lower Austria, Austria; Marbella, Andalucía, Spain; Brisbane,
QLD, Australia; Hyderabad, Telangana, India; Liloy, Zamboanga Peninsula,
Philippines; Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela; Bosnia & Herzegovina; Faisalabad,
Punjab, Pakistan; Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa; Bosnia & Herzegovina;
Lecco, Lombardia, Italy; Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands; Butwal, Lumbini
Zone & Kathmandu, Bagmati Zone, Nepal; Bolivia; Cambodia; Angola; Ghana;
France; Tunisia; Serbia; Myanmar; Qatar; Dominican Republic; Djibouti; Turkey;
Haiti; Ireland.
USA
– Somerton, AZ; Redding,
CA; Bethel & New Milford, CT; Magnolia, DE; Bartlett & Bolingbrook, IL;
Burnsville & Fairmont, MN; Mountain View, Sedalia & West Plains, MO; Stedman,
NC; Brotmanville & Marlton, NJ; Spencerport, NY; West Jefferson, OH;
Spiro, OK; Beaverton & Newberg, OR; New Cumberland
& Rockhill, PA; Forney & Garland, TX; Puyallup, WA.
I am so thankful for your visit and hope that you come back
each week to participate in the weekly challenges. God has been faithful and we expect His Christmas favor
to abound in the lives of those who chose to believe in His Son, Jesus all year round.
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).
Fourteen and Fickle
Actually, magic has nothing to do with Christmas, but believing in the extraordinary does. Reading the account of Mary the mother of Jesus from the
book of Luke, as a rational adult we are in awe of this wondrous miracle. However, if you’re around the age of fourteen,
it’s a bit intimidating don’t you think?
As I read through the verses motherhood and being married
to a man about twice my years wasn’t what was on my mind at that age. I don’t know about you, but at the unsettling
phase beginning around fourteen I was just getting used to “new body” changes, checking
out fashion (and the boys of course) and wondering how much I really needed to
tell my parents.
Dating wasn’t allowed until the age of sixteen, so my
social life revolved around classes, church or school activities. If a couple was “dating” they were seen together
at a friend’s party or event; there was no actual driving except by the parent
who dropped us off at a function.
For girls, naturally getting married was always on our
mind as we practiced writing our future husband’s name on brown paper bag
covered books in vivid colors and bold lettering! Being a teen the name would change every
other day, sometimes several times within twenty-four hours depending on how
the so-called relationship was going.
I remember going on a class trip to Washington, D. C. in
the eighth grade and sitting with my “boyfriend” on the way. Somewhere in between the Lincoln Memorial and
the Washington Monument visits things went stupid strange, and he ended up
sitting alone on the bus ride home!
Fickle, no not me, but I can tell you this. It was a good thing changing covers on books was just as
easy as changing seats. One rip and off it went, out in the bin along with the latest
heartthrob. A fresh new page to start
doodling our new “beloved’s” name on until the cycle repeated itself or we ran
out of paper bags!
Kids? Please … maybe
someday, but not now. Girls want to
enjoy and savor their relationships, especially during the engagement “it’s all
about me” time! Many dates if truth be
told, and looo …. ng engagements work best before settling down with our Joseph’s.
Be It unto Me
Was there ever a time when you can recall telling your
parents or any adult for that matter, “Whatever you say; be it unto me as you
wish?”
Maybe the first part …. “Whatever!” I doubt we’ve submitted to this instruction
without some sort of guilt trip or bribery, not at fourteen anyway when life is
just starting to roll.
That wasn’t the case though with a certain young
priestess named Mary. Every parent’s
dream is for their child to recite these precious words: “Let it be to me
according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) In
our language, “Okay, do whatever you want to me and I’m cool with it!”
You see, the promise of a KING and Messiah to come wasn’t
something Miss Mary wasn’t expecting. This topic had been discussed for years, and
she probably talked it over with her mother.
It was the “who will it be through and when” that believers in God wondered.
Being a seed of Aaron, she was from a long line of
priests/priestesses that waited for the time the promise would come to
pass. She even had a real shot at this
with Joseph, her betrothed, being from the royalty line of David. In a sense Mary could even call him her
prince; maybe that’s a stretch … hmm!
The promise would be manifested through the seed of
royalty and the priesthood. Levite Aaron’s
seed would meet the required priestly part, and King David’s the royal aspect
from the line of Judah. This surely
would cause abstinence to be enforced by parents.
“Hope of
all hopes, dream of our dreams, a child is born, sweet-breathed; a son is given to us: a living gift. And even now,
with tiny features and dewy hair, He is great. The power of leadership, and the weight of
authority, will rest on His shoulders. His name? His name we’ll know in many ways — He will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Dear Father
everlasting, ever-present
never-failing, Master of Wholeness, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 The Voice)
Young girls hoped they would be chosen, but knew there
would be only one virgin daughter who would find this particular extraordinary
favor with God.
Then Mary said, “I am willing to be used of the
Lord. Let it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel went away from her.
(Luke 1:38 NLV)
So when Gabriel, an angel of the Lord appeared to Mary,
her response was a big “Yes, Lord, Yes!”
She truly believed with God all things really are possible, no matter
how it looked. (Luke 1:37) I can imagine how
excited Mary’s mom would have been to hear her say such a thing, but this moment
was reserved for Mary and God’s angel. Explanations would come later.
Trying
not to jump out of her skin with excitement, I’m pretty sure there were loads of
questions that came into little Miss Mary’s mind when she was chosen to bear
the Christ child. Yet we never hear her
say:
“No
God, you’ve got the wrong girl. I’m too
young to have a baby, besides how in the world can I explain this especially
when I recently got engaged? People will
think I’m lying and crazy. You know it will get around town and they kill
people for less than this. How will I
tell my parents? No, no, no … call on someone
else, this is going to be embarrassing and dangerous.”
With childlike faith Mary received the blessing of favor,
wondering how this miracle would take place having never been in a physical
relationship with any man. The angel
told her that the Holy Spirit would work out this miracle. She believed and left the details to God.
“The angel came to her (Mary)
and said, You are honored very much. You are a favored woman. The Lord is with
you. You are chosen from among many women.
When she saw the angel,
she was troubled at his words. She thought about what had been said. The
angel said to her, Mary, do not be afraid. You have found favor with God.” (Luke
1:28-30 NLV)
Elizabeth, her aunt, expressed how extraordinarily blessed
her niece was because Mary believed the promise of God would be fulfilled without
question. Oh the faith of a child reaps
bounties of extraordinary favor, because they innocently believe in the Promise
Maker.
Can you imagine what kind of favor we’d be experiencing
if we had learned to believe God at His Word when we were children? It says something for what we should be
teaching our kids doesn’t it?
Extraordinary Blessings
Believing God will deliver on His promises is only part
of what it takes to receive extraordinary favor from the Lord. What allowed favor to come through Mary, was
her expecting the promise to happen after she learned of God’s plans. Mary believed she was indeed highly favored!
When a parent makes a promise to a child, they expect it
to be carried out in a reasonable time period.
If it doesn’t they will start asking when and won’t quit saying …
“BUT YOU PROMISED!!!”
Think of it, what if when Mary experienced the angelic
visitation, heard what God had intended for her journey and didn’t believe a
word of it? Would Jesus still have come
through a virgin birth? Yes indeed,
because God’s Word never changes. Mary …
well, the crowned blessing would have been deposited into someone else’s life
who believed.
Ya Gotta Believe in the Extras
Lately I’ve been reading messages from readers asking for
prayer that God would give favor for jobs, restoration, finances, to relationships
and for prices on things. It’s biblical
to make requests to the Lord calling on our Christian siblings to pray in agreement,
however, prayer doesn’t replace individual faith and belief.
I can pray for it for/with you, but God wants to work it
through you and your faith. God’s not
withholding favor; it’s unique for each of His children. He wants to hear you say, “Be it unto me
Lord.”
Last week my husband and I experienced extraordinary favor
in a number of areas in our lives. When
I asked my husband to make a stop at the post office he asked me why. My response was, “I’m expecting a check.”
Last month we had several unexpected bills emerge and
heavy hearts from sudden grief. Believing
God would cover us with His shield of favor in some way, I sent hubby to the
post office. Not knowing how the Lord
would manifest His favor, I believed the needs were met. AS I BELIEVED, my blessing was delivered.
God not only gave us a check from a source we would have
never thought of, His favor was present through every situation. He continued to minister grace through our
sadness, the extra workload, rebuked prices (seriously, in 90% off items), hubby’s
surgery was canceled (thank you Lord) and so much more.
Do you believe in God’s promises for the things you need
or desire? Is your mindset on believing
that extraordinary favor is also a plan of God in your life as it was Mary’s?
Faith and believing is a personal thing. As we mature people can advise in our
decision making, but ultimately the choice of whether or not we believe what
God says is the truth is up to us.
Mary had to use her own faith to believe what the messenger
angel of God said. He didn’t tell her to
go ask for her parent’s permission for this favor to be given only to her. During her short time on earth, she listened
as the Word was preached and believed on her own. In other words, Mary was fully persuaded, as Jesus and the Apostle Paul would have said
it, that all things are possible to those who believe. (Romans 8:38 and Mark 9:23)
“Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things
are possible
to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23
NKJV)
This Week’s Challenge:
Expect Extraordinary Favor
Sometimes the favor of God is missed by individuals
merely because they don’t believe it could happen to THEM! Not believing on the promises of God to be
manifested causes us to live ordinary lives with ordinary blessings.
It’s the “yes, it will and can happen through me” God is
waiting to hear us speak by faith. When we
gladly declare the words of a young girl, “Lord,
be it unto me, I’m here for You to use to do the impossible” this is what
causes extraordinary favor to be passed on to God’s children.
Our challenge this week will require that we learn to
train ourselves to believe that extraordinary favor isn’t reserved just for
special people or delivered only at Christmas.
We have to expect it, because God has promised it in His Word.
It’s true we celebrate the birth of Christ the Messiah (the
meaning of Christ-mas), as the true blessing of all blessings. However, we also need to understand that the
favor on Mary’s life didn’t stop at the manger.
As long as she continued to believe God at His Word, that seed of favor
(Jesus the promise of God, not the physical baby/child/man) would remain with
her and grow as her faith grew.
Mary the mother of our Savior, remained in the favor of
God because she pondered, thought about, remembered that the spoken promise was
fulfilled through her when (as a child, age fourteen) she believed. As she grew into adulthood so did her faith
and belief that with God, all things really are possible (she had firstborn
proof).
God is still giving His angels instructions and bestowing
extraordinary favor on those who will believe and receive the promises He has
already given to His heirs through Christ Jesus. When we accept Jesus into our hearts by faith,
the seed of favor from the Holy Spirit is impregnated in each of us and has the
possibility to grow. Our level of faith
determines the magnitude of favor we receive.
Throughout the week, remind yourself of the words the
angel spoke to Mary, and those Jesus Himself spoke to His disciples or
followers (then and now) … “All Things
Are Possible” to those who believe!
Start living in the favor that is already yours as His
child by believing something more than the ordinary
is coming your way, not because of who you are but Whose you are.
You are valued,
loved, adored and highly favored by God, that’s why He sent Jesus in the first
place. Christmas is a good time to
embrace this extraordinary message of the season!
It’s been a few years since I’ve practiced writing my
married name on a brown paper bag or notebook cover. Call me fickle or childish, but I
still like doing it. I guess it's a girl thing!
As for thinking that extraordinary favor and miracles
happen at Christmas, I do … but I also know that miracles happen whenever you truly
believe!
If this article has encouraged or helped you, please
consider sharing it by using the social media icons provided at the end of this
post.
Until next time, extraordinary favor is also
meant for you!
“Believe Me for the extraordinary.”
Jesus Christ
*Unless
noted, the names in articles are changed to protect the individual(s) privacy.
Note: Emphasis
is given in some scriptures to show clarity or understanding and is not to take
away from the inspirited Word of God.
When used,
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 the photo or link.
Experiencing
Life in Extraordinary Ways
by
Lysa TerKeurst
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” 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 Creative Common License if not specified.
Image: Animated Christmas Magic is Here Fickle Covered Books Whatever Be It unto Me Believe in the Miracle of Christmas
Disclaimer
Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
Christmas Favor, Christmas, Extraordinary Favor, Daily Favor Blog, Favored1, God's Favor, Favor of God, Virgin Mary, Birth of Jesus Christ, Inspiration, Teaching Series, Woman of Faith, Weekly Challenge, Lysa TerKeurst .
