“The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him.” Ezra 8:22b
As Christians, we should faithfully live our lives focused on things above, things not of this earth, living day to day in ways that please Him. It’s all about our lifestyle, pursuits, and making good choices.
Below is a list of scriptures that I believe, give us a solid litmus test as to finding out if we are living in such a way that pleases, and would find favor, in God's eyes.
Know and seek God (Prov. 8:35, Ex. 33:12‐14, Ezra 8:22b)
Fear God (Ps. 147:11)
Seek His favor with all of your heart (Ps. 119:58)
Keep His commandments (Prov. 3:1‐4, Luke 1:5‐6, Luke 1:38, Daniel 9:13‐14)
Turn from iniquity/sin (Daniel 9:13‐14)
Grow in wisdom (Luke 2:52, Prov. 8:35, 14:35)
Pray (2 Cor. 1:11, Job 33:26)
Seek good and be kind (Prov. 11:27, Titus 3:8, Prov. 12:2, Prov. 3:3‐4)
Be truthful (Prov. 3:3‐4)
Patiently bear unjust hardships for God (1 Peter 2:19‐20)
Help the helpless (Ps. 41:1‐2, Ps. 112:9, Matt. 25:34‐36)
Find a good spouse (Prov. 18:22) *Not a requirement for all (for example: Jesus and Samuel)
Have Humility (Luke 1:38a)
Have Faith (Hebrews 11:1‐2 and 11: 6)
That last one, have faith, is especially important. The Bible dedicates an entire chapter, Hebrews 11, to role models who pleased God and “gained approval through their faith”. In fact, Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”
While we should keep our hearts in check in our search for God’s favor, Paul reminds us in Galatians to make sure we are aiming to please Him and not ourselves or man, “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men?If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10
It is important to remember that finding favor with God does not give us a free pass to an easy life. Go back to the list of Bible characters in the first portion of this lesson and think about how many trials those favored people endured. When you have a heart after God’s own heart, He may choose to use you in ways that may be hard, yet significant in the eyes of eternity.
May we all keep running “with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus” Heb. 12:1‐2
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