TOPIC: RIGHTEOUSNESS BEGAT FAVOUR
Bible Reading: Esther 1,2: Acts 5:1-21
“And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti” Esther 2:17(KJV)
When you are favoured by God man has no option but to favour you. Favour plays a very vital role in our competition for success. The bible recorded that Esther found grace and favour. God’s favour is life (Psalm 30:5). When God’s favour is upon a man he rides on the wave of success. The man, David, is an example of a man favoured by God, hear him in Psalm 30:7 (KJV), “LORD, by thy favour thou has made my mountain stand strong: thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled”. When you are favoured by God you are protected and sustained by Him. God favoured a little group of people moving through the wilderness and they overran nations mightier and greater than them. They became too strong and their presence instilled fear upon all the nations they came across in the wilderness. The Psalmist vividly described the source of Israel’s triumphant march through the wilderness in Psalm 44:3 (KJV), “For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them, but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.”
The favour of God is transformative. God’s favour transformed Joseph from a prisoner to a Prime Minister overnight. Genesis 39:21(KJV) “But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” The product of God’s favour upon Joseph took him to the exalted position of power because the set time to favour him came. As Christians we must fervently seek for His favour by living right and committed to His word. Esther obeyed all the instructions of Mordecai that came by divine wisdom and she became a recipient of human favour. We must strive earnestly for the favour of God in our Christian race. Divine favour is a product of righteousness. Living right with God and man attracts favour which produces peace. One other attribute that attracts divine favour is giving for the cause of God’s work i.e. Giving to the poor and less privileged and for the expansion of the kingdom. Favour is a product of God’s mercy In Psalm 102:13-14(KJV) “Thou shall arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.”
Jesus Christ obeyed the Father and through Him the grace of redemption was given to man. Through His submission to the will of the Father He was exalted above all and given a name above every other name in heaven, on earth and beneath the earth. Jesus is God’s love and favour extended to man. For you to be favoured by God you must come through His Son Jesus Christ. This is the whole essence of this piece, to bring you to the place of the realization that Jesus is the only way to God whose favour is life. I request you therefore to reach out to the Saviour of humanity for the salvation of your soul today for tomorrow may be too late.
Prayer: Father make me a recipient of your favour in Christ Jesus.
Bro. Joel Ezeugo