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.
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Daily Favor Blog, Favored1, Thanks, Blessings, Holiday, New Year, Happy New Year
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 Creative Common License if not specified. Image
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
“You’ve got to be kidding! Seriously?” That was the response I gave my husband when
he went to plug in the Christmas lights along the alley fence.
We were decorating for the path of lights
people would take enroute to the Christmas parade when he discovered something
horrible had happened.
I had just finished adding more lights to our display
making sure they were not actually strung along the top of the fence.No … placing them where they should literally
go would be a problem for our neighbor’s cats who climb it into our yard to
terrorize the birds while drinking from the bird bath!
Like good citizens to the pet community, we made sure the
decorative items are safe for our furry visitors when hooking up the
lights.That’s about the time we discovered
God’s angels continually watching over us.
I had finished putting the last strand of colored lights
in place to please my eight-year-old neighbor; all that needed to be done was
plug them in and stand back to watch the display come to life. The “oooh-ahhh” moment was about to happen!
Hubby lifted the outside cover on the electrical box and
to his surprise it was black … charred actually, melted with a big hole right
through the center!Obviously, there was
evidence of an electrical fire in a brand-new outlet that had never been used.
Quickly he ran inside the shed to turn off the breaker.Returning to the outlet he began to dismantle
it to assess the damage when it arced and a big spark landed in the side of his
shoe burning his ankle.This time I ran
inside to shut down the main breaker making sure all power was cut off at the
source.
Praying Psalm 91
There was nothing else to do except call for help. We were blessed to get hold of an electrician
who happened to be a Christian. He would
come on his way home from work that evening.
“Wow, this is really bad!”Mike said as he took out the receptacle from
the box.He looked at my husband and
handed him the burnt outlet showing what had happened.
In his line of work, Mike confessed that he had seen
other outlets that didn’t trip all the way.They usually just kept humming, but nothing like this, especially with
no load plugged into the circuit.
As he finished removing the destroyed box, in amazement he
declared, “The Lord was watching over you folks in all of this.It will make quite a testimony!”He was right.
Making sure the area was safe, the electrician arranged
to return in two days to fix the problem.Having witnessed the evidence I knew that God’s protective shield was
visible for all to see.Our daily Psalm
91 prayers for His favor over us had clearly been at work.
“He
who dwells (lives) in the secret (sheltering) place of the Most High, shall
abide (find rest) under the shadow of the Almighty.I will say of the LORD (declaring), He
(alone) is my refuge and my fortress (place of safety); My God, in Him I will
trust.
Surely,
He shall deliver (rescue) you from the snare (trap) of the fowler and (protect
you) from the perilous pestilence (deadly disease).He shall cover you with His feathers, and
under His wings (of shelter) you shall take refuge; His (faithful promises of)
truth shall be your shield and buckler (armor of protection).
You
shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day,
nor of the pestilence that walks (stalks) in darkness, nor of the destruction
that lays waste (disaster that strikes) at noonday.
A
thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it
(these evils) shall not come near (or touch) you.
Only
with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked (and their
punishment). Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most
High (God), your dwelling place.
No
evil shall befall (or conquer) you, nor shall any plague come near your (home
of) dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge (orders) over you, to keep
(and protect) you in all your ways (wherever you go).
The
LORD says, I will rescue (and deliver) those who love Me.I will protect those who trust in My
name.He shall call upon Me, and I will
answer him.I will be with him in
trouble; I will deliver (rescue) him and honor him.” (from Psalm 91:1-11,14-15
NKJV & NLT)
Double Blessings at Christmas
When we compared the good outlet with the bad one, it was
easy to see how God stayed the work of the enemy by extinguishing that fire.There was no way we could credit this act of
favor to anyone else but God alone.He
truly encamped around us with His mighty acts of grace and mercy.
“The
angel of the LORD encamps (guards) all around (sets up a circle of protection)
those who fear Him (honor the LORD), and delivers them (from danger).” (Psalm
34:7 NKJV)
“The
LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures
forever.Do not forsake the works of
Your hands.” (Psalm 138:8 NKJV)
“In
Your mercy cut off my enemies, and destroy all those who afflict my soul
(life); for I am Your servant.” (Psalm 143:12 NKJV)
After the work was finished on Wednesday, my husband
asked for the bill.Smiling Mike kindly
replied, “No, charge. Our gift to you in this Christmas season. God bless
you.”
Through this experience God had shown us favor in
protection.Mike’s company showed us
favor by not charging for the repairs or materials, doubling the blessing.
Celebrating Salvation Has Come
We don’t know when the fire happened, but know that it
wasn’t of God.The enemy satan, tried to
prevent the lights from working so no one would be drawn to that part of the
parade route.Darkness doesn’t attract anything
or anyone, and the devil knows that people would naturally turn down a lighted
path to their destination.
In the end, the Christmas lights could be seen from
several streets away giving us opportunity to share the message of salvation
through “kid” friendly gift packs.Visitors would come to see the festive lights and witness the joy of
Jesus sign before, during and long after the parade passed by our little dwelling.
As you plan for the holiday season, make sure that Jesus
is the center and reason for your celebration.Create an environment around your place that will draw others to Jesus, the
true Light and meaning of Christmas – the celebration that salvation has come to all.
“…
behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.For there is born to you this day in the city
of David a Savior,
who
is Christ the Lord (who will save people from their sin).”
(from
Luke 2:10-11 NKJV emphasis mine)
Believe in the Lord.He is truly the only refuge that can be trusted.When God is the center of your life and plans,
He will make sure a hedge of protection through His shield of favor is present
for all to witness.
“For
You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;
With favor
You will surround him (them) as with a shield.”
(Psalm
5:12 NKJV)
Path of Lights to God’s Favor
The Lord is my refuge, strength, tower and hope.I securely stand firm that He is my shield
and deliverer who covers me with His unfailing love.He is my hiding place in whom I place my trust.
This Christmas as I testify of God’s faithfulness and
goodness, it is my prayer that no matter what you are experiencing in this
world, the Light of Jesus overcomes any darkness and leads you to His unmerited
favor.
May God grant you:
The light in Christmas
to light your path, which is faith.
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.
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Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy. Scripture reference was
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Labels: Path
of Lights, Psalm 91, Shield of Favor, Fire, Favored1, Faith, Promises of God,
Prayer, Favor, Christmas Lights, Christmas, Holiday, Fay Ann Daniels, Guidance,
Before the Parade Passes By, Protection
At 2 a.m. I was still awake. Sitting up in bed I began my nightly conversation
with the Lord replaying the day’s activities.
“What in the world did I do today? I was busy the entire day, and all I have to
show for it is decorating a little in the living room?”
Continuing to brow beat myself the Lord had me mentally
walk through the day.Practically
falling asleep from exhaustion this took a while.Seriously, I just finished putting the linens
away after the final laundry washing and pretty much couldn’t think past the
last hour!
When I went through the list, there were dozens and
dozens of tasks completed that no one would ever notice or realize needed to be
done but me. Most things only took a few
minutes, while others (like working with the rescue cats) took hours from start
to finish. In between larger tasks came
those small “must do’s” as the day progressed.
Looking back on my day, I recall feeling pretty good and singing
carols while hauling stuff from one place to another.
Even when the washer overflowed, instead of
thinking “what a mess” I jokingly said to hubby as he swept the three inches of
water out the back door, “Washed laundry room floor – check!” (As if it was another thing marked off my to
do list!)
The devil was trying to make me feel bad about taking
time to do the things that are temporal and for the most part, don’t really
matter eternally. With office work done,
I had to keep in mind that the things I was doing were for the family and
community, which in God’s eyes, are important.
Having a guilt trip over the events of the day was purely
from the enemy. My soul was at ease no
matter what it looked like to others, knowing I had already committed my works
to the Lord at the beginning of the day asking Him for guidance, favor and
direction concerning the path I should take in everything I did.
“All the ways of a man are
clean and innocent in his own eyes (and he may see nothing wrong with his
actions), but the Lord weighs and examines the motives and intents of the heart
and knows the truth.
Commit your works to the Lord
(submit and trust them to Him),
and your plans will succeed (if
you respond to His will and guidance).”
Proverbs 16:3-4 AMP
Neighbor Watch
Reviewing what we accomplished opened my eyes, revealing what
appear to be facts isn’t necessarily the entire truth. So many things take place in our lives that
others will never see, yet they are vital for everything coming together in the
end.
It’s the same with God working a situation out for our
good. We don’t see all that He is doing
to make things “happen”, but sure enough, He’s at work.
Let me give you an example of God working in our favor if
we obey and commit our life to Him even when we don’t realize it.
Several years ago, a local department store was having an
after Christmas sale. Nothing unusual
except this time holiday lights were marked down 75% - 90%, which NEVER
happens! We didn’t really need any more
lights at that time, but I was thinking “maybe down the road” right?
They were going like hot cakes with one man loading his
cart with most of the type lights we use.
Grabbing the remaining boxes, we were happy with our purchase of less
than $1.00 a package.
Fast forward to 2020 the week of Thanksgiving. In early fall we put up Christmas lights in
our front yard but don’t turn them on until Thanksgiving night. Our new eight-year old neighbor watched along
with his four-year old sister as we tested them making sure all lights we working
correctly.
Adding his insightful opinion on our all white display,
he rode his bike up the driveway and stopped halfway. Looking at our accomplishment he only said
four little words, “Needs a little color!”
My husband and I couldn’t help laughing, but you know … he was right and
that led me into action.
Before the Parade Passes By
For years I’ve wanted to put lights up in our back yard, but
it never happened even with the new lights sitting in a box on the porch. Time was usually the issue, but not this year
because of COVID restraints!
God said that when we commit our plans to Him, He will
always work things out for our good and His glory (despite what the devil is
trying to stop). Well, you know that day
when I was feeling guilty about not getting anything done for Christ, we were
putting up colored lights in the back yard for the community and neighbors to
see when they passed by the street.
There’s a good reason behind this other than being
festive. Due to the gathering boundary restrictions,
the city Christmas parade route has been changed to spread the crowd out farther
passing by the back of where we live! So,
before the parade passes by, the lights have to be in place.
With attention being driven to the colored lights and
displays, people will see the Jesus signs and we’ll be able to give out gospel
packets practically without leaving our home!
When those lights where on sale we didn’t know how they would be used,
but God knew and he gave a little boy the bright idea!
When God Establishes Your Work
There is a passage in Psalms that like Moses, I pray this
over our family daily in asking for God’s will and blessings over our
activities.
“Let Your work appear to Your
servants, and Your glory to their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our
God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us. Yes, establish the work of our hands.” (Psalm
90:16-17 NKJV)
No matter what I do (or want to do) I want it to be God’s
will and have His blessing on the project.
If He isn’t a part of what the plan is or have His hand on mine to guide
me, I don’t want to do it, because it won’t amount to anything. Without His blessings there isn’t any favor
on my efforts, which means it was all for nothing and a big waste of time. How uneventful and depressing would that be?
When we bring our ideas to the Lord and He gives us the
go ahead, God makes sure that the work is “established”. He causes it to happen, because it has
lasting or “eternal” value to Him, which brings Him glory.
Other translations transcribe the Hebrew word “beauty” as
God’s gracious favor, confirming the work and endeavors of our hands to prosper
or succeed securely.
The Bible explains that the work of our hands is
important and God will cause our efforts to succeed if they line up with His
Word and Will.They will also fail if all
we want to do is selfish and for our own desires.
“The hand of
the diligent will rule (lead or become a leader), but the lazy man will
be put to forced labor.” (Proverbs 12:24 NKJV)
Ephesians 2:10 tells us that “we
are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God
prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” That sale on lights was the “before” part which
God prepared for this year! In putting them
up, we were “walking” in His good work …which also happened to be fun!
When you let God into your life and plans, He establishes
your work through favor and success.
This Week’s Christmas Challenge:
Consider Your Work
It’s fun to shop for gifts, decorate, bake and do all the
things that go into the making of our version of what Christmas or any holiday should
be.There is no sin in wanting to make
events better, but it is sinful when they take away from doing good works that
lead people to Jesus.
Doing things that are kind count, but not toward eternity. They count for here on earth. Good works that point people to Jesus count
here and for eternity, because our focus in on God not ourselves.
Our challenge this week (and always really) is to ask
ourselves what do we consider the “work of our hands” to be? How important is the work to God, others and to
ourselves?
It’s not wrong to do things for yourself, because
sometimes it’s needed and God delights in giving us the desires of our heart. I’m not referring to those types of things,
but whether or not we are doing something purely for wanting to “leave a legacy”
so that others think highly of us.
How are we using our hands to make a positive difference
in the life of others? Are our actions
bringing eternal security or merely earthly gain?
Furthermore, don’t let satan take you on a guilt trip in what you are
doing for your family and community that demonstrates the love of Christ. It honors and pleases Him.
When we purchased colored lights several years ago, we
didn’t know the plans God had for us or them.
To us, it was a bargain and we couldn’t pass up that great sale! God knew differently.
What is “different” about your life this year, besides
COVID-19? You see, God already knew
about COVID beforehand and has prepared His people for such a time as
this!
Are there good works God can establish through your hands
with His favor? Take a look at what is
happening in your community “before the parade passes by” in your life. Believe in the promises of God. Commit your works to the Lord and they will
be established!
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
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Labels Believe
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Christmas Lights, Christmas, Holiday, Fay Ann Daniels, Guilt, Good Works, Good Deeds, Guidance
