Experience God's Favor

Day 17: Experience God's Favor

Scripture:
Psalms 90:17, “May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us, and may He establish the work of our hands, yes establish the work of our hands.”

Thought:
In July of 2014, Esther and I drove our daughter, Kristi, to Cleveland, Tennessee to visit Lee University. Walking around campus, I noticed that every building had an engraved stone with the scripture reference, Psalms 90:17. We later discovered a bronze statue (pictured here) of a man sitting on a bench with his Bible opened to the same verse. In this verse, the writer is portrayed as a desperate soul who recognized his temporary presence in this world and wanted to leave a meaningful legacy. This became my theme verse for July and also the messages I would preach in August and September of that year. I have since quoted this verse in prayer more than any other. 

It is often said, “Favor is when people like you and you don’t know why,” and this is true to some extent. Favor unlocks doors you thought were closed and brings opportunities you would not have expected. 

Favor is not something we earn; it is freely placed upon us by the grace of God. It is a gift. However, like a blessing, we can put ourselves in a position of favor. 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.”

The second part of Psalms 90:17 speaks to our desire for lasting impact. The Life Application Bible notes, “Because our days are numbered, we want our work to count, to be effective and productive. We desire to see God’s eternal plan revealed now and for our work to reflect his permanence.”

Significant changes are happening at Centerpointe Church as we dream of our future. Our prayer is similar to the psalmist: Lord, whatever we do, let it be for your honor and glory because this is the only way it will mean anything for the future generations. 

Reflection:

In what ways have you experienced God’s favor?

How do you know what God’s favor looks like?

In what areas do you need God’s favor?

Decision:  
Based on what you have read and what God is saying to you, what decisions do you need to make?

Prayer:

Experience God's Blessing

Day 16: Experience God's Blessing

Scripture:
Deuteronomy 28:1–8, “If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.”

Thought:
Wow! I want to live in this kind of blessing. I want my children and grandchildren to experience the same. Furthermore, I desire our church to experience this kind of blessing. The good news for us is that God is a God waiting to pour out His benefits upon His people.

Almost all religions work to gain their gods’ favor and blessing through rules, idols, and beautiful architectural structures. Throughout the Buddhist and Hindu dominated world, people offer sacrifices to please their gods and obtain favor. While in India, I noticed that almost every home had some kind of altar on the lawn. When I enquired about them, I was told that fruit, vegetables, and gifts were left on the altar to please whatever god might be passing by, hoping that the god would leave behind a blessing. The foundation of their faith is based on their ability to satisfy.

God’s requirements are different and found in the first verse: “fully obey,” and “carefully follow.” At first glance, it sounds similar to other religions, but there is a distinct difference, just like healthy parents who want to bless their children. Children don’t try and make the parents want them; they know they are loved. However, the children’s obedience makes it a joy for the parents to be generous.

If we want to experience the blessings of God, we must follow Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This is not a case for works-based theology; it is merely a statement of relational surrender.

People who understand blessing have a different outlook on life than those who do not. They are more grateful because they believe God is viewing them with pleasure. Their view of God’s view is a joyful thought. A.W. Tozer once noted, “the most important thing about a person is what comes to mind when they think about God.“ (The Knowledge of the Holy (New York: HarperCollins, 1961).

The God of the Bible does not wish to withhold from us; in fact, he takes joy in blessing us. When we look into his nature and character, we see someone who loves us and is passionate for us.

Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Reflection:
In what ways have you experienced God’s blessing?
What is meant by "relational surrender?"
Why is it so difficult to believe that your Heavenly Father has wonderful things in store for your life?
In your opinion, how is obedience linked to blessing?

Decision:
Based on what you read, and what God is saying to you, what decisions do you need to make?

Prayer:
Lord, give us a different perspective when it comes to blessing. Help us to grasp how much you love to bless us, and help us recognize your blessings in the smallest of ways as well as the more obvious ones. 


For further study, read the rest of Deuteronomy 28. What insight can we gain concerning obedience and blessing?


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I Do This Every Year

For years I have taken time in December to reflect on the previous year and write personal and professional goals for the upcoming year. It started when I was in college, while home on the winter break. I sat down in front of our stone fireplace and reviewed the year’s accomplishments and heartaches. There were things I was proud of and things I wish I could undo. It was during these times I learned to be grateful to God for His provision and receive his grace for my failures. It gives me perspective and prepares my heart to move forward.

This year, I used Tim Elmore’s questions to guide me. I liked it so much I sent it to family members,  friends and colleagues. His blog is growingleaders. Although Tim can do this in half a day, It takes me several hours for several days to complete.

Here are his questions and some of my comments:

1. What are my fondest memories of 20__? Take time to celebrate and be grateful. 
2. What were the “big projects” I completed during the year?
3. What were the defining moments during the last year?
4. What did I procrastinate on and fail to get done? This question helps me refocus on what is really important. 
5. What books and mentors had the greatest impact on me? Why? I added movies and podcasts to my list. 
6. Am I closer to my friends and family from my activities this year?
7. What will be my biggest goals as I move forward into 20__? Make sure they are specific, measurable, attainable, and time specific. 
8. Where did I neglect to live up to the standards I set for myself? This question teaches me more about God's grace. It also allows my to press the "reset" button.
9. What am I committed to do this next year, to fulfill my “Life Sentence”?

Tim concludes, “Answering these questions allows me to accomplish two objectives. First, it forces me to focus on the important things in my life and not get lost in the trivial. Second, it furnishes me a platform to set goals for the new year.”

Thanks Tim for the help this year.

- For more of Tim Elmore, go to http://growingleaders.com/blog

Leaving a Godly Legacy

Everybody has a family tree and they come in all shapes and sizes.

Some are large and complex.





Others are simple and somewhat cartoonish.



Either way, we all have them. Some of us want to protect parts of our family tree while seriously pruning other parts. 

I believe that for all of us we want to protect parts of our family tree while pruning other parts of our family tree. While you may not be able to do anything about the people in your family tree who came before you, you can change what your family tree looks like in the future, and we all want something better for the following generations. I have never heard someone say, “I want my kids to be worse off than I had it growing up. The fact is that all of us do leave a legacy; the only question is what legacy do we leave and what fruit do you want your family tree to bear?

When thinking about a legacy, the first thing we need to think about is a good name. Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” Think of the names that are passed on in history. Many of them come from the Bible, like John, David, Samuel, Mary, Ruth, Elijah, Jacob, etc. These names are passed down because the name represented some kind of goodness. You never hear someone giving the name Jezebel, Bathsheba, Judas or Ebenezer Scrooge to his or her children, and for good reason – they do not represent the goodness they want for their kids.

Here are a couple of thoughts about a good name:

A good name is built one day at a time. 

This takes intentionality and daily work. William S. Burroughs (American novelist) said, “Build a good name. Keep your name clean. Don’t make compromises, don’t worry about making a bunch of money or being successful — be concerned with doing good work and make the right choices and protect your work. And if you build a good name, eventually, that name will be its own currency."

Everything you do every day contributes toward building a good name. As a society, we are obsessed with the immediate. We are on an intense quest for the quick fix, but we must diligently manage our life one day at a time over a log period of time. Eugene Peterson says that the key to discipleship is “Long obedience in the same direction.” This is also applied to building a good name.

A good name is built on Godliness – the ability to honor God. 

If you are a Christian, your name ultimately reflects God’s name. This is about your spiritual legacy. Just like the first commandment sets up the others, “You shall have no other God’s before me.” Making God the center of your life takes care of everything else. A Godly legacy is the most priceless gift you can pass on to your children and grandchildren and it is imparted over the course of a lifetime.

A good name is built on gratitude – the ability to say “Thank You.” 

Gratitude is expressed in many ways, but it begins with two simple words, “Thank You.” Take time to reflect on all the people who have invested in your life.

Here is a quote from a recent Facebook post:

I'm starting a new series "A Legacy Journey" and the focus will be on what we leave our families. Since my dad left me no legacy, I had to look to my cousin's dads. I am one fortunate person to have grown up with so many Godly male influences around me. Brother Beahm, Uncle Jim, Uncle, Ed, Uncle Dave, Uncle Harris, Daddy John, Uncle Harry, Uncle Marvin, Uncle Tom, my Father-in-law, a bunch of professors and mentors, etc. I have many times thought about writing a book and dedicating a chapter to each of them and what they taught me. I know so many guys who have never heard "I'm proud of you." Although few of my uncles could actually express it in words, they showed it by including me in their lives. Although I hope to be able to pay some of it forward, I am so in debt to their generosity and love that I will always live in debt to their investment. Well... that's what I was getting at.

A good name is built on generosity – the ability to look beyond ourselves. 

Generosity is an intentional benevolent act of kindness that serves the benefit of others and reflects the Great God that we serve. It is a learned character trait that involves both attitude and action. Generosity is not a random idea or haphazard behavior but rather, in its mature form, a basic, personal, moral orientation to life. As generosity matures, it becomes who you are, not random. Proverbs 11:24-25 says, “One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”