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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In late October I received a message from my niece with
the wonderful news that she was “with child” (I thought it would be a good
phrase to use considering it’s the Christmas season) and is due in the spring.
Although receiving her salutations gave me that happy
feeling, I wasn’t really surprised by the information.For some time I had felt in my spirit that
she was about to have another child.Like Elizabeth’s babe in the Bible (John the Baptist), I practically did
my own leap for joy.
The news of a newborn for Tina was something we had
prayed for and now God has favored her with another heir.“A girl would be nice Father … a little extra
favor here Lord.”Hey, we can hope
right?Besides she already has two
perfect boys!(Bias noted.)
Now here’s a little secret that I’m not proud to admit,
but with keeping my promise of “openness” I’ll fess up and spill the black beans
once in my heart.Hearing such news
didn’t always give me that “happy for you” feeling.In fact, favor and blessings on others wasn’t
on my “Christian Lifestyle – that’s great” list for a long time.
Welcome new friends this week from:
See if your city/state/country made the list.
New on DFB –France; Germany; United
Kingdom; Romania; Australia; China; Spain; Ireland; Jamaica; Belgium; Netherlands;
Turks & Caicos Islands; Taiwan; Ukraine; Nicaragua; Nigeria; Lebanon;
Portugal; Colombia; Bulgaria; Italy; Malawi; Mali; Hungary; Saudi Arabia;
Algeria; Serbia; Israel; Tunisia; France; Kuwait; Qatar.
USA
–Cass Lake, MN; Kansas
City, MO; Oxford, MS; Avon, Cleveland & West Jefferson, OH; Beaverton,
Newberg, Dundee, Portland, & Forest Grove, OR; Tucson & Somerton, AZ;
Los Angeles & Clovis, CA; Fernley, NV; Corpus Christi, Forney, Garland
& Houston, TX; Coal Township, Hazleton & Philadelphia, PA; Providence,
RI; Manassas & Mount Vernon, VA; 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).
Be sure to visit
Tell Me, Q & A or other sections.
It Should Have Been Me
We had been married for several years when the gossip and
tales of our not having kids swirled around the church community.Actually it spread far beyond that starting
with my high school chums.
Time after time I was invited to baby showers.With the pressure of having a child, I
thought I would scream if one more person asked me when our blessed event was
due!
News of a baby on board was rampant with my siblings,
cousins, co-workers, friends and the fertile world was booming.I couldn’t catch a break with both my mom and
sister backpacking toddlers the same age!
The women in my circle were either pregnant or just gave
birth.No matter where you looked
tummies told the true tale of “the weight” mothers were trying to lose years
after the delivery.
It got to the point that I no longer attended church on
Mother’s Day.I just couldn’t bear being
the only lady left sitting in the pews after the pastor asked all the mothers
to stand for a round of applause and congrats!Even the only teenage girl in the auditorium was toting a newborn … Oh,
“it should have been me” I thought.
When services would finish my husband and I would duck
out of the building hoping to escape a certain elder of the church.He never failed to remind us that we were
childless by saying, “When are you going to have children?”Loved the man, couldn’t stand the continual
pressure he put on us.
Not Everyone Hears That
“Mom …” voices from the children in the next room called out as
my school classmates and I visited over brunch.For several years some of the gals had gotten together every so often to
catch-up and hang out, but it didn’t seem the same anymore.By now all the girls in our group were moms …
that is except me.
Our conversations started out fine; you know … talking
about our spouses and things we wished we were doing.However, not long into the chit-chat someone
had to mention their kids.In round
robin style, one-by-one they’d go into detail about what they were doing, how
their labor pains lasted for years (okay, that’s an exaggeration, but they did
go on and on), this one is doing that, he’s the worst … and you can gather the
rest.
It’s not that I wasn’t interested in their lives and the
children were great, but that I was left out of the loop because they didn’t
talk about anything else.They didn’t
mean to do it, but somehow it always happened no matter where I went.I wanted a wee one to run up to me in tears
crying “Mommy”, and was determined to have a child no matter what it took!
Be It Unto Me Too God
For the next five years I went through seven operations
and so many procedures for fertility it was exhausting.If someone said, “Try this” I was game.Eating certain foods, not eating, doing
various exercises from standing on my head to laying backward with my feet in
the air, taking my temperature daily, excessive vitamins and you name it we did
it.
Year after year we prayed, but the “little blessings”
others had never made it to our home in the form of a baby.God found a way to redeem the promise anyway;
it was something that my mother would say many years later that turned my
unanswered prayer into praise.
Five Little Verses
Reading what is referred to as the Christmas birth, the
Lord pointed out several things that usually go unnoticed as we glance over the
“story” of the Christ child.If we take
a closer look at five little verses, there is so much going on between two
godly women that just happened to be relatives.
As we study through the pages of scripture Mary and Elizabeth
are both given a miracle baby.However
they are miracles for differing reasons.During the time of the angelic visitation, Mary learned that not only
she was to bear a son, but that her older aunt also was going to have a child …
her first and only child that would spread the gospel message of the Messiah.
Mary was three months into her pregnancy when she arrived
for a visit with Aunt Liz, who was ending her second trimester.Here’s where the favor of God on their lives
begins to “kick” in (I couldn’t resist …).
Just
an added note here, although some feel Elizabeth was Mary’s cousin others
believe she was the sister of Mary’s mother.Actually, it depends on the use of the word in scripture passage. The
Greek word translated relative in Luke 1:36 also means kinsman or cousin, so
technically … we don’t really know, so for my story I’ll use the term “aunt”.
Picture the scene when Mary shows up on Auntie’s doorstep.She welcomes her niece gladly, but when Mary
bids her own greeting the baby inside Elizabeth jumps when it hears her
voice.Now we know that Mary knew about
her aunt’s situation because Gabriel the angel informed her that Elizabeth was
six months pregnant.
Up to this point, there is no indication that the aunt was
aware of the favor bestowed on her young relative, but that changed in an
instant.Starting with verse forty-one
let’s look at Luke chapter one.
41 And it occurred that when Elizabeth
heard Mary’s greeting,
the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was
filled with
and controlled by the Holy Spirit.
The first child of Elizabeth moved when it came into the
presence of Mary’s first born, for it was God’s Only Begotten Son dwelling
inside her.
The actions of the babies were manifested because of the
work of the Holy Spirit in both women.Her niece didn’t have to say anything, because the Spirit of God was still
controlling the situation just like the angel Gabriel said would happen.It was like the ladies were only there to
observe what God was doing through them with the babies.
The aunt recognized Mary as the favored of God chosen to
bear the Christmas babe.Instead of being jealous that her child
wasn’t the Messiah, Elizabeth rejoiced that God had favored her with the privilege
of knowing this secret.Mary would
become the talk of the town and in time, envied by women from all nations.
42 And she cried out with a loud cry,
and then exclaimed, Blessed (favored of God) above all other women are you! And
blessed (favored of God) is the Fruit of your womb!
43 And how [have I deserved that this
honor should] be granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For behold, the instant the sound
of your salutation reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
45 And blessed (happy, to be envied)
is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were
spoken to her from the Lord.
The Blessing of Mary
When we look at the two times Elizabeth spoke of Mary
being blessed, the term isn’t the same in the conversation.In verse 42, Elizabeth shouts and beams with
excitement of how Mary indeed is blessed as being “favored by God.”
“… with a loud cry, and then exclaimed,
Blessed (favored of God) above all other women are you! And blessed (favored of
God) is the Fruit of your womb!
However in verse 45 when she says, “and blessed is she who believed in the fulfillment of the promise,”
Elizabeth was conveying how happy Mary must be in what God has worked through
her.Others will envy her because the
Christ (Anointed) Messiah (Christmas favor of God) gift that she received.
“And blessed (happy, to be envied) is she who
believed that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to
her from the Lord.”
Not only is Elizabeth happy, but she seems to be super
pumped about her niece receiving such favor from the Lord so much so that her
baby jumped yet another time.
The Bible refers to this kind of happy as an attitude believers
are to carry.The Lord referenced it as
a “humble happy” which causes the favor of God to fall on those who consider
themselves to be “poor” in spirit or insignificant.In other words, they think highly of God and
others over themselves.
The
attitude of Mary was that she asked God why He chose her, a child of
insignificance in her eyes.Elizabeth
shared the same characteristic because she was also referred to as righteous in
God’s eyes.
“And they (Zachariah and Elizabeth) both were
righteous in
the
sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments
and requirements of the Lord.” (Luke 1:6 AMP)
Be in the Attitude for Favor
Jesus spoke of the righteous qualities of a
believer in His sermon on the mount by the Sea of Galilee, known as “The
Beatitudes” from Matthew chapter 5 verses 1-12.The term blessed in this teaching is the same as what Elizabeth stated
in Luke 1:45 as “happy” with favor; they are almost identical.
2 Then He (Jesus) opened His mouth
and taught them, saying: 3 Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually
prosperous — with life, joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation,
regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit (the humble, who
rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven! (Matthew 5:2-3 AMP)
Some think of these “requirements of favor”
as a long list of moral do’s and don’ts, but in reality it’s documentation of
where spiritual favor can be found among those who follow after God.When Elizabeth learned about her niece’s
condition she didn’t see Mary as a threat, nor was she upset that she wasn’t
chosen to carry the Christ child.Her
attitude and how she perceived things is what God saw as righteous.
As disciples and followers of the Christ-mas
child, Jesus the Anointed One, God’s favor is also available to us through
salvation because of His matchless grace.Not only does God give favor on us through material things, but His
desire is for us to be spiritually prosperous through humbling of ourselves
before His Throne.When we act in this
manner of righteousness, God’s favor is manifested into our lives spiritually,
physically, emotionally, environmentally and materialistically.
Through the revelation of His grace, like
what Elizabeth experienced through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are blessed
(happy with God’s favor).Those who
follow this attitude of righteousness:
üLive
in the state in which a child of God enjoys His favor and salvation blessings.
üReceive
the comfort of God through all circumstances.
üAre
infilled with the Fruit of the Spirit (manifestation is based on our behavior).
üExperience
joy and satisfaction regardless of outward conditions.
üMaintain
uprightness and right standing with God.
üReceive
mercy (favor from God) because they show mercy to others.
üTheir
heart remains pure and unscathed by the world’s wickedness.
üLive
in a state of Shalom, because they maintain and pursue peace.
üRemain
faithful to God and do the right thing even when persecuted for their beliefs.
My
Not So Little Blessings
It
was many years after I begged God to give me a child when my “Elizabeth revelation”
came to me through the person I would call “Mom.”I don’t remember the exact moment, but it was
after I received an award from the state of New Jersey for my contribution to
education and the work in my field.
Throughout
my teaching career God had placed me in various situations where I could write
curriculums for the state in both religious and secular settings.The Lord allowed me to chair departments and
head committees that benefited children from over 36 districts statewide, which
worked hand-in-hand with child study teams, parole offices or courtrooms.
All
of these things were wonderful and meant so much to me, but the true blessings
came though teaching and ministering to thousands of kids (especially those who
were motherless).Mom touched my heart when
she pointed out that the blessing of motherhood had come to me, through the
promise in Isaiah 54:1.
“Sing, O barren one, you who did not bear;
break forth
into singing and cry aloud, you who did not
travail with child!
For the (spiritual) children of the desolate
one will be more
than the children of the married wife, says the
Lord."
(Isaiah 54:1 AMPC)
Through biblical teaching we recognize that
this passage is talking to believer’s (Zion) concerning the joy of salvation favor
blessings.It is also a promise of emotional
healing from the Holy Spirit, extended to the aching hearts of childless women.
No longer was I jealous or envious, but
thanked God I didn’t have to travail in the pain of childbirth.Both my husband and I have even praised God
for NOT giving us kids, so that we could work with multitudes.
When I was young I didn’t always recognize blessings on
other people as something I should be happy for when it came to things I
desired for myself.Those days,
thankfully are totally gone and I am over the top, through the roof, ecstatic
when I hear how God has blessed someone with His favor.
My blessings of favor have come and continue; not as I
thought they should have, but as God ordained for His purpose.I’ve learned to maintain an attitude of blessing
others as much as is within my power, and God has honored His Word by placing
Holy Spirit favor on me for His plan.
This Week’s Challenge:
Rejoice in Someone’s Blessing
Blessings of favor come to each of us differently.Maybe part of yours has come through having children
like Elizabeth’s and Mary’s, or maybe it’s something else.One thing that I’m certain of is that if you
are a believer in the Christmas Child (Christ Child), favor and blessings have
already been prepared for you.
In this week’s challenge we will take a look at what God
sees as righteous behavior He deems as “favor worthy.”
For the beginning of the challenge, read Matthew chapter
5 focusing on the first twelve verses.How do we fit into each of these areas with the attitude we are currently
maintaining regarding Christian living?
As you absorb what the scriptures are revealing, is there
anyone in your life that you are envious of or have jealous feelings for
because they have what you want?
Around Christmas time things often get out of hand when
it comes to the gift getting goodies as the main event. The unsaved have taken our celebration as
their own ungodly holiday and we’ve let them.
Isn’t it time that the lost see us as favored by God
regardless of our circumstances?Can we
let them see us leaping for joy at the fact that Jesus isn’t just the reason
for Christmas, He is Christmas.Without
Him what are they celebrating anyway?
We are the favored of God and when blessings come to
others our response should be dancing in the streets, head over heels down
right bless our socks off happy for them.God has something absolutely wonderful planned for each of His children;
reserved favor just for us and our situation.
From now on when good news and favor is given to someone
else, may we be able to say with sincere joy like Elizabeth had towards Mary:
“You truly have the blessing
of God’s favor, and
must be so happy He
fulfilled this in your life.”
As for my niece, still hoping God favor’s her with a
girl … just saying J
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.
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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, AndalucÃa, 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;
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.
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!
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.
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Scripture
reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Bible Gateway.
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