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Looking back over my life, I can honestly say that God has been awesome to me. My list of unfulfilled requests is a short one comprised of all the things I still anticipate receiving in God’s own perfect timing for me. Why am I so confident in receiving an abundance of unfulfilled requests? It certainly isn’t because I’m more spiritual than the next person. I know many people who pray more, read their Bible more, and simply know more about God than I do. However, being a super-Christian is not a prerequisite to being super blessed. On the contrary to this ‘I am a Saint Christian’ ideology, is what God has stated clearly in the Bible; that his intent is for all his children to live a blessed and purposeful life. As if giving us the gift of life wasn’t enough, God enlisted we each give him all the strife and burdens associated with our existence on earth to allow us the benefit of living an abundant life.
As I have sought to understand why some folks are blessed more abundantly than others, God’s word has confirmed for me that his ultimate desire is for all to live a blessed life that is overflowing with God’s rich provision and goodness as we cooperate with God’s spirit to become more and more like Jesus Christ and therefore, in God’s grace and covenant. This means we each as individuals, transform into our blessed states at different moments and opportunities over our lifetime. We each have different lessons and challenges to learn and adapt in order to gain the necessary level of obedience that gets us closer in our personal relationship with God; and therefore, in God’s favor.
“Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have favor with God.’ Luke 1:29-30”.
For God to bless you and keep you, he must be looking at you. And when he looks at you, he must be pleased with what he sees in you by your mind, your heart and your spirit. So that therefore, God must like what your output into the world is. Favor by God proposes that God must be inspired to be gracious towards you. The truth is that as long as God is looking at you, you can obtain the peace that surpasses all humanistic understanding. This is because as long as God is looking at you and your output into the world, you can be sure that you are basking under the watchful eye of his protection. On the other hand, should God look away from your output in the world, the enemy (whether internally or externally) will use that very opportunity to host a field day by inhabiting your soul. Because God is full of righteousness and perfect will, he will not participate in what does not please him.
So if blessings are all about having God’s undivided attention, then surely favor is basking in the smile of God. Whenever we are obedient and coherent to God’s word, things happen in our favor because he has to respond to our obedience by showing up in our situation and showing us out the discourse of the situation. However, you should be cautious as obedience and good intentions are not one in the same. Obedience requires a ‘will’ to do what is right, while conceding good intentions reflects your ‘desire’ to do the good thing. The difference? A willful mind always progresses past desire mind! God is not moved by our good intentions, but rather our direct obedience to his order and commands. Hammond, M, (2001). How to be Blessed & Highly Favored .
My brothers and sisters in the Lord God, I say all this to say no battle is won without God. Sometimes it will seem like God is placing more on your plate than you can stand or requesting more from you than you can give; but God’s understanding is beyond our own. Sometimes God will request more because you deserve more, sometimes he will place more on your plate to gain more. When God’s favor is about to show through you, he will place you in what seems to be impossible extreme conditions as an opportunity to prove his power and shower favor onto the situation.
Ready and prepared to face the battle and gain God’s favor?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZx_2menZzI
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