For the LORD is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withold from those whose walk is blameless. Psalm 84:11
Just about everyone longs to be a favourite; the favourite child, sibling, friend etc. We long to be that special person to someone else. Your favourite person is someone you love to spend time with. When they phone and ask to meet up, you are ready to change your plans and reschedule your day just so that you can spend some time with them.
God wants to have favourites too! He created everything; the sun and moon, every star and planet, every type of vegetation and animal. But His favourite thing of all creation was man. Isn’t that an amazing thought.
We earn people’s favour through being a kind and caring person; a person who prioritises other’s needs and desires above their own. Being kind, generous and warm hearted makes you appealing to another and you can become their favourite person, the one they most enjoy being around.
But God’s ways are greater and higher than ours. We do not earn His favour; He bestows it on us.
God’s grace is His unmerited favour. He gives us what we don’t deserve. We don’t deserve His continued forgiveness. If I were God, I would have given up on me years ago! I’ve been a Christian for over 30 years, yet I still have so many ungodly character traits and fall so easily into sin. Yet His grace abounds towards me and His favour rests upon me.
His mercy prevents me from getting what I do deserve; punishment for my sins. It should be me that was hung on the cross for all the sins that I have committed. But Jesus, because of His merciful grace and favour, took my place. He took upon himself my punishment, and has become my shield and protector from the righteous wrath of God against all sin. Jesus didn’t die for the angels or for the animals. He died for people. We are His favourite thing in all of creation. He wants us to enjoy His favour, and has made the way for us to do that. There is but one way.
God’s favour rests upon those who come to Him. God created us to have a relationship with Him. That relationship was ruined when man decided for himself what was good instead of trusting and obeying what God had said. But He didn’t stop loving man. He made a way for that relationship to be restored. He has promised that those who come to Him through the sacrifice that Jesus made of Himself on the cross, will be brought back into that relationship of grace and favour. How great is the loving kindness and tender mercies of our God.
