Tag Archives: divine favor

Trusting God’s Provision: Resting in His Promises

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As Christians, we can depend on the Lord to provide for our daily needs. Abraham knew this to be true and said of Yahweh, “The LORD Will Provide” (Gen 22:14). And Paul wrote, “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed” (2 Cor 9:8), and “God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19). Of course, as Christians, we must not confuse need with greed.

The CrossGod’s greatest provision was for our eternal salvation, which came through His Son, Jesus, Who died in our place and bore the punishment that rightfully belongs to us (Rom 5:8; 1 Cor 15:3-4; 1 Pet 3:18). When we trust in Christ alone as our Savior, we receive forgiveness of sins (Eph 1:7), eternal life (John 10:28), are transferred into “the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col 1:13), become “children of God” (John 1:12), and are blessed “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph 1:3). God’s wonderful grace is amazing! And God, having done the most for us at the cross, will not do less for us after our salvation. Paul wrote, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Rom 8:31-32). Since God has already demonstrated His maximum love and generosity by giving His Son for our salvation, it only stands to reason that He will certainly provide everything else needed for our well-being, and for a life that glorifies Him and edifies others.

Bible Promises - 1By faith we trust God and rest in His promises. Failure to trust God will result in worry, fear, and an anxious heart that is never at rest. Do our hearts ever become anxious? Of course they do. And does fear ever rise up? Yes, of course it does. Well over a hundred times in the OT & NT believers are told “do no fear” and “do not be afraid” (e.g., Gen 15:1, Deut 1:21; Isa 41:10; Matt 10:28; 1 Pet 3:14). These directives would be superfluous if sinful fear was not a problem for the believer. Sometimes we become like Peter and look at the storm around us (Matt 14:30), become frightened, and sink into what we fear. But when fear rises up, faith must rise higher, always trusting God to keep His Word. When trials come (and they will), we must see them as opportunities to grow in our faith (Jam 1:2-4). The benefit of living by faith is a relaxed mental attitude as the believer focuses on the Lord and His promises. Remember, God always keeps His promises, for “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Num 23:19). Yes, He will always keep His Word, for “the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind” (1 Sam 15:29), for “it is impossible for God to lie” (Heb 6:18). God has integrity and keeps His Word, and “is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (Eph 3:20a).

Walk by FaithGod will provide. The challenge for us, as His children, is to accept His Word as true and apply it to our lives on a regular basis. The walk of faith requires us to have discipline of mind and will, to learn and live God’s Word, and to stay focused on Him and His promises. As God’s children, we are to “walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7). The walk of faith is what He wants, for He says, “My righteous one shall live by faith” (Heb 10:38), and “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). The life of faith is what Pleases God, “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Heb 11:6). Will there be failure on our part? Yes, more often than most of us would like to admit. But that’s why daily confession is important (1 John 1:9), as we acknowledge our sins to God, trust that He forgives, and then move back into a walk of faith. Let us continually learn and live God’s Word, always trusting the Lord will provide and that He will keep His promises to us. This way of living will glorify God, edify others, and result in a relaxed mental attitude for us as we lean on the Lord.

Dr. Steven R. Cook

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God’s Favor Toward His People

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For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD, You surround him with favor as with a shield (Psa 5:12).

  We show someone favor when we treat them with special kindness, granting them a blessing or improving the quality of their life. God’s favor refers to the goodness and blessings He bestows on others. His favor is based on His sovereignty, for He is under no compulsion to act, but does so according to His good pleasure, freely, from the abundance of His own goodness. God’s favor is sometimes extended through the agency of other people or through various circumstances. 

    God's FavorGod shows a certain amount of favor, or grace, to everyone, including the righteous and the wicked. Jesus revealed, “For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matt 5:45). This is the goodness God shows to all mankind regardless of their character. However, though the evil and unrighteous encounter God’s favor, it does not change them. Isaiah explained, “Though the wicked is shown favor, he does not learn righteousness; he deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, and does not perceive the majesty of the LORD” (Isa 26:10). Apart from the general favor God shows to all mankind, there is a special favor He shows to some. In the case of special favor, God either directly blesses someone, or creates a favorable disposition in the hearts of others, even unbelievers, so that they treat His people with exceptional kindness (Prov 21:1).

     The Bible reveals “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen 6:8), so God saved him and his family from the destruction of the flood (Gen 6:10-8:22). Abraham found favor in the Lord’s sight (Gen 18:3-5), and God promised him a son within a year (Gen 18:10; cf. Gen 21:2). Lot was granted the Lord’s favor (Gen 19:19), and was spared the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:24-25).

     Joseph had been sold into slavery by His brothers to Midianite traders (Gen 37:28), who took Joseph to Egypt and sold him to an Egyptian official named Potiphar (Gen 37:36). However, even in slavery, “The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man” (Gen 39:2). It was God Who granted Joseph favor in the sight of Potiphar, his Egyptian master, and the Lord even blessed Potiphar’s house (Gen 39:4-5). Later, when Joseph was betrayed by Potiphar’s wife and sent to prison (Gen 39:7-20), even there “the LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer” (Gen 39:21).

     Later, when God called His people out of Egypt, He again caused others to treat His people favorably. Before the Exodus, God promised, “I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed” (Ex 3:20-21; cf. Ex 11:3). And God’s Word came to pass, as Scripture states, “Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Thus they plundered the Egyptians” (Ex 12:35-36).

     Moses, while leading God’s people in the wilderness, requested of the Lord, “let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight” (Ex 33:13; cf., Ex 33:16; 34:9). The Lord granted Moses’ request, saying, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name” (Ex 33:17). 

     Ruth found favor in Boaz’ sight and this resulted in many blessings (Ruth 2:2, 10, 13). Daniel had been taken into Babylonian captivity (Dan 1:1-4) and was subjected to a pagan reeducation program (Dan 1:5-8). However, “God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials” (Dan 1:9), so that Daniel could maintain his integrity (Dan 1:9-16). The Lord’s favor led to Daniel’s promotion within the Babylonian kingdom (Dan 1:17-21). Later, toward the end of the Israelite captivity, God moved the heart of the Persian king, Cyrus, to show favor to the Israelites by supporting their return to Jerusalem and rebuilding the temple (Ezra 1:1-8; 7:27). It was during this time that God caused Esther to find favor in the eyes of the pagan king, Ahasuerus (Est 2:17; 5:2), who helped save Israel from a holocaust (Est 8:1-17).

     Those who love God’s ways and seek His wisdom open themselves to His favor. The psalmist writes, “The LORD favors those who fear Him, those who wait for His lovingkindness” (Ps. 147:11), and Solomon states, “Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man” (Prov. 3:3-4). Wisdom says, “Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my doorposts. For he who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD” (Prov 8:32-35).

Dr. Steven R. Cook

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