Favor | The Calling Card of the Righteous
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To everything there is a season, but even in the driest season, those who are called of God, who follow after Him, experience FAVOR. This is shown over and over again in biblical stories, and yet, do WE walk in the faith and expectation of favor?
“For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.”
—Psalm 5:12
Are YOU ready to receive all God has for you?
Biblical Stories of Favor
Throughout God’s Word there are biblical stories of favor. Not only of favor during seasons of plenty, but in every season. Even in trying times, and times of waiting.
Abraham had favor.
Isaac had favor.
Jacob/Israel had favor.
Joseph had favor.
Moses had favor.
Joshua had favor.
Ruth had favor.
David had favor.
Solomon had favor.
Hezekiah had favor.
Nehemiah had favor.
Esther had favor.
On and on throughout the Word we find people who followed after God and experienced FAVOR. Yes, they rarely had smooth paths laid before them… there were obstacles, things they did not want, and periods of waiting. But even in those times, they knew favor.
Abraham went from being Abram to Abraham; from being childless to becoming the father of nations! He was favored.
Jacob went from being used by Laban to leaving Laban’s household married to his two daughters and extremely wealthy! He was favored.
Joseph went from being sold into slavery to ultimately being brought before Pharoah and put in the position second only to Pharoah. He was favored.
There are hundreds of these stories in God’s Word where, even in the midst of hardship and mistreatment by some, those who followed God experienced His favor. Causing God’s Name and ways to be glorified through this demonstration of favor, often in the midst of adversity!
Jacob could have settled for being tricked and left with only one wife and no property.
Joseph could have given up, allowing the wounding of being sold by his brothers into slavery and eventually becoming a prisoner to bring him low.
But they did not!
Jacob pressed in, working until God told him to move on and therefore coming away with an amazing blessing!
Joseph kept using his gifts, maintaining hope, faith, and expectation, and he came away with the fulfillment of the prophetic dreams he had so many years before!
Following God’s Ways and Favor
As children of the Most High God, we need to understand that where God leads, He provides (see Isaiah 58:11). This is not to say that we will never experience hardships or hurdles as we follow where God leads, but we will experience favor and blessings, even when things in the natural look bleak.
The story of Ruth is a wonderful example of how God’s favor works not only in seasons of abundance, but in dry seasons as well…
Ruth chose to follow Naomi and the ways of God even though there was no wealth or sign of comfort in that choice. It was a decision entirely based on faith and love—for Naomi and God—but that did not automatically make it easy. And it certainly did not negate basic needs, such as food; food that, due to their poverty, Ruth would have to glean to obtain…
If we did not see this moment through the eyes of faith, it would be a dire picture. Gleaning was seasonal—each crop would have a different time for harvest. Ruth was going to have to glean enough food for herself AND Naomi to eat each day, but she was also going to have to gather above that for the time when there were no crops to harvest…
What is more, gleaning was not easy work. It was often hot, with the sun beating down on the field, and for a gleaner, the amount gathered from the long hours of work was not always great. But Ruth not only chose to be humble enough to glean for herself and Naomi… she chose to follow God.
She chose to align herself with God’s plans and go to the field where she FOUND FAVOR!
“So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, ‘Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor.’ …”
—Ruth 2:2
There were likely many fields she could have gleaned in, many of which may have been closer. And while not everyone would have readily welcomed a woman from Moab, the laws and customs in the land demanded that widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor could glean! Yet, Ruth understood enough about God and His ways to want to follow Him to a field where she would not only find food, but favor. To the place He had prepared.
And God gave her favor in the field of Boaz; the man who was to become her kinsman redeemer…
Ruth’s decision to go where God’s favor led, not only provided an amazing amount of grain… it put her in position for God’s greater plan. His plan of redemption and blessing for both her and Naomi!
We too can experience the favor of God. We too can follow His ways and choose to walk only where He leads. To enter only the door that HIS favor opens for us, and not simply the first door that presents itself. Because yes, the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable, but the greatest blessings, the greatest purpose, and indeed, the greatest favor, are all found when we are in sync with God.
Expect and Walk in Favor
When things are difficult or do not go the way we wanted, having the faith and expectation of God’s favor can be challenging. How do we believe that we can do ‘greater things than these’ or have the expectation that God will do ‘exceedingly and abundantly above all we could ask or think’?
Yet, God placed His favor upon many people within His Word who faced times as trying, or more so, than ours. From Abraham, to Jacob, to Ruth and beyond, these mighty men and women of God certainly experienced times of stretching… yet they did not turn from the ways of God. They held their faith and walked forward, expecting and seeking the favor of God!
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His people found favor then and His people find favor today!
“For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.”
—Psalm 5:12
“Fools mock sin [but sin mocks the fools], but among the upright there is good will and the favor and blessing of God.”
—Proverbs 14:9 (AMP)
God favors the righteous. He loves to shower it upon those who seek His will and ways!
The time has come for us to walk in the expectation of God’s favor. Not to grumble or complain, but to step out in faith and, like Ruth, decide that we will only enter the doors of favor that God puts before us. We will only go where He leads, and in doing so, no matter the season we are in, we WILL find favor!
Let faith arise. Let us go forth with expectation. And may the favor of God rest upon us as we follow His footpaths!