And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God (Luke 1:28-30).
When angel Gabriel brought the news of the conception of Jesus to Mary, he started by declaring that she had found favour with God. When an individual finds favour with God, He blesses and uses him/her in a very significant and outstanding manner. Mary found favour with God, may you walk in divine favour all the days of your life. Divine favour preserves a man’s life. Divine favour makes an individual find forgiveness of sin before God. Divine favour puts an end to the night of weeping and causes the morning of joy to break, for an individual. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning (Ps 30:5).
When the favour of God is upon you, you stand out, over and above the rest. You are uniquely blessed, uniquely helped, and uniquely used by God in very significant ways. LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled (Psalm 30:7).
This was the case with Abraham. He was “a Syrian ready to perish” when God singled him out, called and blessed him in an amazing manner. He is still a reference point today, because of the favour of the Lord. The story of Joseph was one of favour. He literally walked in favour all the days of his life no matter where he found himself. Whether in the house of his father Jacob or in the house of Potiphar where he was a slave, or in the jail house where he was a prisoner, or in the palace of Pharaoh where he was the Prime Minister, he was operating at the level of divine favour. That shall be your experience for the rest of your life in Jesus’ mighty name! Certain things mark out an individual that is walking in divine favour.
(1) The presence of God is always with him/ her (Lk. 1:28; I Sam. 5:10; Gen. 28:15; Gen. 39:2-4; Acts 10:38).
(2) The blessing of the Lord that makes rich and adds no sorrow to it is always there (Pro. 10:22; Gen. 24:1, 39; 1-5).
(3) You enjoy distinction. You stand higher and taller than the rest (Ps. 30:7).
(4) You succeed in whatsoever it is that you do (Jos. 1:8; Ps. 1:1-3; Gen. 39:1-4).
If you are going to walk in favour it is important to pay attention to the following: First, God’s favour is found in Christ. He is the beloved Son of God in whom we all nd favour. If indeed you want to enjoy divine favour, you need to be wholeheartedly committed to Christ. It is in Christ we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of our sins (Col. 1:14). Secondly, you must be walking in holiness and righteousness if you want to enjoy favour with God. He gives favour to the righteous. For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield (Ps. 5:12). Finally you must make yourself available to pursue the purpose of God, to glorify God and also do His will on the earth. When you enjoy favour with God you will most certainly enjoy favour with men. May you walk in divine favour all the days of your life.
SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY
PSALM 30
FOR FURTHER STUDIES
LUKE 1
PRAYER POINTS:
- Give thanks to God for the availability of His favour.
- Ask the Lord to help you live such life that will attract His favour.
- Ask that God will clothe you with His favour all the days of your life.
Confession for Today: I am walking in favour with God and in the comfort of the
Nations’ Watch: Pray for Netherlands Holy Spirit.