Favor

Day #7 and #8 ---- What Job?

The Bible tells us that the Lord is our shield (Psalm 28:7), He goes before us and prepares the way (Deuteronomy 31:8).  This is called favor.

I like that word and I like to use it with another word...unmerited.  Go ahead, say them together, "Unmerited Favor."

It just means that I don't deserve the Lord's favor.  I'm not good enough for it.  I've done terrible things and I think bad thoughts and my tongue can get sharp and negative.  I can throw a fit.  I've yelled at my kids.  I get annoyed with my husband.  I sink in despair at loads of housework.  I have been known to gossip.  I question other people's decisions.  In other words, I am not worthy of the holy Lord giving one thought to me, but how I desire for Him to see me.

And He does.  He tells us that he dresses the grass of the field when He knows it will not last long (Matthew 6:30) and reminds us that He does the very same for us.  Jesus tells us not to worry about material things because God will provide for us.  Jesus reminds us that God looks after the tiny sparrows (Matthew 6:26) and will certainly look after us.  Jesus tells us this world will try to distract us from the Good things, but all those things are provided to us by God our Father who owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10), who made the very earth (Genesis 2:4), who created everything (Jeremiah 10:12).  It is all His.  And He chooses to share it with us.

Favor.  I am not worthy of it, but the Lord sprinkles it on me and I can hardly understand it.

And so yesterday it was an unexpected phone call.  Someone who I only know by name called me.  They were working hard on my behalf to help me get another bookkeeping client.  They had no reason to do this.  They had no reason to be working so hard on my behalf.  I didn't ask them to do this.  But, as I stood on the street holding my cell phone in my hand trying to keep the one bar of service I had, I felt God's unmerited favor on me.

Bible Verses About Favor:

Psalm 5:12
Psalm 30:5
Psalm 84:11
Psalm 90:17
Psalm 106:4
Esther 2:8-9
Acts 7:9-10
Proverbs 3:33-35
Matthew 6:31-33
Proverbs 3:1-4