July 2, 2014 FINDING FAVOR
Proverbs 8:32-35: “Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, for blessed are they who keep my ways. Heed instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my doorpost. For he who finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord.” What a verse-what a promise! In Psalms 5:12 we read: “For it is Thou who dost bless the righteous man, O Lord, Thou does surround him with favor as with a shield.” To live life with the favor of God is the ultimate realization in life-nothing could ever compare-and the good news is that God desires to favor His sons and daughters. I’m not sure I can prove this with scripture, but I think that being blessed and being favored or not exactly the same. All believers are blessed to have salvation, forgiveness of sin, etc. When you read verses that refer to being favored by God, you often find some attribute on the part of the one being favored-such as being about righteous acts, listening to and obeying God, waiting on God, etc. In the verse above, you see the idea of “watching daily at His gates” and “waiting at my doorpost” as well as listening, keeping His ways. Our righteousness is as filthy rags and we are righteous only by being in Him. However, because we are righteous in Him, then we are to live a life expressing His righteousness. I think we need to make this connection; we have been made righteous for a reason, and that reason is to express His righteousness. I believe that as we seek, as we decide, as we choose to express His life, His righteousness, we find His favor. It must be stressed that we cannot earn His favor and we are not to think that we deserve His favor. I believe that we can and should live our daily lives looking for ways to commit acts of righteousness and express His life in every area of our lives. Living with His favor does not mean that we will never experience difficulty, but it does mean we will see His hand at work even in the difficulty. The scriptures also teach that faith is critical as it “is impossible to please God without faith”, and “whatever is not of faith is sin.” (Rom 14:23) From scripture we know that God is pleased with faith on our part. Jesus marveled at the faith the Roman centurion had who asked Jesus just to speak the word of healing for his son. Also, on one occasion, Paul said that he was “trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord”. We will be blessed if we too live our life with a desire to be and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.
Proverbs 3:3-4: “Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man.”
Blessings,
Buddy
Proverbs 8:32-35: “Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, for blessed are they who keep my ways. Heed instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my doorpost. For he who finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord.” What a verse-what a promise! In Psalms 5:12 we read: “For it is Thou who dost bless the righteous man, O Lord, Thou does surround him with favor as with a shield.” To live life with the favor of God is the ultimate realization in life-nothing could ever compare-and the good news is that God desires to favor His sons and daughters. I’m not sure I can prove this with scripture, but I think that being blessed and being favored or not exactly the same. All believers are blessed to have salvation, forgiveness of sin, etc. When you read verses that refer to being favored by God, you often find some attribute on the part of the one being favored-such as being about righteous acts, listening to and obeying God, waiting on God, etc. In the verse above, you see the idea of “watching daily at His gates” and “waiting at my doorpost” as well as listening, keeping His ways. Our righteousness is as filthy rags and we are righteous only by being in Him. However, because we are righteous in Him, then we are to live a life expressing His righteousness. I think we need to make this connection; we have been made righteous for a reason, and that reason is to express His righteousness. I believe that as we seek, as we decide, as we choose to express His life, His righteousness, we find His favor. It must be stressed that we cannot earn His favor and we are not to think that we deserve His favor. I believe that we can and should live our daily lives looking for ways to commit acts of righteousness and express His life in every area of our lives. Living with His favor does not mean that we will never experience difficulty, but it does mean we will see His hand at work even in the difficulty. The scriptures also teach that faith is critical as it “is impossible to please God without faith”, and “whatever is not of faith is sin.” (Rom 14:23) From scripture we know that God is pleased with faith on our part. Jesus marveled at the faith the Roman centurion had who asked Jesus just to speak the word of healing for his son. Also, on one occasion, Paul said that he was “trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord”. We will be blessed if we too live our life with a desire to be and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.
Proverbs 3:3-4: “Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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