What Does It Mean To Have God’s Favor Upon Your Life? By Machelle McDowell
There is a new song out called, “Blessings” by Elevation! I just love it! It moves me each time I hear it. There is a line in this song that has captured my attention.
May His favor be upon you.
Does God favor us? Does he delight in us?
Listen to this: Isaiah 66:2 says,
“These are the ones I look on with favor; those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”
Let’s pick this verse apart just a little bit! I want to look at a few words up close.
Let’s start with favor- to feel or show approval or preference for. Does God approve of your representation of him to others? Does he preference our actions towards him? Are we deserving of HIs favor?
You know, I didn’t make the association between grace (which is unmerited favor) and favor until I began to research what favor really is. They are virtually the same! We don’t deserve either one.
If God chooses to show favor, it does not make us exempt from the woes of the world. That is not what His favor does.
The greatest act of God’s favor is that of eternal life, by grace we have been saved. And, it is only by His grace we are able to to live for the Lord in this dark world.
Like God’s grace….His favor is also unmerited. It is a gift. A gift of love from him to us! His favor upon our lives!
Let’s peek into the the definition of humble. This word pops up frequently in the Bible.
I am convinced God shows favor on the humble. Listen to this definition: Having or showing a modest or low estimate of one’s own importance.
My favorite Bible illustration of humility is found in the book of John when Jesus himself bowed before his disciples and performed the deepest act of love recorded in Biblical history, (minus the crucifixion ofcourse), in my opinion.
Jesus demonstrated a lifelong lesson for his disciples to continue after his ascension. He came to serve not to be served. He put the world before himself. God showed favor on his people through the work on the cross.
Contrite- What does this mean? Feeling or expressing remorse.
God shows us favor when we express remorse over our sin. When guilt consumes us to the point of conviction.
When we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved, (Romans 10:9). God is quick to forgive and show favor in gifting us with eternal life!
And lastly, what does it mean to tremble at God’s word? John lost all physical strength when God spoke to him (Rev 1:17). Remember the story of Paul on the Damascus road? He fell to the ground when Christ met him there, (Acts 9). Wow!
Do we read our Bibles with this kind of expectation? That God’s favor might fall upon us in a way we would tremble?
If God can raise the dead, calm the seas, command the winds, I do not doubt He can cause us to tremble through his word.
So, in summary, (paraphrased) this verse speaks of God’s favor by showing his approval to those who think more of others than themselves and are broken by the sin in our lives which drives us to ask for forgiveness and go to God’s word with the expectation of trembling at the message he has in store for us!
May He show favor on you today!
When God grants you his favor, nothing can stop the blessings He has in store. (Anonymous)