I AM: FAVORED WEEK ONE - Day Four: God is...

By Central Women

We have spent the past three days learning about one specific identity point that you

and I carry if we are in Christ.

We are favored.

Even though we spent three days unpacking this truth, I feel as if we only scratched the

surface of all that God has to say about us being favored. We could spend a year or

more studying the favor of God in our lives and still, there would be more to uncover.

God is that good. He is that big.

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How

unsearchable His judgments and His paths beyond tracing out!”

Romans 11:33

I love how the Apostle Paul captured this idea in Romans 11:33. God’s ways are beyond our ability to trace out. The knowledge and wisdom of God are so deep; we could never

reach their depths. His favor for us is beyond our comprehension. If we are so favored

by God, what does this say about WHO HE IS? We’ve spent much time in this study

learning about WHO WE ARE in Christ, but ultimately, that knowledge is intended to

point us toward an even more significant understanding:

We want to know our God.

Every ounce of Bible study will be in vain if the primary desired result is not to

know Jesus Christ more. Knowing Him is everything. Knowing Him changes everything.

Therefore, our pursuit today is the character of God. We want to know who He is. If God

says that we are favored, what does that say about Him?

1. God is generous. Now that we have a firm grasp and understanding on what it

means to be favored (to be the recipient of God’s excessive kindness and unfair

partiality), we can only conclude that He is a very generous God. Generosity

expresses itself through giving, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned this week

about favor, it’s that God has given us MUCH in Him. He has not withheld one

spiritual blessing from us. In Him, we know no lack. That is generosity, my friends.

That is a generous God who gives out of His abundant resources.

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

the Lord bestows favor and honor;

no good thing does He withhold

from those whose walk is blameless.”

Psalm 84:11

2. God is abundant. If you and I have been so richly favored by God, we can also

conclude that He is an abundant God. He would have to be to give so lavishly. I looked

up the word “abundant.” Take a minute to read the definition: Abundant: present in great quantity; more than adequate; over-sufficient; well-supplied with something; abounding; richly supplied, as with resources.

How does the abundance of God make you feel?

Every good thing God gives us comes from His own abundant supply. He does not lack

in anything that we need. He is well-resourced. He is more than enough, and He has

more than enough to give to us.

Have we chosen to make Him our portion, the

source of our provision, the place where all of our needs can be met?

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in

Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:19

Notice the wording here in verse 19: “all your needs.” It does not say “some of your

needs.” It says “all.” An accurate view of who God is will always prove to shape an

accurate view of who you are in Him. You, my friend, are favored by a generous and

abundant God.

So, how do we reconcile our perceived lack with the favor of God on our lives? There

are many times in my life when my needs seem to go unmet and my prayers

seem to go unheard or unanswered. Then what? Every time my circumstances don’t

make sense, I am forced to return to WHO GOD SAYS HE IS, not who my

circumstances might suggest He is.

Can you see the difference? Our circumstances will NEVER change the character of God. Never.

He remains the same, even when our situations shift and change. He is WHO HE SAYS HE IS. He’s God. He alone gets to determine who He is, not us.

When I find myself confused, I repeatedly run to this truth:

“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.’”

Isaiah 55:8-9

God sees the whole picture. I do not. God has infinite wisdom and understanding. I do

not. BUT, I can trust Him and so can you. Because God is generous and abundant, you

are FAVORED.

Jesus, may I never forget WHO YOU SAY YOU ARE. Help me to trust You when my

world doesn’t make sense to me. You are generous in all of your dealings with me, and I

am favored. Teach me to walk in this identity.

Reflect:

Did you learn something new about the character of God today? What?

Were you reminded of something about God’s character that you needed to hear today? What?

What are your current and most pressing needs? Spend some time in prayer today

asking God to be your provision.