You have Divine Favor

There are always so many challenges in life, it seems that they are unending yet the finished work of Christ is enough for our victory. As we were praying over potential buildings to move ELM into in the future the Lord began to open my eyes about some verses in Scripture. I realized that we need favor, favor opens doors that men can't open and it is supernatural. I remember when we adopted my son Joshua how the Lord had revealed the power of His Favor. We were amazed as barrier after barrier were overcome by the power of the Lord's favor released through faith-filled prayers (at times mustard seed size). So as the Lord quickened to my spirit the verses in Proverbs 3:4-6, "So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." This is a wonderful few verses that had been prayed over me many years back, yet I struggled with a inner ache of was I really trusting in the Lord with all my heart because this was the condition to receiving Divine Favor. It seemed if I was totally honest with myself and God that I didn't trust Him with all my heart even though I had the desire. This is what I saw if I was to look at these verses through the Old Covenant (Law) but through the New Covenant (finished work of Christ) it comes alive. Jesus did trust in the Lord with all His heart and thus fulfilled the condition to receive Divine Favor, as our representantive (human being) in the New Covenant with God we were then given the result by God putting us "in Christ". In other words in a Covenant relationship you share with another party everything you have, God has not withheld from us so we are fellow heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). This means that through Christ God has given me Divine Favor and faith in what Christ has done for me unlocks this promise in my life. Praise God! This makes sense when almost a year ago I was asking the Lord for favor, He stopped me and said "Why do you pray for what I have already given you?". The definition for Grace is unmerited favor, if it was merited I would have had to earn it but the Divine Favor by being "in Christ" is Grace. This is all wonderful but I can put pressure on myself to "have faith", yet Galatians 2:20 tells us that we live by the faith "of the Son of God". It isn't even my faith but faith given to me as a gift from Jesus. Wow! I now see that I have a right to Divine Favor, not because I am special in my own ability or estimation but because of the Grace of God. I pray that you would agree that God has given you favor and walk in it. Favor can open amazing doors, put you before important people, and give solutions that no one else has. It is the right of every believer, yet the Enemy has done a good job of deceiving us into believing we have to earn it through our right and holy living (Old Covenant-Law).

In His Grace,
Bret