For it is You Who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield. Psalm 5:12 We need to understand the importance of being made right with God. Many of us live in a chronic state of condemnation. But Jesus took the sentence we deserve, and when we accept His free gift of salvation, we are made right with God.

Instead of condemnation we now have favor because of what Jesus did on the Cross. God promises the righteous man that whatever he does will prosper, and that wherever he goes he will be blessed and have the favor of God (Psalm 1:3b; Deuteronomy 28:3, 6). When you understand that there is no condemnation in Jesus, and that in Him you are made righteous (Romans 3:22; 8:1), your attitude will change so that you can confidently accept the gift of victory and favor.

Sometimes you don't have it all figured out and you feel in between things—but think of Joseph. He was thrown into prison, but even then God gave him favor with the prison guard, and he eventually was promoted to be head of all in Egypt (Genesis 39:21; 41:40). Or think of Esther, who was promoted to the position of queen because of God's favor on her life (Esther 2:17). If there is an area of self-inflicted misery in your life, repent and move on: Don't let the past hold you back when you are a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). There is redemption in every situation in Jesus. Get on with your walk and refuse to allow the accuser to recite all the junk that Jesus covered with His blood.

Favor is not just so we can feel good about ourselves. "Freely you received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8b). It is about affecting others. The favor of God promoted Joseph to a place where he was able to save Egypt from starvation during a famine. Because of the favor on Esther's life, an entire people group was saved from extermination. God wants to use us to change nations, to help people. Grab hold of these truths and let God use you in amazing ways.

Praise God for His Favor!
Pastor Jeff

"The triumphant Christian does not fight for victory; he celebrates a victory already won . . . The victorious life is [Christ's] business, not yours."       —Reginald Wallis. From "The New Life" © 1932, Loizeaux Brothers.


© 2008 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.