God Favors the Faithful
“Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:12 NIV)
When I was 20 years old, our Jurisdictional Supervisor at the time, Mother Margaret Woods, smiled at me widely after church one night and said, “You’re such a devout young lady.”
I admired the grace, elegance and devotion of this tall, silver-haired, seasoned leader in the Church of God In Christ. At the time, I was quickly growing in my faith and understanding of Scripture and had been evangelizing youth in Buffalo where I lived. And even though God had opened many doors for me to minister the life-changing gospel around my city and region, I was pretty taken aback that Mother Woods even knew who I was and openly acknowledged my obvious passion for Jesus.
I wasn’t really used to being applauded for my commitment to Christ, and I certainly wasn’t looking for any praise. I was used to receiving a different reaction.
You see, at various points in my life, I have been called “too deep,” meaning, I was way too serious about the Bible and the things of God. Somebody once told me I was “overly-saved.” I always wondered, how can you be too saved or too deeply rooted in God’s word? That never made any sense to me, and it still doesn’t to this day.
From the time I was a young child, God drew my heart toward Him. I fell in love with Jesus and wanted to please Him, and that remains my desire. Whenever I have fallen short, as we all do at times, God has reminded me that His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), and His grace never runs out.
Praise God that we don’t have to be perfect, otherwise, we would all be doomed, right? Isn’t it a blessing to know that righteousness is obtained by faith in Christ who shed His blood to cleanse us and does not depend on our works? Isn’t it also awesome that God receives us with open arms, despite our failings, when our heart’s desire is to please Him?
Last night, I was reading about Josiah, king of Judah, in 2 Kings 22, who took the throne at eight years old.
One day, when Josiah’s secretary, Shaphan, learned about the Book of the Law which was discovered by the high priest, Hilkiah, Shaphan told Josiah about it and read it to him. Upon hearing the holy laws and commands of God, Josiah was distraught. He tore his clothes – a sign of grief and repentance – because he realized the wretched spiritual state Judah was in, and he knew, without question, the nation had offended God by defying His laws.
After Josiah sought divine guidance about how to move forward and comply with God’s laws, the Lord sent a word to him through the prophetess, Huldah. She said, because of Israel’s sin of idol worship and apostasy, disaster would come upon them.
But then, Huldah delivered a more promising message to the king: “I also have heard you, declares the Lord. Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place” (v. 19). In other words, because Josiah was responsive to the word of God and sought to please the Lord, he would escape the calamity others would inevitably face.
Friend, there is an important lesson to be learned here: God blesses those who respond to His word. He rewards those who are humble and willing to obey His commands. He honors those whose hearts are pure before Him. God favors the faithful.
“Blessings are coming to you. Healing is coming to you. Increase is coming to you. Doors are opening for you. Prayers are being answered for you. Greater things than you could ever imagine are being done for you, because you are faithful to God.”
The fact that God favors, protects, elevates and showers blessings upon the faithful, wasn’t only true in Josiah’s day, but it remains true to this day.
Right now, God is sending you a simple word through this Saturday Sip devotion to remind you that He sees your faithfulness. He knows you love Him. He recognizes your willingness to serve Him in a world that dishonors and disregards His word, and He will bless you for your faithfulness. Your loyalty and devotion to God are not in vain.
Blessings are coming to you. Healing is coming to you. Increase is coming to you. Doors are opening for you. Prayers are being answered for you. Greater things than you could ever imagine are being done for you, because you are faithful to God.
Receive this word today.
Now, let’s pray.
Oh Sovereign God, it is my desire to please You and honor Your word, because I love You. Thank You for reminding me that my faithfulness to You is not in vain and that blessings are on the way for me because of my obedience to Your will. I will always serve You wholeheartedly and remain committed to You in all things. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Get more inspiration from Dianna Hobbs weekdays, Monday through Friday, right here on Your Daily Cup of Inspiration. Be sure to catch up on encouragement that you missed, and if you need prayer, don’t hesitate to ask for it here. The ministry team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, to intercede. Until next time, stay encouraged.
