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The Year of the Lord’s Favor

2 Comments / Overcoming, Relationship with God / Tom Stuart

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. Genesis 6:8-9

The hopes and expectations for 2014 for every Christ follower is probably best summed up in our desire to find favor in the eyes of the Lord. Finding favor carries with it the idea of being blessed with pardon, purpose, provision, protection etc.

Favor is one of those beautiful biblical words that communicate the extension of God’s grace and blessing to human kind. The Hebrew word “chen” interpreted most commonly as “favor” is also translated in some passages of scripture as “grace” or “blessing.” It is significant to note that favor is often phrased in the Bible as something that is “found.” For instance the first mention of the word “favor” is in Genesis 6:8-9: “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” I just happened to read this very verse today as I am launching into my annual daily reading plan to take me through the entire Bible in a year. (If you don’t already have one, try the YouVersion website or app for tons of Bible reading plan ideas.)

When something is found it carries with it the idea of being gifted or granted out of goodwill. That is an important distinction as opposed to something that we possess by virtue of having earned, purchased or gained it by the strength of our own will. Favor in many ways is like God’s mercy. It is unearned. Paul underscores this when he writes “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” (Romans 9:16 ESV)

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Say it with me, “I am blessed!”

There is a wonderful statement in the book of Proverbs about the blessing of God. It says “The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.” (Proverbs 10:22 NLT) Prosperity and protection are very obvious aspects of God’s blessing, and we see that repeatedly illustrated in the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament accounts of the lives of the patriarchs and the kings, and the nation of Israel. Typically when God chose to bless a person or a tribe or a nation in response to their wholehearted seeking of Him and obedience of faith to do what He asked them to do, their lives were made rich in very tangible ways, and any residue of sorrow, threat or regret was swept away.

Another phrase that is frequently used in the Bible for God’s blessing is the “favor of the Lord.” When a person has God’s favor upon their lives it is like being given an inexpressibly beautiful and valuable jewel that one always wants in their possession and will never let out of their sight. It is like having Warren Buffet as your financial advisor, Lloyds of London as your insurance agent and the Secret Service as your security force.