“Find favor…in the sight of God and man.” Pr 3:4 NKJV
To fulfill your God-given assignment in life you will need God’s favor! How did Joseph go from being a lowly inmate to running the whole prison system? “The Lord was with Joseph…and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison…whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper” (Ge 39:21-23 NKJV). Why did King Ahasuerus choose a Jewish slave girl named Esther to be his queen? “She obtained grace and favor in his sight…so he set the royal crown upon her head” (Est 2:17 NKJV). How did Samuel go from being a custodian in the temple to being a prophetic voice of the nation? “Samuel grew…in favor both with the Lord and men” (1Sa 2:26 NKJV). What did all these favored people have in common?
(1) They gave their best effort. They excelled at what God gave them to do, and when the time came He promoted them.
(2) They put others first. David served King Saul even though he was a ruthless boss. Ruth worked to support her widowed mother-in-law Naomi, while Naomi’s other daughter-in-law Orpah thought only of herself.
(3) They sought guidance and had a teachable spirit. God answered Ruth’s request by giving her Naomi, the right mentor, Boaz, the right boss, and making sure she got into the right field (See Ru 2:2-3). God’s favor will connect you to the right people and get you to the right place. When your chosen field is the field God has chosen for you
To see God’s favor at work, examine the life of Joseph.
“Now Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph more than all his children…he made him a [coat] of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him…they hated him…Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more” (Ge 37:3-5 NKJV).
Notice two things in this story:
(1) God’s favor is a gift, not a reward because you’re better than others. Never apologize for God’s blessing on your life, but never wear it as a badge of superiority. Paul asks, “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1Co 4:7 NKJV). Answer, nothing! So keep that in mind and live with an attitude of gratitude.
(2) Walking in God’s favor requires great wisdom. Joseph’s brothers said, “Look, this dreamer is coming…let us now kill him and…see what will become of his dreams” (Ge 37:18-20 NKJV).
It’s a mistake to share your dream with those who are incapable of appreciating it. Openly, they may rejoice with you, but secretly they’ll resent you. The Prodigal’s older brother wasn’t upset that his younger brother was starving in a foreign hog pen. What he couldn’t handle was his homecoming celebration. King Saul rejoiced when David killed Goliath. What he couldn’t handle were people saying, “Saul has killed his thousands, [but] David his ten thousands!” (1Sa 18:7 NLT). Jesus had strong words on this subject: “Do not…cast your pearls before swine” (Mt 7:6 NKJV). So use wisdom, speak only when the time is right, seek to please God, and you’ll walk in His favor.
God can give you favor in the most unusual places and through the most unlikely people. Joseph’s journey to the throne of Egypt involved being unjustly accused and thrown in prison. Now the prospects of an ex-con becoming your next prime minister are not good, unless like Joseph, God is writing your story. “Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker. So he put them…in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined” (Ge 40:2-3 NKJV). While they were there Joseph interpreted a dream for both men, and in each case what he said came to pass. So Joseph’s gift became known. Later when Pharaoh was troubled by a dream that none of his counselors could interpret, the butler remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh about him. At this point Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dream, helps him to prepare for seven years of coming famine, and is rewarded with being made the number two man in the country. At last, Joseph’s dream came to pass. But notice who God used to fulfill it: a baker and a butler. Spiritually speaking, God can use bakers to bless you because they know the ingredients required to make the cake. Some of the stuff they use, like salt, flour and baking soda, doesn’t taste too good, but the finished product is delicious. God can use butlers because they’re experienced in knowing how to open the door at the right time. Are you getting the idea? Keep your mind open and stay sensitive to God, for He will give you favor in the most unusual places and through the most unlikely people.
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1 Opinions/Comments:
amen..thnx.nice analysis of the baker and butler
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