"Favor In God's Sight"

Written by R. E. Bailes

MINE!

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

When you go forward in life by faith, trusting God for favor in his sight, you will see the goodness and mercy of God as you look back at how things worked out for you! There are some speakers that will tell you that everything will turn out fine all of the time and everyone will do good things for you every time you turn around if you just think that you are favored by God.

If that is true, then what happened to all of the people who experience hardship out of their control and who are becoming stronger and wiser every day that they struggle to keep their heart, mind and soul in alignment with God? What about the missionaries who have suffered and died and the apostles that were tortured? Did God change the way people were favored in His sight in the past few years? Then why are famous speakers telling people everything will happen in their favor if they just think that it will?

The truth is that there is a difference in the way people think about the matter of God's favor for ones self. The popular belief is that we can have whatever we want if we believe we will have it and everyone will just put in it our hands. I saw a tent meeting preacher in Tennessee get this kind of treatment once when he passed the KFC buckets around but normally it doesn't happen to us everytime we turn around!

When we ask God for favor in His sight, we accept WHATEVER HE PREFERS for our life and we believe that it is best. That is part of being in alignment and God tells us that our presses will burst and our storage barns will be filled. These are simply examples of how the people in those days would relate to being blessed by God. Let's look at a couple of those people.

Noah, his family and animals were spared when every creature on earth was destroyed by the flood. He had received the favor of God for his life and God did something miraculous for Noah.

Genesis 6:7,8 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Then there was Joseph who, as a young boy, had been taken into slavery in Egypt. No matter what happened in his life, Joseph always seemed to find himself closely watched and guarded by God, even in the prison after being tricked by Pharoah's wife. Don't you believe that Joseph's father, Isreal (Jacob), was praying every day for Joseph to find favor "in the sight of God"?

Genesis 39:5 And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.


It makes a huge difference when we ask God for "favor in His sight" rather than expecting other people to give us favor. Most of the time, when you hear a speaker talking about people having favor all the time, everywhere you go, with everyone you meet, they are filling peoples minds with the kind of messages that will excite their "MINE" nerve. Everytime that an opportunity to get something bigger and better comes up, they believe that they are going to get it! That's the "MINE" nerve that kicks into action whenever we believe we will get a reward in this life that we didn't do ANYTHING to receive.

Don't get me wrong! I believe that God does many supernatural things to help us out of situations that we can't help ourselves out of and sometimes we even sudddenly get that surprise that we asked for long ago but had kind of forgotten about! Look at this verse that shows us how the apostle Paul explained the reward system to the Corinthians.

1Corinthians 3:6-8 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

This is referring to our rewards in Heaven for the spreading of the Word, but this is typical of the teachings throughout the Bible. The apostle even told the disciples, who preached the Word following Jesus resurrection, that those who didn't work shouldn't eat.

We must be careful about believing the speakers who tell us everything that makes us feel good while there are millions who are suffering in this world! Just remember Matthew twenty-five starting in verse thirty-one, where we are told that God will gather all nations together before His throne. Look at this passage and find out why the Lord tells us to help those in need! Actually,He tells us to help those who are the very least of these; who cannot possibly help us in return! According to this passage, who does the Bible say that we have actually helped when we do this? That's right, we have done it to God Himself!

How many, so called, favored people really care enough to help others who don't in some way or another benefit them in return? I believe that people can become wealthy and still care for those in need, but it is the "MINE" nerve that usually reacts when we tune in to the message of the prosperity speakers who are leading masses in the churches of today!

Let's be real! Let's seek favor "in the sight of God" for ourselves and those we care for today!

Entreat God for favor in His sight anytime you need an answer in life!

God will give you the BEST answer for the BEST results in LIFE!

That's a promise!

Today's Scripture Reading

Mat 25:31-40 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

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