Mary found favor with God...

 

There are several resources available online that inform us of the “Saint of the Day”.  These are short biographies of canonized (“sainted”) and beatified (“blessed”) men and women who are recognized by the Church to have lived their lives in ‘heroic virtue’, and whose lives we would do well to imitate.  These are called ‘Feast Days’.  Often when I feel down or caught in discouragement, I like to read the lives of the saints, because every one of them can be considered “God’s messengers.”

Sometimes the Feast days honor significant events in the life of Christ, His mother, or the Church.  For instance, today, March 25, is the Feast of the Annunciation, when the Archangel Gabriel announces to Mary, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”  (Luke 1:26-38)  As I prayed with this gospel account today, I reflected on what it means to ‘find favor with God’.

The favor of God can be described as “tangible evidence that a person has the approval of the Lord.”  When we favor someone, we want to be with him or her.  We delight in him.  We connect with her in a way we don’t connect with everyone.  We usually favor people who also favor us.  In the same way, God shows favor to the ones who delight in, connect with, and give honor to Him.  Isaiah 66:2 says, “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”  Second Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong on behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.”  To be “perfect” toward Him means we seek His favor more than we seek the favor of anyone else, even ourselves.

Favor is closely related to grace in the Bible.  Those who have received Jesus as their Savior are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9).  They know the favor of God.  Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), but those who have saving faith in God’s Son are declared righteous (Romans 4:5; Philippians 3:9) and live in God’s favor.  The most basic answer to “how can I get God’s favor” is “believe in the Lord Jesus.”

God seeks out those who love Him and love His commands so that He can bless, guide, and protect them (Psalm 37:23; Proverbs 3:5–6). This doesn’t mean that everyone who is prosperous or healthy has found favor with God (Jeremiah 12:1; Psalm 37:7; 73:16). Nor does it mean that those whom the Lord favors will never suffer difficulties. Many people in the Bible had the Lord’s favor but also suffered hardship (2 Corinthians 6:4; Acts 14:22; 20:23; 1 Peter 2:19).

Abel found favor with God, and his brother killed him (Genesis 4:9).

Abraham found favor with God, and was told by God to sacrifice his son (Genesis 22:2).

Hebrew children found favor with God, and wandered for 40 years in loneliness and thirst (Numbers 21:5).

Moses found favor with God, listened to the daily complaints of his people, and never saw the promised land  (Numbers 20:12).

David found favor with God, and suffered bitterly the death of his son (2 Samuel 19:1).

Job found favor with God, and lost fortune, family, wealth & health  (Job 1:13).

Elijah found favor with God, and waited under a juniper tree, pondering suicide (1 Kings:19).

Joseph found favor with God, and he was sold by his bothers into slavery  (Genesis 37:36).

Daniel found favor with God, and ended up in a lion’s den  (Daniel 6:10).

Jeremiah found favor with God, and felt the quiver of God’s arrows in his flesh (Jeremiah 5:16).

John the Baptist found favor with God, and he was violently decapitated  (Matthew 14:10).

Stephen found favor with God, and he was stoned (Acts 7:59).

Paul found favor with God, and was shipwrecked, starved and in prison (Acts).

Jesus found favor with God, and was beaten, spat upon, crucified.

Noah found favor with God, and was subjected to a great flood (Genesis 6:8).

Those who are favored of God know that God is with them and that nothing can happen to them apart from His good purpose (Romans 8:28).  They have His ear as they walk through dark valleys (Psalm 34:15) and know that their struggle to remain true to Him won’t go unrewarded (Matthew 10:42; Revelation 2:10).  In addition to outward evidence, God’s favor can be felt in the spirit.  When we have the favor of the Lord, we rest in quiet confidence that our sins are forgiven (Romans 4:7), we are within the plan of God (Psalm 86:11), and that He’s there for us at all times (Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 28:20).  We walk with God as with our closest friend.  We begin to see and appreciate the little blessings that God provides for our enjoyment—blessings that we once took for granted.

The Lord invites us to seek His favor (Psalm 119:58, 135; 2 Kings 13:4; Jeremiah 26:19; Zephaniah 2:3).  When we seek His favor, we humble our hearts before Him (2 Kings 22:19); seek Him for Himself, not just for the blessings He gives (Jeremiah 29:13); and arrange our lives around loving Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27).  We seek first His kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

One way to obtain favor from the Lord is to seek wisdom.  Proverbs 8:35 says, “For those who find me [wisdom] find life and receive favor from the LORD.”  Psalm 5:12 says, “Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”  Finding favor with the Lord keeps our lives and thoughts pure because we desire to please Him more than we desire to please ourselves.  Hebrews 11:25 says of Moses, “He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.”  When the same can be said of us, we’ll know we’ve found favor with God.  His delight in us will be demonstrated.