Accessing God's Favour (2)

 DAILY VITAMIN

- Accessing God's Favour (2)

"For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as [with] a shield." (Psalm 5:12)

The scripture tells us "For his anger [endureth but] a moment; in his favour [is] life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy [cometh] in the morning." (Psalm 30:5). And in the seventh verse David confessed "LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, [and] I was troubled."

In other words, God always reserves favour for His people, and that favour is the only way in which life can be easy for us when others complain it's hard; however as we saw in the last devotional it takes faith to possess it.

Yes! And this because we are already creatures of favour. Romans 5:2 in the The Living Bible tells us we have been brought into the place of highest privilege. A place where you can have anything you ask of the Father as Jesus supposed (John 16:23-24). We have been brought, whether deservedly or undeservedly it doesn't matter. All that matters is that we have been brought in and made kings of life (see Romans 5:17 TLB), and this must be accessed by faith. The day we believe it enough to walk in its consciousness, we start to live in its reality.

Let's consider Abraham. 

Romans 4:12 tells us he found favour with God by faith alone (TLB). Verse 13 explains better. It says "because he trusted God to keep His promise" (TLB). And this he proved how? "Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised." (v. 20-21 NIV)

And Paul says we can have the same if we'd do what he did (Romans 4:16). In fact, this time he refers to favour as God's blessings, because where favour leads, blessings follow; but faith and trust in God is how we access it.

The same can be said of Jesus whom the scripture said grew in favour among God and men. He tells us how it happened. He said the Father has not left Him because He does always those things that please Him (John 8:29), and we know without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). And so in John 11, we notice Jesus prove one of the ways He pleased God--by absolute trust in Him. " So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” (v. 41-42 NIV). 

The same thing Abraham applied. And such attitude is what causes God to stoop down to raise men from the dust (Psalm 113:5-9).  

Isaiah 26:3 says "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." (NIV). perfect peace here means all-round blessings. The kind that announces the acceptable year in a life, turning ashes to beauty and mourning into joy, and this He does through favour (Isaiah 61:2-3 TLB). Paul calls it the power at work in us that does the exceeding abundant (Ephesians 3:20). And today, it will be your day. Amen.