DIVINE FAVOUR
Psalms 5:12
For You; O Jehovah will bless the righteous; with favour, You will surround him as with a shield.
-It is seen here that God is willing to bless the righteous and also protect him with the weapon of favour. When the favour of God is upon a man, he will be secured and protected against all oppositions and anti-favour moves of men.
-We can see this kind of favour operating in the life of Daniel. He and all the Israelites were prisoners in Babylon. For reasons that can't be explained naturally, though, he had favour with the leaders of the land.
"Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs" (Dan. 1:9).
-In other accounts we learn that Daniel had so much favour with the leaders of the land, he was elevated to prestigious positions in the Babylonian kingdom. Even though the circumstances were stacked against him, Daniel eventually became the prime minister of Babylon.
-We shall look at the study under 3 sub-headings:
1. The Description of Divine Favour
2. The Direction of Divine Favour
3. The Destruction of Divine Favour
1. The Description of Divine Favour
a.)When a man is selected for something good among many qualified counterparts
For instance, Esther was selected among several other beautiful ladies that are qualified to be the queen. Esther 2: 15-17
b.)When a man is chosen for the position he is not naturally qualified for, especially among others that are far better than him. David was the most unqualified person naturally in his family, but God rejected others to look for him. 1 Samuel 16: 11-13
c.)When a man seeks the face of God in Prayer, and have all his request granted. A very good example is the account of Jabez. 1 Chron 4: 9-10.
d.)When help is made available unto a man at a time and from a place he least expected. Like the case of the man waiting at the pool of Bethesda. John 17: 1-15
e.)When a man is called by God to do great work for God when he was not thinking about God. We saw the case of Paul, God called him when he was walking on the path to destruction. Acts 9: 1-6
f.)When a man is guided to take a little effort, that leads to great achievement. Peter toiled throughout the night with great failure, but at the word of the Lord, he had great success.
g.)When a man is always receiving kindness from others as a result of God’s hand on his life. At every turbulent time in the life of Joseph, he was always finding help from somebody.
-Now basically, amongst several other things Divine Favour will do certain things for you.
-The favour of God found Moses at the backside of the desert. It found David where he was looking after the sheep. It found Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus.
-Another thing that favour does like we have been told is that it singles you out of a crowd. It doesn’t matter how many people are there, the favour of God will just zero in on you and say ‘You are the one I want!" You will not understand how.
-The favour of God will single you out for a miracle because if you read Mark 10:46-52, the Bible says Jesus came to Jericho and as he was coming out of Jericho a great multitude followed him! A multitude followed Him! But how many of the people in the multitude got a miracle? Only blind Bartemeus who was by the highway side begging!
-When David found favour with God, the boy who was despised by his relatives, the one who they would never have been presented for election to be king, became a celebrated person. Up till today we still talk about David.
2. The Direction of Divine Favour.
1. Medical Direction
-If you are sick and you are considered incurable and you find favour with God, you will suddenly discover that the incurable will begin to have a testimony.
-In John 5:2-9 There was a multitude by the pool of Bethesda. Jesus came there, saw a man who had been there for 38 years. His face shone on that man. He went to that man, healed that man and left the place. There were several others. Divine Favour singled out that man for a miracle.
-When you read the story of 2 Kings 5:1-14. It tells us the story of Namaan – how he was healed. Jesus said something in Luke 24:27, He said there were many lepers in Samaria in the time of Elisha, only one was cleansed! How many? One! Out of the many, one found favour.
-A Muslim young man entered our Bible study service one day and God healed him of chronic kidney disease. He had never entered into a church before and according to him, he was used to making a mockery of Christianity
2. Material Direction
-When you find favour with God, suddenly, whatever you touch begins to prosper and people will begin to wonder how?
-Divine Favour can give you just one contract and all of a sudden for the rest of your life you can enjoy it.
- Luke 5:1-7 Jesus was preaching by the seaside. He saw two boats. One belonged to Peter. One belonged to somebody else and by favour of God, it was Peter’s boat that was chosen.
-When God decided to favour you, you cannot escape prosperity whether you like it or not. If He says, ‘I’m going to prosper you!" Prosperity will come!
3. Marrital Direction
-If you have been considered barren and God decides to favour you, suddenly those who have been laughing against you will begin to laugh with you. 1 Samuel 1:9-20
-Now when you read Proverbs 18:22, the Bible says whoso findeth a wife, findeth a good thing and obtains favour of God. if you have no husband you’ll get a husband. (Amen!) If you have no wife you’ll get a wife. If you are barren, you’ll have children. (Amen!)
4. Mental Direction
-When God decides to favour you mentally suddenly you begin to have wisdom that you never can explain.
- You know Daniel 2:20-22 tells us that wisdom belongs to God and He gives wisdom to the wise. If anybody lacks wisdom God said you should just ask God. That’s in James 1:3.
-You will find that when God decides to favour somebody mentally, he has wisdom he cannot explain.
5. Ministerial Direction
-Everyone who is born again, baptized in the Holy Spirit, is a minister of God – all you are waiting for is a favour from God.
-When a minister finds favour with God, it becomes easy for him to do the work of God. He will preach a simple sermon and souls will be saved.
-When you find favour with God – any door you knock will open.
6. Many-fold Direction.
-Many-fold direction favour is all-round favour – when we study about the man called Joseph. He had All round favour.
-He was never sick till he died, he had medical favour.
- What about materially? If you read Genesis 45:4-13 Joseph said, "God has made me lord of all Egypt." and he sent to his father and he said, "Come with all your family. I will feed you for the rest of your life."
-What about mental favour? If we read Genesis 41:39 Joseph was referred to here by Pharaoh and Pharaoh said, "there is none as wise as thou art..... there is none as wise as thou art.." because Joseph found favour with God he has a mental capacity that is frightening…
-What about marital? If you read Genesis 48:8-20 you will discover that in the home of Joseph there was peace, there was harmony.
- He had 2 sons – everything anybody could want in a home was there – he didn’t even have to look for a wife – one was given him! He had favour!
-What about materially? As far as Joseph was concerned – everything he touched prospered. Genesis 39:21-23. Everything Joseph touched prospered, even in prison. When they took him to prison, very soon he became the man in charge.
3. Destruction of Divine Favour
-If we go through the Bible very well, we shall what some people did that attracted the favour of God upon their lives, and what others did that separated them from the favour of God.
-The following factors will destroy the favour of God in a man’s life.
1. Disobedience to God
-Saul enjoyed the favour of God and was selected as the first king of Israel but through ddisobedience, he lost the divine favour. 1Sam 15: 19-24
2. Sexual Sin
-We saw Samson losing the favour of God due to his immoral lifestyle. All kinds of sexual sins and immoral lifestyles will make a man lose the favour of God. Judges 16: 18-21.
3. P ride
-Satan was the anointed Cherub at the throne of God. He lost the highly placed position due to pride.
-God will give grace (favour inclusive) to the humble but will resist a proud person.
-Naaman was almost losing the favour of his selective miracle due to pride but was able to retain it when he humble himself.
4. Stinginess and Lack of Giving.
-Those that know how to give are always abounding in the favour of God. Both the widow of Zarephath and the Shunamite woman received divine favour because they gave sacrificially.
-God said he will open the windows of heaven upon those that are faithful in their tithes and offerings. Mal 3:8-12.
5. Lack of Faithfulness in the Service of God
-If a man is faithful in the service of God, he will enjoy divine favour. Noah was faithful and his family were favourably preserved.
-The wife of the late prophet enjoyed divine favour due to the faithfulness of her husband in God’s service.
6. Sowing the seed of weakness
-The door of favour shall be shot against anyone sowing the seed of weakness against others. A man will reap what he sows.
-Adonibezek has been cutting the fingers and toes of other kings without mercy until it happened to him one day. Judges 1: 5-7.
7. Prayerlessness
-Prayer remains one the most effective keys that unlock the door of favour.
-When Esther prayed, she found favour before the king, likewise, Nehemiah prayed and received favour.
-In prayer, we can lay hold of God’s promises in His words and the door of favour shall be opened unto us.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, God’s favour can bring a lot of blessings upon a man. Divine favour can:
1. Produce supernatural promotion and increase (Gen 39:21)
2. Bring restoration of everything the enemy has stolen (Exo. 3:21).
3. Bring honour in the midst of adversaries (Exo. 11:3).
4. Produce increased assets (Deut. 33:23).
5. Give great and unusual victories even against impossible odds (Josh 6:20; 10: 9, 20).
6. Give recognition and promotion even when you seem to be the least likely one to receive it (1 Sam. 16:22).
7. Produce prominence and preferential treatment, favour and kindness (Esther 5:8).
8. Get petitions granted, even by ungodly civil authority (Esther 5:8).
9. Change rules, regulations, even laws if necessary to your advantage (Esther 8:5).
10. Win battles you did not even have to fight because God will fight them for you (Psalm 44:3).
-But there is a price to be paid, and that is righteousness. It comes through the new birth and continuing total obedience to the word of God.
