Favors

Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It gives you pillars, pegs to hang your hat on, and your life on.  It tells you about God, about you, about His love for you and His plans for you.  It tells you what will bring disaster, and what will guarantee your success.  It gives you truth, it gives you a power greater than you, and greater than any other.  It is truth and life.  It is the best thing there is.  What God says is good, and never fails.  I’m so glad that God is not like man.  There is no darkness or evil in him.  He doesn’t play favorites, He doesn’t tip the scales, or pay off the refs.  But there are some things He favors.  In High School at halftime in the locker room, our coach said an interesting thing.  “God either wants you to win, or He wants you to lose.  But most of the time, He leaves it up to you.”  That has stuck with me, forty years later.  There is some truth to that statement.  There may be times when God wants you or the other team to win or lose.  But the times that He leaves it up to you, are still always influenced by what God favors - that applies to a ball game, or a career, or life.  Some teams win more often because they have learned to do the things God favors.  Some people win more often in jobs, and skills, and relationships and life, because they have learned to do the things God favors – that affect the outcome of things.  #1 God favors humility.  He opposes the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.  #2 God favors the diligent.  Someone once said, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.”   Diligence is half planning, the other half effort.  The key to the first, it God’s plan instead of yours, and the key to the second half, is know who you are working for, and that His grace gives you the power to do it.  Diligence, it is the precious possession of a man.  That’s why teams with less talent can still win, that’s why the smartest people are not always the CEO or the Company Owner.  Belichick’s teams are the most prepared, so his team mostly wins.  Great coaches win consistently with teams of less talent, because they prepare at a higher level.  Success favors the prepared.  And that’s why you have a chance in whatever game you are playing – if you learn what God favors.  #3 God favors the wise – and anyone can get some.  He makes wisdom available for anybody – no favorites.  Wisdom comes from His Word, it shapes your actions, and your thoughts, your plans, your execution, and your perseverance.  His Word makes you wise.  God favors His Word, and those who read it and take it to heart.  His Word brings wisdom, and success comes with it.  As well as wealth, honor and life.  #4 God favors those who have faith.  “According to your faith – be it unto you.” Faith is formed by your words.  Faith is counting things that are not (yet) as though they are. Faith doesn’t give up.  Faith keeps going.  Faith does your job, and leaves the result to God.  Faith believes that obeying God’s Word, and that Still, Small Voice of the Holy Spirit – will bring a reward, and that it’s worth it - every time.  Praying that you will learn to walk in what God favors.  That you will Be Humble, that you will be diligent, in getting God’s plans, and His grace for your best effort.  Praying that you will get His plans daily, and do them!  Praying that you will live in His Word so His wisdom determines your action.  And praying that you will have faith through His Word, so you do everything He tells you to do, and you believe that He will surely do what He said He will do.  He plays no favorites, but these are the things He favors.  The rest, He’ll show you as you ask Him, and seek, and knock. 
 
Love you all,
dad