Living in God's Favor

Two weeks ago (2/18) in my devotional “Favored One,” we saw that Mary entered into God’s favor not because of who she was or her performance, but because God imparted His favor upon her. As the angel challenged Mary to rejoice because of God’s favor, we too can rejoice because of God’s favor on us through Jesus Christ.

This week we want to look at the example of Christ and how we can live in God’s favor. Luke 2:51-52 says, “Then He (Jesus) went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Here we see Jesus grew in favor with God. Do you think before this that Jesus had any less favor with God? As God’s son, born of the Spirit, Jesus always had God’s full favor. But what we see at the temple is the beginning of the manifestation of that favor. This increase in favor with God and man was the result of his submission to his parents and God the father.

Through Christ we receive instantaneous favor with God, but it is through submission to God, His Word, and those He has placed over us that we begin to see the manifestation of God’s favor in our lives. In Luke 3:22 at Jesus’ baptism, God openly declares His favor over Jesus, "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." This open declaration of favor comes after years of Jesus walking in submission. In Luke 4:1-2 this favor is put to the test when Jesus is tempted of the devil in the wilderness. Luke 4:14 concludes, “Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.”

When we come to understand the favor that God has given to us and walk in submission to His Spirit, it enables us to overcome the attacks of the enemy through circumstances that we face in life and come out in victory and the power of His might. It is through this process that the favor of God begins to manifest through us and impacts those who are around us. We see the culmination of this when Jesus reads from the prophet Isaiah in Luke 4:18-19, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Living in God’s favor enables us to extend God’s favor to others who are bound in sin and oppressed of the devil. Living in God’s favor empowers us to “proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you.” Begin to live in His favor through faith and submission to His Word and Spirit that the glory and the favor of the Lord may rest on you and bring deliverance to those you meet.

Andy Clark