Pray for God’s Favour (2)
To see God’s favour at work, examine the life of Joseph. ‘Now Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph more than all his children… he made him a [coat] of many colours. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him…they hated him… Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.’ (Genesis 37:3–5 NKJV) Notice two things. (1) God’s favour is a gift, not a reward because you’re better than others. Never apologise for God’s blessing on your life, but never wear it as a badge of superiority. Paul asks, ‘...What do you have that you did not receive?’ (1 Corinthians 4:7 NKJV) Answer, nothing! So keep that in mind and live with an attitude of gratitude. (2) Walking in God’s favour requires great wisdom. Joseph’s brothers said, ‘...Look, this dreamer is coming… let us now kill him and… see what will become of his dreams!’ (Genesis 37:18–20 NKJV) It’s a mistake to share your dream with those who aren’t able to appreciate it. They may appear to rejoice with you, but secretly they’ll resent you. The Prodigal’s older brother wasn’t upset that his younger brother was starving in a foreign pig pen. What he couldn’t handle was his homecoming celebration. King Saul rejoiced when David killed Goliath. What he couldn’t handle were people saying, ‘...Saul has killed his thousands, [but] David his ten thousands!’ (1 Samuel 18:7 NLT) Jesus had strong words on this subject: ‘Do not… cast your pearls before swine...’ (Matthew 7:6 NKJV) So use wisdom, speak only when the time is right, seek to please God, and you’ll walk in His favour.