Show Me

“Show me your favor Lord in things I may not have realized,” was the prayer for the morning on Wednesday. 

It’s easy to recognize the obvious things where God has shown us favor, but when things don’t seem to be working out we often think God isn’t doing anything and we’re coasting on our own.  That's pretty arrogant if I may say so, don't you think?

Most of you probably already know that Missouri is called the “show me” state, and that’s exactly what I was asking the Lord to do ... “show me” what He has done in regards to favor in my life that went unchecked.

I realized we had received favor from God throughout the week, but felt I may have missed some of the “not so clear” things He was doing for me.  I wanted a deeper sense of His daily presence and activity in my life that I may have overlooked in the past, so that my gratitude for God’s grace and mercy poured out on me wouldn’t go unnoticed any longer.

 

 Let it Rain, Rain …

It’s been raining every day for over a week.  For some, rain is a downer, but I love it.  Years ago when I studied Genesis in preparation for courses I was to teach, I learned about God’s favor on a particular area through rain.  Not to have rain means your land isn’t being blessed by the Lord.  I am so thankful, thankful, thankful for the rain, understanding it is God’s way of giving approval to a place. 

This week started out with favor by God opening the floodgates of Heaven with rain on our crops.  We have to pay for water, so God’s favor blessed our backs, time and pockets. Our grass and garden are looking better each day and we didn’t have to do a thing for it.  God was doing one of those “cuz” things … cuz I can!

Let It Rain (Original)  Isaiah 45:8 let it rain!

On Tuesday we woke up blessed again with more rain.  Mercy was waiting for us as we got up just like King David wrote in Psalm 23:6a “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.”  Do you really know what that statement means?  Let me back up a second and give you some great news. 

The Bible tells us that God’s mercy is new every morning.  How great is that? Really great! (see Lamentations 3:22-24)

Do you know what mercy is in the Hebrew language?  Plainly said, mercy is something given in exchange for something undeserved. 

It literally means “undeserved or unmerited favor” bestowed on someone.  God’s grace and mercy (unmerited favor) is new each day we wake up, because He has given us another crack at life for that time period.  We get another chance to get it right.  So each time you receive mercy you are actually getting favor you never earned.

Picture it like this.  How many times have you done something for your kids just because they were your kids?  They didn’t earn the gift, didn’t work for it or even do a good deed.  You wanted to do something for the sake of doing it for love.  That’s what God's mercy is … undeserved favor because of love.  We wake up to a world already prepared and waiting for us to show up to enjoy its glory. Goodness and mercy await us every day we are on this earth, but we may fail to recognize it when it’s right in front our eyes.

It's so hard to contain myself, I have to sing to the Living God for His bountiful mercy (favor) and love.  Want to join me for a minute?

Children of the Living God - Fernando Ortega - Lyrics HD

 

Taking Inventory of Past Favor

Even though it was Wednesday I started to revisit the beginning of the week in my thoughts for specific things that were favor. 

On Tuesday morning the rain was coming down in sheets.  We were soaked going from the car into the grocery store even though God opened a parking space right in front the store for us.  (Keep in mind rain is a blessing when the devil doesn't try to stick his hands in it.)

There were buckets placed all over the store catching water, because the driving rain caused the roof to leak.  But wouldn’t you know it, God was already there. My husband shared with me that someone in the store gave a stranger a ride home. The rain caused a man to show mercy (favor) toward someone he didn’t even know. 

God showed me favor at the market with cash that morning, in the way of putting more of it back in my pocket with about 70% off of several items I actually needed. (I didn't buy it just because it was on sale.  Oh come on, don't tell me you haven't done that too.)

At work later that day I was able to easily “fix” nine of forty-seven articles that had been “tagged” by Google or Amazon for updates, plus I received word that I have time to do the others.  We also received good news that my father was going home from the hospital.

More goodness and mercy …

• I was told that I was loved and received hugs and kisses every day.
• Received good e-mails both morning and night.
• More rain … yes, it falls on the just (believers) and unjust (unbelievers).  God’s mercy is available for everyone whether we like it or not.
• Still looking for specific favor I remembered there were three bottles of vitamins on sale, but I only needed two of them.  God was already setting up favor for someone and they didn’t even know it.  They would walk right into it when they saw that price.
• The fuel pump on the car was causing a problem and someone said they would fix it for free.  All this happened and it was only the beginning of the week.

 

By Wednesday I was intensely looking for and waiting on God for favor to come and overtake me.  When I opened my e-mail that morning I received word of an order of several items off one of my websites.  With millions of sites out there, the Holy Spirit  directed them to mine (and they probably didn’t know it)!  They chose me … wow.  That’s amazing or luck right? No, that’s God causing man to show favor on His child.

It’s the middle of summer and we’ve been able to comfortably turn off the air conditioner at night and only use the fans.  Are you starting to see the pattern of daily favor?  It’s there if you look for it to show up in your life.

"Open your hymnal please to page …"

If you have ever been to a church that has hymn books, you have probably sung the song “Surely Goodness and Mercy.” 

Did you realize that you were singing scripture or what we call a scripture song?  Well, now you do.  Instead of singing it the traditional way, sing it with joy and a smile on your face like this:

“Surely goodness and unmerited favor shall follow me, all the days, all the days of my life.” (from Psalm 23:6a)

Since Wednesday we’ve been singing that song with the new lyrics, and the favor of God showed up daily when I eagerly expected it.  As a matter of fact, I decided I’d better carry my notepad with me, because favor kept coming from every side like it was chasing us.  Wait a minute ... isn't that what scripture says it would do?

• Free seeds, plant food and a pen came in the mail. 
• In a radio trivia contest my husband won 2 free tickets valued at $36.00 for a Christian concert this Saturday.  Yeah, date night!  Think I can squeeze dinner out of it?
•  God revealed a medical help solution for one of the rescue kitties and she was finally able to get some rest.
• Getting nectarines and plums for .25 each.
• Loving on pets every day.
• Quiet time.
• I got paid a week early.

This morning (Friday) I was so excited that I woke up around 4:30 happy in wonderment of what God was about to do today.  I told my husband that he wasn’t going to believe what God was about to let him do to receive a blessing and favor for the day … make me breakfast!  Our day started with joy and expectation of God’s mercy (unmerited favor) to come.  I can hardly wait to see what He’s going to do.  (By the way, the breakfast was delicious.) 

Are you expecting?

Do you expect God’s favor to show up in your life daily?  If you don’t, why not?  Not expecting God to do something good in your life is not to believe what He said would do.  In other words, it’s calling Him a liar (oooh!).  When we commit our ways to the Lord, He is obligated by His own words to carry out grace, mercy and favor to His children.

I literally look for something to have been left on our porch when I return home.  A note, food, gifts, money, cat litter and more have been left for us awaiting our arrival home.  Seriously, living an “expectant” lifestyle is so much fun that it makes you want to testify of the "goodness of the LORD in the land of the living" (from Psalm 27:13).

Maybe you have been shown mercy and didn’t realize it. If you have a job, refrigerator with food in it, a place to stay, family or friends that care about you, clothes to wear, shoes on your feet, clean water (that’s a big one), well then you are receiving favor.

Sister Pierce, a dear friend of ours, once told my husband that if she could put her feet on the floor in the morning she was thankful and everything else was a bonus.  You see, she was on oxygen and even getting out of bed was difficult.  While believing God to heal her she praised Him for the blessing of life itself, and was granted another ten years.

 

When was the last time you said to the Lord, “show me?” Have you ever said that? Jeremiah 33:3 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible, because God Himself is telling us to ask Him to do something by showing us His secrets to things we couldn't have thought of ourselves.

We are to praise God and expect Him to show up in our life with daily favor.  It’s something He already said He would do, so believe it will happen for you too.  Mercy guarantees it.  “I will show you great and mighty things that you did not know.”

God is showing mercy (favor).  Do you see it?  No matter what you may be going through, He is there. Look for Him … He’ll show up.

“Blessed is the man that walks in Your favor” is the first line of Fernando Ortega’s song “Lord of Eternity.”  God loves you so much He wants to daily bless you with His mercy, unmerited favor.  Thank Him for it as you sing His praises for the goodness and mercy that follow you all the days of your life.

 Lord of Eternity - Fernando Ortega (Live)

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. 

Until next time, stay blessed and favored!

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Scripture reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provide by Gateway Bible