Favor
How do we obtain the Lord’s favor? Or earn our stamp of approval from the Almighty? We want it, right? Our gold star? Those blessings bestowed like health and wealth and having children who never argue? Oh, and a spouse who adores us 24/7? Wouldn’t that be nice.
I recently attended a church service and heard a sermon about obedience. The pastor referenced Exodus 33:17, “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”
And I smirked. Moses had favor? As an outsider looking in, it seemed like most of his life he exemplified reluctant obedience. From the day he was born, he had it rough. Pharaoh tried to kill him, but his sister set him adrift in a basket and saved his life. Later on, God had to literally spell it out for him in a burning bush, and Moses hemmed and hawed about how someone else would be a better candidate to save the Israelites from their bondage, but the Lord wasn’t interested in his excuses. Moses finally negotiated terms he was comfortable with and said he’d do what the Lord requested. He reluctantly agreed to obey which apparently, led to favor.
I thought of other courageous men and women of the Bible who possessed the favor of the Lord. I thought about their personal lives of pain, hardship and calls to obey difficult circumstances, and it was through radical obedience to these requests, that they were granted favor.
Obedience leads to favor
Like Noah who entered a smelly ark AND THEN…
witnessed a colorful promise from the Lord.
Like Abraham who was called to sacrifice his son AND THEN…
became the father of many nations.
Like Moses who endured plagues and ridicule from the pharaoh AND THEN…
his people were set free.
Like Esther who pleaded for the lives of the Jews AND THEN…
she became queen.
Like Ruth who followed her mother-in-law to a new land AND THEN….
her life was redeemed through marriage and children.
Like Job who watched the destruction of his entire life AND THEN…
found redemption when his life was restored even more abundantly.
Like Daniel who was thrown into a den of lions AND THEN…
the Lord miraculously shut their mouths and promoted him to a position of authority.
Like Samson who became a slave and had his eyes gouged out AND THEN…
was endowed with the power of the Lord to destroy evil.
Like Hosea who married a prostitute and remained faithful AND THEN…
his story became a beautiful metaphor of God’s love for his people.
Like David who committed adultery with a married woman AND THEN…
became a part of the lineage of Christ.
Like Mary who was impregnated as a virgin AND THEN…
became the mother of the Savior of the world.
Like me who chose life for my unborn child when every expert suggested termination AND THEN…
God used my miracle boy to do mighty things for the kingdom including a non profit, a podcast, 3 books, and a documentary.
Or being asked to marry a man and adopt his three young children less than a year after burying my husband AND THEN…
God graciously knit our families together and created beauty from ashes.
Photo credit: Efren Barahona on Unsplash.com.
Modern day obedience may look like
Yes Lord, I’ll foster that child.
Yes Lord, we’ll adopt.
Yes Lord, I’ll homeschool.
Yes Lord, we’ll move to the mission field.
Yes Lord, I’ll give my marriage another shot.
Yes Lord, I’ll joyfully raise my disabled son for the rest of his life.
Takeaways
Obtaining favor is not necessarily easy.
Favor requires courageous obedience.
Favor may involve stepping out of our comfort zone.
Favor is a road often paved with pain and tragedy as we humbly obey what has been asked of us for the Kingdom of God.
Application
What area of life are you struggling to obediently surrender? It’s hard, isn’t it? Next time you find yourself giving the Lord a litany of excuses for why you can or cannot surrender this issue, remember that favor is obtained through obedience, even reluctant obedience, like our good friend Moses! Surrender, obey, and then walk confidently into the favor of the Lord.
Jess Ronne is an author, speaker, and caregiver advocate. She is founder and executive director of The Lucas Project—a non-profit dedicated to providing respite opportunities for special needs families. She and her husband Ryan live in Michigan with their 8 children, including their son Lucas who has profound special needs. Her story of beauty from ashes has been shared on The Today Show, Daily Mail and Huffington Post and is detailed in her memoir Sunlight Burning at Midnight and newest book Blended with Grit and Grace. To follow the ongoing saga she can be found at www.jessplusthemess.com or Facebook/Jessplusthemess or Instagram/Jessplusthemess.
