God’s favor always precedes his blessings. This is by far one of God's most mysterious acts that unfortunately go unnoticed by the average believer or person, for that matter.
Our teaching today is, by far, not only an interesting one but an informative one, and that will cause you to look at the favor of God from an entirely different perspective. I can certainly promise you that you’ll discover that the favor of God is indeed a requirement for any blessing that you’ll ever receive from him in this teaching.
What exactly is favor? Well, favor is defined as excessive kindness or unfair partiality; preferential treatment: to treat some people with favor and others with neglect. Simply put, to do something for someone, with or without any cause on their end, that you would not do for others in the same position.
Bishop T. D Jakes has coined the phrase, “Favor ain't fair.” Other believers speak of themselves as being highly favored by God. Some even pray for the favor of God during certain troubles and trials in their lives.
The reality is, God’s favor is automatic when we do exactly what he requires of us. Secondly, it is the favor of God that sustains and maintains us during our times of afflictions before our blessings. It is a must that I inculcate this into your understanding, And that is, favor always precedes the blessings! Now, as most of us would know, to be blessed is to literally be empowered, authorized, or sanctioned. The Bible tells us that when God blessed them (Adam and Eve), they became authorized or empowered to do five things they could not do before the blessings. They were: To be fruitful, multiply, replenish, subdue, and finally dominate Genesis 1:28. As an added fact, the Bible further states that the Lord's blessings make one rich or increase him/her, and he adds no sorrow to it Proverbs 10:22.
Isaac, the promised son of Abraham, I found to be the perfect example of God’s favor preceding the blessing. His life gives a clear-cut view of how God’s favor works, not just for him but for all of us who decide to obey God’s unadulterated proven word that cannot return unto him without accomplishing what it was sent out to do.
Scripture revealed a famine in the land during Isaac's days, besides that of the famine of the days of Abraham. Isaac’s immediate thought was to go into Egypt like his father did during his time of famine. However, God appeared to him and insist that he stay in Gerar of Philistine, a place where the famine was intense. God promised Isaac that he will be with him and bless him, and also bless his seed, and make him great beyond his wildest imagination.
Let’s just pause here for a second. Isn't it just like God to make these extraordinary promises when there is absolutely no single thread of evidence to support what he is saying? Picture for a second, you’re at a church service, broke busted, and definitely disgusted.
Then a man or woman of God decides to pull you out of the crown and begin saying to you thus sad the lord, “I see finances being repaired, I see you being wealthy beyond your greatest expectation, and I see you assisting others in their finances” It is only normal that you ask yourself the question, “is he talking about me”?. So, you can only imagine what Isaac must have contemplated when God said to him to remain in this desolate, barren place, for it is there I will bless you.
Nevertheless, Isaac obeyed God and stayed despite what was seemingly obvious. Interestingly enough, Isaac sowed in the land just like every other occupant of that country. According to the Bible, Isaac was the only one that received a hundredfold in that same year Genesis 26:12.
Now, let’s break this scripture down to get clarity on how the favor of God is at work here. Firstly, the scripture did not say Isaac reaped a hundredfold. Instead, it said he received a hundredfold; there is a difference. To receive is to take into one's possession (something offered or delivered): as in receiving a gift, it also means having something delivered or brought to you. On the other hand, the word to reap is defined as getting a return, recompense, or result of something at an appointed time because of what was sown. If I planted a mango seed, then according to nature's laws, it must produce mangos during that season only. Nevertheless, because Isaac obeyed God, his obedience caused him to receive and not reap, suggesting God gave or delivered the hundredfold to him before the time appointed for it to come forth, which is the favor of God in action. Wow! What a stunning revelation.
Now, I made it abundantly clear that God’s favor always proceeds the blessings at the beginning of this article. At present most of you reading this article right now believe I have it all wrong, In that when God gave Isaac the hundredfold that, that was the blessing, right?
Well, the truth according to scripture is, the receiving of the hundredfold was, in fact, the favor of God, because in that same passage of scripture, it reads God blessed Isaac after the receiving of the hundredfold….. Wow, what a revelation!
My dear readers, if this hasn’t enlightened your understanding, then I don’t know what will. Just for a moment, consider the promises/blessings God has made to you or what has been prophesied over your life. Chances are, most of those blessings or prophecies have yet to come to pass. Now take another look at your life while you were waiting on the blessings. Can’t you see the favor of God extended throughout all areas of your life?
For the most part, we become so caught up with the blessings set for an appointed time that we take for granted the many favors bestowed upon us, advancing us to those appointed blessings. I clearly understand how one can overlook these favors because these favors come in two categories, and they are: 1) just enough and 2) not enough. As an example, your car gas gauge in on empty, and you’re fully aware that you can not make it to your next destination. Then out of the clear blue, someone gives you five dollars. It’s not much but just enough to get you to your destination; this is favor. Your light bill is due, and it’s $120.00; the Lord laid it on someone’s heart to give you $40.00; it’s not enough, but you owe $40.00 less than you originally owed; this is also favor. We don't see it as favor in both cases because it doesn't cover our bills' entirety. In all honesty, how many of you did not make the following statement, “Why God just don’t send the full amount”?
The truth is favor’s purpose in your life is not so much to provide some resources but to assist you mainly with the trust issues that you have with God. As a reference point, have you ever noticed that just enough and not enough shows up in the nick of time? Secondly, favor’s job is to also eliminate worry; after proving God by his favor in your many circumstances, you should by now have developed trust and reduce anxiety with a certainty that he will provide.
So, my dear readers, it is these seemingly insignificant acts that all of us take for granted when the favor of God is running its full course. Please let us pause here and begin to ask God to forgive us for our ungratefulness and selfish attitudes towards his divine favor. Now, let’s start to thank him for all his marvelous favors seen and unseen that have brought us thus far despite our murmuring and constant complaining.
As a final point, my beloved readers, all favors from God are the prerequisites to the blessings of God. So, now that you've scrutinized your life based on this teaching and have discovered the numerous favors God has bestowed upon you, then make no mistake, your blessings are guaranteed, signed, sealed, and shall be delivered to you in God's appointed time.
Heavenly Father, I thank you that you are God and God alone. It is because of your sovereignty that no one is qualified to question the favor you've bestowed upon us. I thank you for your favor; that is the evidence of the pending blessings that you've promised us. My prayer Lord is that the spirit of ungratefulness and the lack of unthankfulness be destroyed and instantly be replaced with a spirit of thanksgiving and appreciation towards your many blessings. I ask these things in the matchless and marvelous name of your son and our savior Jesus Christ. Amen!
Written by: Kevin L A Ewing
ewinglakevin@icloud.com
kevinlaewing.blogspot.com
kevinlaewing.blogspot.com
