For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:12)

Susan and I recently had photos taken with our beautiful grandchildren. Their smiling faces reminded us of how blessed we are to have them in our lives and how much we do love and cherish each one of them. And, of course, we feel exactly the same way about their parents, our children.

Yes, we love them dearly and they all have favor with us!

And, how did they get our favor? Some of them were born into our family and some of them were adopted into it.  But, no matter which way they came, they are loved and favored!

It's exactly the same with God!

You were adopted into His family by being “born again,” according to John3:7. At some point in your life, you prayed and invited Jesus to forgive your sins and to be your savior. At that moment, you were made a part of God’s family and became a joint heir with Jesus.

With great pleasure, God adopted us into His family!

“God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” (Eph. 1:5 NLT)

We became Jesus’s siblings

“For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (Rom. 8:28 NLT)

“As many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12)

As a member of God’s family, you have His favor

“For he who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD.” (Pr. 8:35)

Favor means complete access to God

This unmerited favor includes not only being forgiven of sin but also receiving access to the very presence of God in the same way Jesus has access to Him.

Favor means that God withholds no good thing from you!

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk upright.” (Psalm 84:11)

God’s favor for you is for life!

“His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5b

Favor means that thousands of promises in the Word of God are yours!

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.” (2 Cor. 1:20)

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Col. 2:6-7 ESV)

Rooted and grounded in love 

“That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Eph. 3:16-19 ESV)

 With no root they withered away

 “Yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.” (Matt. 13:21 ESV)

“But when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.” (Matt. 13:6 ESV)

Jesus is the root

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” (Rev. 22:16 ESV)

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater.” (Isa. 55:10 NIV) 

“He provides rain for the earth; he sends water on the countryside.” (Job 5:10 NIV)

He shows kindness by giving you rain

“Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” (Acts 14:17 NIV)

“I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit.” (Levit. 26:4 NIV)

He provides rain for both the righteous and the unrighteousness 

“…so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matt. 5:45 NASB)

“Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you.” (Gen. 1:29 NASB)

Seeds sprout and grow

“He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.” (Mark 4:26-27 NIV)

Man doesn’t understand the seed, but uses them

Jesus tells us in the above verse that the seed sprouts and grows, even though the man who is scattering the seed doesn’t know how. That is the same today. We still don’t understand how a seed actually works. We just know that it does and we have only learned how to cooperate with it. We’ve learned how to prepare the soil for it, plant it, water it and fertilize it, but we can’t actually create a seed ourselves. All seeds have to come from plants and every seed is a miracle! Inside every seed is everything it needs to reproduce the original plant it came from. A radish seed produces radish’s, a tomato seed produces tomatoes. Every time. A single little acorn seed when planted in the ground, will grow up into a great and mighty tree, just like the original one it came from! You can count on it, even though you don know how. 

Seedtime and harvest will not cease

"While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, And summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease." (Gen. 8:22 NASB)

The Word of God is described as imperishable seed 

“…for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.” (2 Peter 1:23 NASB)

Therefore, sow bountifully and you will also reap bountifully!

“Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” (2 Cor. 9:6 NASB)

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isa. 41:10 ESV)

Two kinds of fear

It’s important to understand that there are two definitions of the word fear and they have very different meanings from each other. According to the Word of God we are commanded not to do one but we must to do the other. It’s important to know the difference between the two. We are commanded in Scripture to fear God (the fear of God) and not to fear man or the devil (worldly fear). So, what does this mean? The following are the two definitions. 

• Worldly fear - The most general term for this kind of fear implies anxiety and usually loss of courage. Itis defined as “dread, fright, alarm, panic, terror, trepidation, and/or painful agitation in the presence or anticipation of danger. This kind of fear is not from God, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Tim. 1:7 ESV) By the way, the command, “Don’t be afraid” or “fear not” (both are essentially the same thing) is the command most given in the Bible. In fact, you will find it said in one way or another 365 times, one time for each day of the year! And understand that worldly fear is the exact opposite of faith; you can’t have faith when you allow worldly fear. 

• The fear of God - The Bible refers to the fear of God over 300 times. It is very different than worldly fear described above. This kind of fear is defined as a feeling of respect and wonder for God who is supreme and powerful. We are commanded to fear God this way. The fear of God is very positive! “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” (Psalm 111:10 ESV), and “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.” (Prov. 19:23 ESV)

In other words, to know the fear of God is to know no fear of man. 

God has commanded: Be strong and courageous

We are not to give in to worldly fear! We are strong and courageous when we realize God is always with us. 

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Deut. 31:6 ESV)

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Josh. 1:9 ESV)

If worldly fear attacks do this

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-7 ESV)

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm. 34:4 ESV)

Therefore…

“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 118:6 ESV)

“For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” (Isa. 41:13 ESV)

“…The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1 ESV)

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” (1 John 4:18 ESV)

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Cor. 12:9 ESV)

I heard someone say recently, “God’s Grace keeps pace with what we face.” That’s so true! There is nothing you can ever be confronted with greater than God’s ability to cover it completely with His Grace! In fact, the Bible passage at top says it plainly, “My Grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” At the end of this Bible promise about God’s wonderful Grace, Paul says, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” In other words, God’s Grace is powerful when you are weak! What a huge promise!” 

Rest on God’s power!

“so that your faith would not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.” (1 Cor. 2:5)

Do not be afraid!

“Do not be afraid, you who are highly precious," he said. "Peace be with you! Be strong now; be very strong!" As he spoke with me, I was strengthened and said, "Speak, my lord, for you have strengthened me.” (Dan. 10:19)

Christ gives you strength!

“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” (Phil. 4:13)

Therefore…

“I will not boast about myself, except in my weaknesses.” (2 Cor. 12:5)

“I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being,” (Eph. 3:16)

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” (Eph.1:3 NIV) 

The Doxology (glory and praise to God)

When Susan and I were first married we were regularly invited for Sunday dinners at her parent’s home. Before eating the meal, her father would sing the doxology and the entire family joined in…

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Praise Him all creatures here below.

Praise Him above ye heavenly host. 

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. 

Amen.”

I really enjoyed his beginning Sunday meals like that! It was very uplifting. My father-in-law has been gone for many years now, but whenever I think of him, I remember the sound of his voice enthusiastically proclaiming praise to God.

Sing to the Lord all the earth!

“Sing to the Lord, all the earth; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He also is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and joy are in His place. Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him; Worship the Lord in holy array. Tremble before Him, all the earth; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; And let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.” (1 Chron. 16:23-31 NASB) 

“The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:8 ESV)

Your steps are established by the Lord 

“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.” (Psalms 37:23 ESV)

Even in uttermost parts 

“If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” (Psalms 139:9-10 ESV) 

Wisdom and understanding will help you go on your way in safety 

“My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble.” (Prov. 3:21-23 NIV)

God’s Word will light your path 

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105 ESV)

Angels guard you by His command

“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:11 ESV)

You may have good success whoever you go

“Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.” (Josh. 1:7 ESV)

“A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.” (Prov. 16:28 ESV)

Gossiping is very serious!

When most people think of “serous sins”, gossiping is usually not too high on the list. But, gossiping is very serious and is condemned in both the old and New Testaments. 

Gossips are listed in the Bible with those who commit murder!

“They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips…” (Rom. 1:29 ESV)

Saying what they should not

“Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.” (1 Tim. 5:13 ESV)

Slandering your neighbor 

“You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.” Levit. 19:16 ESV)

“Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure.” (Psalm 101:5 ESV)

Spreading false reports 

“You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.” (Ex. 23:1 ESV)

Revealing secrets 

“Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.” (Prov. 29:19 ESV)

Careless words spoken

“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.” (Matt. 22:36 ESV)

“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.” (Psalm 34:13 ESV)

Don’t listen to gossip! 

“An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.” (Prov. 17:4 ESV)

“But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness.” (2 Tim. 2:16 ESV)

 Love covers a matter

“Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.” (Prov. 17:9 ESV)