It was early in the morning when a man started out on a daily
run in his neighborhood. After a few
minutes, he noticed a man running ahead of him.
Picking up the pace he gained on the runner and in no time blew passed him
elated that he had gained the lead.
Thinking highly of himself he suddenly realized he missed
his turn. Now he had to go back several blocks to where he was supposed to go
on his original run to get back on course.
The man realized he focused on a race the other runner was
not even running.Distracted from what
he should have been doing, he got caught up in a competition that never really
happened.
Certain Favor
The bible teaches that each of us are to run our own
race.We are only given anointing and
gifts to run the course God has set in place for us.The problem is that we often get sidetracked
and fail to be content in who God made us to be, which takes us off the course
for running the best race (journey) we can and delays our own reward.
Scripture teaches in Psalm 103:4 that “God redeems our
life from destruction; He crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies.”The original Hebrew reference to lovingkindness
literally means crowned with beauty, favor, good deeds, kindness, and mercy for
life here on earth.In other words, we
are given the tools needed to get to the finish of our goals, dreams and vision
in life.
As a child of God, there is “certain favor” set aside
only for you.The same is for others, God
will not grant favor that takes away from another in their race.
No one else can receive what God ordained for you, but
you have the choice whether favor manifests by running your own race or trying
to compete with others for their prize (reward).
Each of us need to be disciplined to run our race not
someone else’s.We will not receive something
from God that is set aside for another person no matter how hard we try or how many
others are in the race.We receive the
prize (rewards and favor) for the race, path, journey that is meant for us
alone.
Look at each translation in understanding the point made
in the scripture:
“Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run
in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win. Every athlete
exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we
an imperishable one.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but
only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” (1 Corinthians
9:24 NIVUK)
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run,
but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” (1
Corinthians 9:24 NKJV)
“You know that only one person gets a crown for being in
a race even if many people run. You must run so you will win the crown.” (1
Corinthians 9:24 NLV)
In each race, whatever it is, numerous people run, but
there is only one who can be first to win.God loves what He created you to be, and He made plans for success
through gifting and favor to happen so that you will be first at the “thing” He
had set aside just for you.Specific favor,
gifts, and talents fit you and are there for you to run your race with
endurance so that you will (not may) win.
Remember that, “Whatever you do, do from the heart, as
for the Lord and not for others.” (Colossians 3:23)
… and never forget that you are being cheered on to win:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud
of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us.” (Hebrews 12:1)
Distractions, mishaps, delays, and interruptions may come … they are part of life’s journey (race).God knew they would happen and He is still waiting to carry you through to receiving the prize here on earth and in eternity.
"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out
for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus."
Stay focused on who you are by fixing your eyes on Jesus so that one day you will hear Him say, "Well done My good and faithful servant".
Love the life God fashioned just for you
and watch great things will come to pass.
Run your own race knowing with confidence that you are indeed crowned
with favor to finish your race. Step into your gifts and start living a life
you love!
Until next time, favored blessings!
*For those who trust in Jesus Christ, God gives the promise of life here but also the gift of eternal life as an inheritance of being His child. If you would like to have this gift also, click here to learn more.
Disclaimer: Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for mental or physical issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness.
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/Fay Ann Daniels unless noted. Do not copy.
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
Unless noted, scripture reference in series was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Bible Gateway. ImageCreative Common License if not specified.
Welcome, Daily Favor Blog, Favored1, Daily Favor Teaching Blog, Favor, Run Your Own Race, Crown, High Calling, Prize, Run to Win, Certain Favor, Disciplined in Life, Life Journey
If I were to ask you what the number one thing is that
you dislike doing, I imagine the answer would fly out of your mouth
quickly.So, go ahead, ask me the same question.
What’s that … you want to know what ranks high on my
dislike list?Without hesitation I'd say going to the dentist is probably the highest on that chart.
Let me tell you, it’s not always easy trying
to stay in good humor when someone is probing around in your mouth with hands
the size of goliath.Not really, but it
sure felt like it.
I have to tell you though, it wasn’t that bad.With a warm blanket draped over my body and
sun glasses to shield my eyes from the blaring overhead light, they took pretty
good care of me.
My appointment was coming to an end when I looked up at
the dental technician and said, “Tell me
something good that’s happening in your life.” She looked at me and with a
blank stare on her face sat back on her chair.
Welcome new friends this week from:
See if your city/state/country made the list.
New on DFB –Ireland; Netherlands; Haiti; Germany;
Vietnam; Colombia; Brazil; Turks and Caicos; Serbia; Curacao; Lebanon;
Nicaragua; Guatemala; United Arab Emirates; Italy; Madagascar; Portugal; Japan;
Hungary; Saudi Arabia; Slovenia; Mali; Nepal; Malawi; Sweden; Ukraine;
Bulgaria; Poland.
I am so happy 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 favor
to abound in the lives of those who chose to be Discipled by Jesus on Daily
Favor Blog.
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.
“That’s pretty bad that you can’t think of anything.” The dentist said as he continued working.With some questioning I prodded her thoughts then Missy conveyed that she
and her husband were in the middle of building a home.
For the next few minutes Missy almost seemed surprised
that she didn’t think of it right off the bat.So many other pressing issues were happening in her life that they
seemed to overshadow the good things.
Sharing some of the details Missy explained that she was
discouraged about how long the process was taking, but hoped they would be in
their new home come late winter.Boy can
we all relate to being in a situation where things seemed to be taking the long
route to manifest?
To encourage our new dental friend, we told her to enjoy
every part of the journey because those are the things that will become great
memories.Although the building process
takes time and work, in the end it will be worth it.By the time we left, the sweet assistant was
her usual full of smiles self.
Faith, Finances and Family
For the past few weeks I’ve been inundated with messages
about people experiencing disappointment and discouragement.Hearing Missy’s story was just one of
many.People are finding that mixing
faith, finances and family has really been challenging and they’re calling out,
“Lord, I just need a break!I can’t do
this anymore!”
Well, I’m no different … I was reaching that point too
when I felt something had to give and it wasn’t about to be me.Making my plea for favor to the Lord He heard
me and granted my request.Not in the
way I expected, but through the peace of the Holy Spirit my anxiousness was
calmed and expressed itself in a most unusual way.
CJ’s Story
It was the Saturday before Election Day (November 8th,
2016) when my husband and I were at a political headquarters for the
county.There were only a few of us in
the building when a young couple arrived.He knew exactly what he wanted – a candidate’s badge and a bumper
sticker.
Fulfilling his request the gentleman began telling his
story about the time he had spent in Iraq and Afghanistan for an eighteen month
tour of duty there.As he spoke of the
details and his current health issues, I was waiting for something good to come
of all this … but nothing did.
For the next hour CJ shared his health and ongoing health
concerns, but looking at him I could see he didn’t feel well.Then he began telling us about his three year
wait for a dentist appointment through the VA (Veteran’s Administration) program.My spirit became humbled as I thought about how
I had jested over going to the dentist just a few days ago.
In Need of Favor
The following Thursday I was talking to my husband about
CJ and the first thing that came out of his mouth was … “He is in need of favor!”Oh
my, I didn’t even see the situation that way, but he was right.Now where do we go from here?
Every time I am in a position that is compromising,
uncomfortable, challenging or traumatic I pray for those who are in a similar
situation based on the passage found in James chapter 5 verse 16b.For more than twenty years, I have “prayed for others that I might be healed,”
and given favor for a good outcome.I
even prayed that while sitting in the dentist’s chair.
Although things don’t always go the way I want
or think they should, God has given me something good to share with others in
times of discouragement.
The “Righteousness of God” Clause
What our beloved trooper doesn’t realize is that he can
have favor in his life regardless to what others are doing.The Bible tells us that the favor of God is a
gift for His children under the “Righteousness of God” clause.Let’s take a look at this from Romans 5:1-2
to show you how it works.
“Therefore, since we are justified (acquitted, declared
righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp
the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance,
introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God’s favor) in which
we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2 AMPC)
Notice that in the Greek form, the word grace is defined
as a “state of God’s favor.”What the author of Romans is telling us
is that because of what Jesus did on the cross, we have the legal right to live
in a continual state of God’s favor.
“Christ never sinned but God put our sin on Him.
Then we are made right with God because of what
Christ has done for us.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NLV)
Christ took on Himself our unrighteousness, the
unfavorable part of mankind. In exchange
God gave us His Son’s Righteous favor that put us in “right standing” with Him,
restoring our relationship with the Heavenly Father.
“Right standing with Me means you have favor with God.”
Jesus Christ
Fay, how often do you have right standing with God?I have right standing with God every day
because of the Righteousness of Jesus.So if I have right standing with God I should expect Daily Favor to show
up on a regular basis.
I believe that God surrounds me with His favor, I expect
it and it does manifest in some way, every day.Goodness and mercy follow me and goes before me.
“The Holy Writings say, I believed, so I spoke.We have the same kind of faith as David had.
We also believe, so we speak.”
(2 Corinthians 4:13 NLV)
I speak what I believe in my heart. Like King David, the
favor of God shows up wherever I go because I speak it into my life every
single day, throughout the day.When it
does I let all those who are with me know it was His favor that I am blessed to
receive.
If you don’t believe in the favor of God it won’t be in
your heart, and you won’t release your faith through words so it can be
manifested in your life.Jesus told the unbelievers that what they were speaking wasn’t faith, because
lack of it was in their heart. (See Matthew 12:33-37)
“Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good
things?
For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
(Matthew 12:34 NKJV)
“… out of the fullness, the overflow, superabundance of
the heart the mouth speaks.” (AMP)
What Does Continual Favor Mean?
As believer’s in the works of Christ, we can live in and
expect God’s favor to show up on a regular basis, not just randomly.Over the years people have shared some good
things God has done in their lives once in a while, but they say it doesn’t
happen often.The reason for that is
that they don’t expect favor to occur so it doesn’t.
When favor from God became a revelation to me it started
showing up on a daily basis.What we
believe DOES manifest in our lives. Favor can come in all measures, from the
little things like getting a good parking space to great events when you
receive the desires of your heart.
On November 8th, 2016 we went to a local
political headquarters to watch the election. Only one person knew we
“might” show up, depending on how hubby felt.When we arrived there was food that only a vegetarian would eat … Wahoo!
The night came to an end and I was given an entire untouched
veggie platter to take home, plus 2 unopened vegetarian friendly pizzas … over
$50 worth of food!Did I enter that
building thinking I would receive favor … yes!No, not from food or anything in specific, but somehow God would show
Himself mighty because of who He is.
Another example of favor in a unique way was when my
hubby went to a fast food restaurant asking for a veggie taco. I wasn’t even
with him when this happened. The cashier motioned for him to come behind the
counter to see the other options they had that weren’t on the menu.How cool was that?
My point is that God allows favor to come to me because
of my faith in His abilities, not mans.He
will do the same for anyone who
believes in Jesus as their Savior and follows after Him. It is part of the salvation
package of being “discipled” by Christ, but sadly most Christians never use
their full benefits as children of God.
Like so many, the hurting soldier we met was relying on
“people” to make things happen for him. He didn’t realize that His trust should have
been in God to turn the hearts of man toward granting him favor for all his
needs.
This Week’s Challenge:
Tell Me Something Good
I have been blessed even in difficult times when things
didn’t work out as planned (recently at the dentist).It is God’s continual hand on my life that
keeps me going and causes me to speak daily of His goodness and mercy.
This week’s challenge
asks us to speak (share) the good things that are happening in our lives,
so that the favor of God will rest on us continually.
A way to help you become more aware of when favor is
manifesting in your life is to write it down at night before retiring to
bed.I don’t care if it’s a cup of
coffee, a stick of gum someone gives you or getting that prime parking space …
write it down and give thanks to the Lord for His goodness endures forever!If you can see God working in the smallest of
small things, you will recognize His hand on practically everything in your
life.
As the weeks go by your list will get longer and longer,
because you now expect it and so favor is more “tangible” to you.It will also become visible to others as the
abundance of your heart speaks good things about Daily Favor being manifested
in your life.
Maybe you’re experiencing awful circumstances at the
moment and don’t think there is anything good happening.Look deeper … there is.True Disciples of Christ know the good news
of salvation promises to turn situations around in our favor.
“… To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He
may be glorified.”
(Isaiah 61:3 NKJV)
As Christians we need to share the message of salvation
and the favor of God to restore hope to the hurting.Hopefully the message we shared with that discouraged
soldier will resonate in his spirit causing him to seek the Lord for all His
needs and turn the hearts of man.
When we place our trust in God’s abilities there is
always something good to share, because of the continual state of Daily Favor
we enjoy.
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 ImagesCreative Common License if not specified. Image: Dentist ChairNeed of FavorRighteousness of GodFamily Faith Finances Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief. State of God’s Favor, Daily Favor Blog, Favor of God, Favored1, Discipled by Jesus, Discipleship, Christian Living, Presidential Election, God's Favor, Dentist, Righteousness, Kenneth Copeland, Family, Finances, Faith.
Most of my friends and students know there was a time when
I was a super sports fan of two teams – the Philadelphia PhilIies (baseball) and
the Los Angeles Lakers (basketball). More so than my husband, I was ridiculously into
those teams, especially during the championship or playoff games.When people visited our home and saw the
signed memorabilia they assumed it was hubby’s when in fact they were all mine!
They also know that I’m just as big of a fan of t-shirts
with special sayings on them.You know the kind that really express what you’re
thinking, but aren’t bold enough to say it.
Welcome new friends this week from:
See if your city/state/country made the list.
New on DFB –Calgary, AB, Canada;
Saint John, Welsford, Westfield Beach, & Moncton, NB, Canada; Netherlands;
Curacao; Georgetown, Demerara-Mahaica, Guyana; Pakistan; Nigeria; Croatia;
Saudi Arabia; Slovenia; Nepal; Israel; Serbia; Turkey; Swaziland; Ecuador;
Bolivia; Qatar.
USA
–Asheboro, Cumberland, Holly Springs,
Hubert, Mount Pleasant & Stedmann North Carolina; Estero, Summerfield &
Ormond Beach, Florida; Anderson & Hartsville, South Carolina; Hoodsville,
West Virginia; Maurertown & Strasburg, Virginia.
I am so happy 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 favor
to abound in the lives of those who chose to be Discipled by Jesus on Daily
Favor Blog.
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.
Several years ago one of my seventh grade boys wanted to
do something special for my birthday.This
was unusual favor, because I didn’t receive gifts from my kids other than at
Christmas.He was one of those fun but
quiet students that had his own way of doing things.
Sharing our love for sports is where we found our bond,
and how our relationship grew into respect.I suppose this is where his gift idea came into “play” (pun intended),
and a way of the parent thanking me for getting his son to finally clean his
room.
It was one of my most precious moments in teaching when Bryan
and his father presented me a Lakers jersey. I was so proud of that special
gift that I sported it everywhere, sharing the story of a sweet boy pestering
his dad into trekking all over South Jersey to find one just for me.
Whenever I wore my Lakers jersey there was no doubt in the
onlooker’s mind of which team I was representing.The message was clear and I was proud to
share it without regret.
Where are the Jerseys?
Although athletic gear emerged during the first Olympics
in Greece back in the 770’s B.C., it has evolved throughout the years from the
sportsman wearing the garment to the general public.Wear and share message t-shirts for sports fans have been around
for over one hundred years.
Many believe the game of baseball was invented by New Yorker Abner Doubleday, but it is disputed whether or not it was an actual sport. However there isn't any question as to when it turned into one, and when a specific attire was to be worn during such games.
For baseball, fan uniform frenzy all began between two teams that ended up playing out their dreams on a "neutral" field. In 1846 Alexander Cartwright
organized the first recorded baseball game that took place between the
Cartwright Knickerbockers and the New York Baseball Club held at Elysian Field
in Hoboken, New York.
It
was a Presbyterian pastor from Springfield, Massachusetts who invented the
sport we know as basketball. On December
21st, 1891 the YMCA Training School got a front row seat to this “indoor”
sport that was merely created to improve athletic skills for football and
rugby. There were guidelines for team uniforms even back then!
New York Knickerbockers Baseball Champions 1865
Over
the years the designs have changed, but the love for showing off that special
piece of apparel hasn’t. I wonder what
these two men would think of the modern t-shirt jersey designs.
Sporting the #1 Team
With the World Series being the highlight of the week for
many people, there were a few things that really stood out in my mind.In a round-about way it reminded me of the
first disciples as being teamsters for Jesus.
A shirt that has made the rounds for many years poked fun
of the Chicago Cubs for never making it to the World Series. It had a picture of a can of Coke (the soda
beverage) with an "h" between the c and o. It stated, "Choke,
the official drink of the Chicago Cubs".
That schtick (gimmick) can no longer be identified with
the 2016 winners. The jersey t-shirt
can be put in the rag bin and is no longer valid, as the Cubs have now won the World Series for the first time
in 108 years!
When the disciples answered, “Yes, I will follow You” to
Jesus, they were saying that they were now going to be identified as being
exclusively signed to His team.Everything they did from that point on had to be representative of
Jesus, including their clothing.
In Biblical times, clothing was an instant identifier
that separated people, tribes and nations.Whether we’d like to believe it or not, it still is today. Just looking at the clothes people wear tells
you a great deal about the individual, their interests, likes and dislikes.
If someone had a look in your closet or drawers, what would
people be able to tell about you?Which
team are you sporting as number one?Is
there anything that says you’re a follower of Jesus?
Jersey’s for Jesus
It’s still true, I love fun jersey’s and still have some
that could leave a few people wondering. For example as a counselor this one I own
probably doesn’t reflect the interest of the client.
“Let me drop what I’m
doing and focus on YOUR problem.”
My blessed girl t-shirt jersey.
However, my interests have changed over the years.What people will find most among my apparel
are clothes that declare my discipleship to Christ (plus they are in super cool
colors).
God has promised to those who openly declare their belief
in Jesus that they will be favorably rewarded in this lifetime and in Heaven.That promise has been manifested in my life
so many times I can’t count them.
“So Jesus answered and said, Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who
has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children
or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s,who shall not receive a hundredfold now in
this time — houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions — and in the age to come, eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-30 NKJV)
“So He said to them, Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left
house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the Kingdom
of God,who shall not receive
many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.” (Luke 18:29-30)
Whenever I wear something that proclaims scripture or my
belief, favor and blessings always follow.The Jersey’s for Jesus message is one I’m proud to wear as I share my
faith in the Only Begotten Son of God.
This Week’s Challenge:
Wear and Share Faith
Depending on current trends or events, jingles, logo brands and slogan sayings
on clothing (especially t-shirts or jerseys) will continually change.There
is one message that will never change; you can wear and share it forever –
Jesus Saves.
Sometime it’s hard to share the gospel with people and
they aren’t always receptive to being told they are “sinning” against God.In our last challenge we were asked to go beyond
doing good as the world does, and do the works of Christ.
If we are truly being the disciples Jesus has trained us
to be, people will come to expect our lifestyle to reflect the message we
preach.They might not want to listen to
us speaking about the Lord, but they will “hear” the message we wear
without opening our mouths.
The challenge this week takes us into the clothes closet or drawer for a
peek at what message we’re sharing with the world, by wearing something that will
let people know we are all about team Jesus.
November 4th (the day of this post) is designated the actual “Jersey”
day, where people all over America (world) flaunt their favorite teams by proudly
wearing a representative t-shirt.This
is where we’re taking that concept farther.
Instead of wearing something that identifies us with Jesus on one day,
try doing it every day for the next week (continue on throughout the year).If you don’t have anything in that category you
might want to think about that …hmmm.Be creative and design your own jersey, after
all if Alexander Cartwrightcould do it why
not you?Paint or draw a message on an
article of clothing and show it off to the world.
Wear something that proclaims your faith through a message, whether it is
a clever saying, scripture or picture representing a biblical subject.You may want to wear a jersey, scarf, tie,
headband, bandanna, socks, jacket, shirt, jewelry … it doesn’t matter what as
long as it’s something people can see as you “wear and share” your faith in the
Lord.
With so many days in the year to wear whatever we like, isn’t it time
that people find out about our favored number one champion of the world - Jesus?
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, God’s favor is for sharing!
“Share your faith & receive My favor.”
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.
... and
yes the word "discipled" isn't a word used by the world, but that of
believers.
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:The Ball is in Your Court
I could give you tons of links to scriptural
apparel, but this one is for you to figure out on your own.You have a message to share about Jesus. What
do you believe?Who do you follow?Then wear and share that every day!
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.
