“What
it could have been” … that’s the line that kept rolling through his head, over
and over as he watched the rescue team go into action.
I can relate to how hard it was for my
husband to change his thinking while still staring at the accident that unfolded
before his eyes. You too?
We’ve
pretty much asked that question to an extent at some time in our lives. Our mind takes us through various horrific scenarios,
curious of what things might have been depending on the circumstances.
No wonder we have difficulty discerning whether or not we’ve made the right decisions. It’s not always as obvious as was the case in
our story. Without the prompting of the
Holy Spirit this would be reading a whole lot differently.
Thanks for joining us on Daily Favor Blog.
Haven’t
read the beginning of the story?
Read Discerning Favor: Part 1
Listening
for Discerning Favor
With
so many officials and the medical team scrambling around on the scene, wisdom
led that it was time to back off and let them do their job. It was when my husband returned to the car
that I learned what had happened through his phone call. I was still on the line as he described what was
going on a few feet in front him.
At
8:27 a.m. (only 36 minutes after the horrible accident) the fire department with
the jaws of life, cut the 80+ year old gentleman out of his vehicle. That’s right, the other veterinarian was the owner of
the establishment and still actively working (and driving)!
Praise
God he was able to move making it easier to assist him from his humongous four
door GMC truck. A few seconds earlier
our car would have been squashed like a bug!
Aww … but it didn’t happen because of God’s discerning favor was
imparted to ears that listened.
That
frightful morning my husband disregarded his own feelings and allowed the
Spirit of God to guide his actions, leading him away from danger. He reminded me that it wasn’t what he wanted
to do, but he put his trust in what God was revealing to his spirit (not
audible).
Although
others were involved, God honored my prayer covering the vet’s life and those
involved. When we put our trust in the Lord,
He is our refuge, strength and help in times of trouble, because He is present
over the entire situation. (Psalm 46:1)
The
shield of favor and protection as in Psalm 12:5 and Psalm 91 was on my husband
through prayer, so those surrounding him received the same blessing. That’s how God dealt with things that morning
and another reason why we need to be cautious of those we spend time with on a
regular basis.
Seek
and Find
Every
day when we wake it’s a gift from God for new beginnings, new life, new mercies
and new favor waiting for those who choose to fellowship with the Lord. If we miss that intimate time with God, we
cannot possibly discern when He’s giving direction to a situation.
Children
of God already have His favor because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
The problem is that not everyone understands this blessing of favor (grace),
nor do they know how to access it through discernment.
Scripture
teaches that whoever finds God through Jesus receives His favor. So, if you aren’t in the habit of “finding” God
(spending time with Him), there isn’t any favor that awaits you.
Favor
through Fellowship
Learning
to seek discernment from the Lord in continual fellowship is vital. Make it a point to arrange everything in your
life around doing the will of God by staying close to Him.
The Bible tell us in Proverbs, that
whoever (that means anyone) finds God will receive or obtain (get, secure, acquire) His favor in this life and eternally, including blessings beyond the spiritual nature.
“For
whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD.”
(Proverbs 8:35
ESV)
When
someone believes in Jesus as Savior, they are counted as “Righteous” in His
eyes. Not because of anything they did
or can do, but because of what Jesus did.
With believe comes the gift of favor that surrounds an individual as if
it were a shield barrier around them or encompassing them through the mercy of
God.
“For
You, O Lord, will bless the Righteous (the saved); with favor You will surround
him/her as a shield.” (Psalm 5:12 NKJV emphasis mine)
At
times it may appear that God is nowhere on the scene, but take heart my
friend, He is always with you. Yes, the
Holy Spirit may tweak your plans or even totally change them, but it’s for a
good reason.
Don’t
give in to fear no matter how things may look at the time; God is working things
out for you good so trust Him to do that.
He will lead those to safety that seek His counsel and follow it
immediately.
“I
will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with
My eye on you.” (Psalm 32:8)
You
may not want to hear this, but I need to tell the truth. There is another side
to all of this. For those who refuse to
turn to the Lord – the Bible tells us that God will refuse to show favor to
those who reject His gift of salvation.
“When
its twigs are dry, they are broken off and women come (gather them) and make
fires with them. For this is a people
without understanding (or discernment), so their Maker has no compassion on
them, and their Creator shows them no favor.”
(Isaiah 27:11 NIV emphasis mine)
I
urge you to take delight in doing God’s will so that you continually walk in
His Daily (shield of) Favor!
“As
God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For He says, in the time of my favor I heard
you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. I tell you, now is the time of
God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 NIV.
(See Isaiah 49:8 also)
If
you haven’t received the gift of salvation, your day of God’s favor has come –
today! (Read how here.)
This Week’s Challenge:
Discerning When to Stop and Wait.
The
key to this entire situation for my husband was his discerning the Holy Spirit
telling him to stop and wait before acting.
He didn’t know why, but just knew something wasn’t right, so he didn’t
move forward with his plans.
If
you have that “strange” feeling that something doesn’t seem right, it’s
probably the Holy Spirit trying to lead you in a different direction. Even if you’re not sure at first, stop and
wait for a period of time. Ask the Lord
if He is directing your steps in the situation and discern if it’s God, fear or
the devil giving the instructions.
“Can you hear it?
The gentle voice of the
Spirit …
There’s no reason to
fear it.”
“God
is our refuge and strength, a (an abundantly available help)
very
present help in trouble. Therefore, we
will not fear …”
(Psalm
46:1-2a NKJV)
God
will never lead you in a direction against His will and Word. That is another reason why it is important
you know the scriptures.
When
your spirit is at peace over the decision you will know when to make a move forward
or not. Never proceed without getting
the go ahead from the Lord. There are
times when He will tell you to do something and you may not feel qualified or
ready, but that is another entire situation when God is trying to stretch your
faith.
So
how did the story end? Although the
vehicles involved were totaled, the huge size of the doctor’s truck was able to
take the blow from the other vehicle, where mine would have been crushed!
One might find It hard to believe the outcome of this after seeing the evidence, but by the grace of God the other driver walked away
from the crash without a scratch. As for
the veterinarian, he was taken to the hospital for examination and only had a minor cut
on his hand. He was fine and has since gone back to work.
The
enemy didn’t win and the song in my heart that morning would ring out even
louder! God gave us another day full of
new mercy because of His amazing grace – unmerited favor on those who love and seek Him.
This
is my prayer for you …
“And
this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all
discernment. That you may approve the
things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the
day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus
Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
(taken from Philippians 1:9-11 NKJV)
This is the Day by Phil Wickham
Until
next time, daily seek God’s discerning favor!
“I
will give discerning favor to those who seek Me.”
- Jesus
Christ
*Unless
noted, the names in articles are changed to protect the individual(s)
privacy.
Note:
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.
by Kynan Bridges
Available in paperback or eBook
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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and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy.
Disclaimer
Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
Scripture
reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Bible
Hub.
Note: Quote from "This is the Day" written by Phil and Mallory Wickham
Image
credit: Google Images Creative Common License if not specified. Image: Man Panics in Car Discernment Find Favor
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