Living In His Favor

It's hard to believe that it's already June...

Our theme for the month of June is In His Love... but I just wanted to go back and recap and remind us to live in God's favor. Just because the month of May has ended, God's favor has not... He continues to lavish us with His favor... He continues to make His face to shine upon us. He continues to pour forth His grace and mercy and protection. And I pray that we will continue to grow!

I was gone for most of May... and hence, I did not blog much for House of Praise... But I experienced His favor daily and in countless ways. I can sing of His favor forever...

I was back for Pastor Luke's message on May 24th, looking at God's favor through the book of Genesis. Abraham experienced God's favor as he heeded God's leading to leave his country and his kindred and his father's house to the land that God showed him. (Genesis 12:1-4) And even when God tested Abraham, calling him to offer up his only son, Isaac, who he loved, God showed him favor and provided. (Genesis 22:1-2)

So, perhaps as you consider and live in God's favor, God is calling you to leave your place of comfort and walk in obedience by giving up something that is dear to you, or something that has become your first love?

Pastor Luke also talked about Joseph and how God poured forth favor upon his life (Genesis 39:2-3). Through all the difficulties, Joseph can say in Genesis 50:20, "what you intended as harm, God intended it for good to accomplish His will..." That's the beauty of God's favor: He redeems what was intended to harm us and makes all things good.

The last Sunday in May was Testimony Sunday. And Marybelle had no idea what Pastor Luke shared, but she also ended her testimony with prayer and used Genesis 50:20. As she talked about Eden Foundation and her own life, she quoted Isaiah 51:3 and Joel 2:25-

"For the Lord will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places. He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of melody." Isaiah 51:3

“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you." Joel 2:25

As we start the month of June... take the time to sit at Jesus' feet... Read the theme verse for the past five months... or just the theme verse for the month of May... Listen to what God is saying to you... don't rush off... Read the verse NOT from your cell phone... Dust off your Bible (or find your Bible, if it's been a while since you've picked it up). Come to Jesus...

Let the Son shine upon you... and give you... ______________ (fill in the blank)!