God’s Favor in Your Life

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are attentive to their cry.” Psalm 34:15 (NIV)

You might be surprised to learn that those whom God favors sometimes experience pain and suffering. We might not understand it, but God shows His favor and His love in many different ways. Let’s see what His favor can look like in your life.

Favor Does Not Prevent Suffering

Jesus instructed His followers, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth” (Matthew 6:19), and the Bible instructs God’s people, “if your wealth increases, don’t make it the center of your life” (Psalm 62:10). Israel’s King David (a hero of the Old Testament) suffered physical hardship when he was persecuted by Saul. God also allowed physical pain to bother the Apostle Paul, who received divine revelation and wrote many books in the New Testament.

Just like Paul’s physical pain, God does not always fix every hardship in your life. Even if you pray, He may choose to use your weakness so His glory and strength can be seen by all of the people around you. (2 Corinthians 12:9, John 9:3).

Focus on Giving God Glory

The Old Testament shows us that God often used provision to help His people understand Him more: “the Lord your God has poured down for you abundant rain. The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil” (Joel 2:23-24). The New Testament lets us know that “every good and perfect gift is from the Father” (James 1:17).

Since God works “for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28), He can choose to give you with resources or health for His purpose. However, you have to remember that these are always meant to bring Him glory. Our focus should not be on our comfort or gaining material things. If we are focused on God, we can use whatever He gives us, whether it’s health, material things or physical weakness, to give Him glory.

Seek God First

God will provide everything we need to accomplish His will. You may be surprised to learn that you may not need perfect health or lots of wealth to do His will. Jesus didn’t even have a place to lay his head (Luke 9:58), but He accomplished God’s perfect will. Be sure to “seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33). Remember, God’s favor does not mean all your expectations will be met. His favor will help you give Him glory in good and bad situations.

Relating to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6

If you have come to trust Jesus as your own Savior, you are in a relationship with God that can't be broken. He's beyond what we can imagine. He lives forever and does not change. Big as He is, He is also personal. He is near to us. He created a great variety of people. And He wants us to be close to Him. In a way, variety exists in His own nature. Father, Son and Holy Spirit have a relationship with each other. They also have perfect unity. God teaches us to relate to Him in lots of ways. Learn how biblical worship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit affects how we understand ourselves.

In relation to the Father

When I think of the Father, I remember His right to direct me. Because of what Jesus did, God is also my adoptive Father. He loved me so much, He gave His Son to keep me from perishing. (John 3:16; 1:12; Galatians 3:26)

To the Father, I am a beloved son worth recovering. For a picture of this, see the story of the Prodigal Son. (Luke 15:11-32)

In relation to the Son

When I think of the Son of God, I remember I’m meant to look like Jesus. (Romans 8:28-29)

To Jesus, I am His sheep (John 10:27-30), and no one is able to snatch me from His hand. For a picture of this, read about the Good Shepherd Who gave His life for me. (John 10:11-16) He even says I am His friend. (John 15:14) He is unashamed to call me His brother. (Hebrews 2:11-18)

In relation to the Holy Spirit

When I think of the Holy Spirit, I remember that He is a Helper to me as I desire and serve God. (John 14:16-17) He makes up for my limitations. And His constant presence in my life is a taste of what I will eventually fully inherit. (Ephesians 1:14; 2 Corinthians 1:22)

To the Spirit, I am His home. Because God Himself lives in me, I am home base for his earthly ministry. Read 1 Corinthians 6:19 for an explanation of this:“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself” (1 Corinthians 6:19) As God floods my heart with His love, (Romans 5:5) my life produces His fruit in response. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Worshiping God in Spirit and Truth

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

John 4:24

God says, “just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9) The book of Job says, “Touching the Almighty, we cannot find Him out.” (Job 37:23, AMP) But God tells Jeremiah, “Don’t let the wise brag of their wisdom… If you brag, brag of this and this only: That you understand and know me. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

God wants to be known and understood! To have faith is to understand things about Him. We “must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) God’s unity—in diversity—is one of the most important things to know about Him. To hold this truth we must know three other things:

We Cannot Bring Him Down To Our Level

Although Christ humbled Himself by “sharing in human nature,” (Philippians 2:7) God is not just a man. (Numbers 23:19) Imagining He’s just like us is a mistake. Jesus warned the Woman at the Well: “You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews.” (John 4:22).

Humility in Worship

We may not be able to fully know God’s nature. But worshipers must accept what God says about Himself. “Those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth,” Jesus goes on to say in John 4:24. Worship is a humble admission that there is no one and nothing like Him.

Beyond Comparison

Do comparisons help explain the Trinity? Water, Ice and Steam? The nature of light? God says, “To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike?” (Isaiah 46:5) Any time we use something, saying, “God is like this,” it’s bound to fall short. We use the word “Trinity”—which isn’t found in the Bible—to stand for all these truths we DO find in the Bible.

“Trinity,” (meaning, literally, three-in-one), stands for all the teachings of Scripture on God’s three-in-one nature. It is our humble admission that the God Who has revealed Himself in Scripture is “transcendent,” beyond the limit of our understanding. At the same time, “he is not far from any one of us.” (Acts 17:27) Do you know Him today?

Do Christians Worship One God—or Three?

For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.

Ephesians 4:4-6

Our Christmas devotion quoted Isaiah 44:6. God says, “besides me, there is no God.” The New Testament agrees, “there is only one God.” (1 Corinthians 8:4) Christians call the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, “God.” When Christians use the word "Trinity," what do we really mean?

Is God One Person Appearing in Three Different Forms?

At Godlife, we like to keep things simple, but making things too simple can be very dangerous. Without understanding, bridges and buildings collapse. Unexpected expenses, even injury and death, result. Likewise, we dare not reduce what the Bible teaches about God.

Some say that God shows Himself as the Father in the Old Testament, Jesus Christ in the New Testament and the Holy Spirit in the believer's life? Compare this dangerous over-simplification with what the Bible says. He is not one person wearing masks or taking on different names. Otherwise, it would not make sense to say that the Father sends the Son, (John 20:21), the Son sends the Holy Spirit, (John 16:7), and the Spirit reveals and glorifies the Son.(John 16:14)

Are There Three Different Gods?

Is it possible “God” is an office, or title, held by more than one being? No. Isaiah 42:8 says, “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else.” Jesus prays, "Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.” (John 17:5) It is mysterious. But Jesus is not “someone else,” or the Father would not share His glory with Him. As Jesus said, seeing Him is seeing the Father. (John 14:9)

Is The Father Alone God, While Jesus is Just A Man?

The Bible tells us God is the Word (John 1:1), and that the Word became flesh. (v. 14) We are baptized in the (singular) "name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19), we put all our hope in Him. Romans 10:13 quotes Joel 2:32: “…everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved…” What is this name? It is JESUS. "If you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) Because there is “no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) Jesus is forever the God-Man who has brought salvation. He is “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23)

You Can Trust God’s Wisdom

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! For who can know the LORD’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice?

Romans 11:33-34

If we doubt that God is truly wise, we will be tempted to despair when things go wrong. On the other hand, understanding God’s wisdom helps us to trust Him and be secure in any situation.

Here are some areas we see God’s wisdom demonstrated:

Creation – Past and Present

By wisdom the Lord founded the earth; by understanding he created the heavens. (Proverbs 3:19)

From the distant galaxies to the tiniest insect, everything we see is a product of God’s perfect design, not random chance. Every area of human knowledge, from mathematics to physics to biology, is just a tiny sliver of God’s great wisdom. All of our study in these and other fields, is an attempt to discover more of the wonders of His creation. “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.” (Psalm 19:1)

Some people believe that God created the world, then left us to fend for ourselves. But Colossians 1:17 says this about Jesus: “He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.”

Human History

If the presence of evil rulers bothers you, think of Pharaoh, who was cruel and oppressive to God’s people. Yet, “For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, ‘I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth’” (Romans 9:17). Yes, even Pharaoh, the wicked oppressor of Israel, was appointed by God to bring glory to Himself. And so it continues with today’s kings and kingdoms. God is still in control.

Our Relationship to God

One of the most “foolish” things to many people is the idea that God came to earth in human form, and then willingly allowed himself to be killed for the salvation of mankind. Yet 1 Corinthians 1:25 says that God’s “foolishness” is greater than human wisdom.

In His infinite wisdom, God sent Jesus to die for your sins. All God's children should take great comfort from this. Those who have not yet decided to follow Him should realize that His plan of salvation, strange or even foolish as it may seem, is true and is intended for you. Humbly accept that God is infinitely great and wise, and seek to follow Him.

God is Holy; God is Love

Do idols belong in the temple of God? We are the temple of the living God, as God himself says, ‘I will live with these people and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.’ The Lord also says, ‘Leave them and stay away! Don’t touch anything that isn’t clean. Then I will welcome you and be your Father. You will be my sons and my daughters, as surely as I am God, the All-Powerful.’

2 Corinthians 6:16-18

Many say God’s holiness makes him judgmental, demanding a very high moral standard. Others say if God is loving, then he won’t condemn anyone but all will go to Heaven. Are God’s holiness and love opposite extremes?

God’s Holiness

“This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.” (1 John 1:5).

Holiness (pictured here as light) is God’s nature. It unifies all his other characteristics. He is perfectly good, perfectly righteous, perfectly merciful, perfectly faithful, etc. All of his actions are determined by this purity that sets him apart from all others. “By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.” (Leviticus 10:3)

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty. The whole earth is filled with his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)

God’s Purity

It is in the presence of God’s pure, holy light that we become aware of our sin. Isaiah said, “I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips...” (Isaiah 6:5) Even our good deeds are filthy compared to the purity of God’s holiness. (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:23) God does not judge sin out of cruelty:“...His eyes are too pure to look on evil or tolerate wrongdoing.” (Habakkuk 1:13) Yet, the holy mercy and love of God provided a way for Isaiah to be purified (Isaiah 6:6-7) and he does the same for us.

God’s Holy Love

“Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:7-8).

Selfish motives and wrong thinking limit human love. Real love doesn’t tolerate selfish, hurtful behavior. God is pure love! (1John 4:10,16; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7) He desires holiness for his children: He wants us to be completely set apart for Him. What parent does not wish for a “perfect” life for their child? We lack the understanding and power to give that, but God does not. God wants to give us a new life, free from sin. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

God’s holiness does not limit or oppose his love; it defines it! “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” (1 John 4:18) Are you experiencing this perfect, holy love?

How to Read the Bible

Scripture: “All scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16

The Bible is the most read book in history. God has preserved it for thousands of years. Though it was written by many authors over hundreds of years, it tells one continuous story. Many people struggle to read and understand the Bible. Here are some key things to remember when reading the Bible.

It is a Collection of Books, all of which are God-breathed and: “…profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training…”

Moses. David. John. Paul -- all of them were writing to people of their own day about issues of their own time. It helps to know if a part of the Bible is reporting a story the way it took place, or if it is written for godly instruction. Ask yourself if the part you’re reading is a letter to a group of believers, a poem of praise to God or a prediction of future events. Asking these questions will help you understand why the author wrote it and what it meant to the people of their day.

Context is Important: “…All scripture…”

2 Timothy 3:16 promises that all Scripture is profitable. That means we can get something out of it, too, even if it was written to others. (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11) But sometimes people get the wrong idea by taking one or two sentences out of context. Learning how individual parts fit in with the whole Bible helps you understand the meaning of things that can be taken more than one way. Big ideas are repeated throughout scripture. It’s best to consider other ways an idea is shared if there’s any question. You don’t have to master the whole Bible to understand most passages. But if you hear an explanation that does not sound right, read a little more to see if it gets clearer.

Jesus and Paul use lots of Old Testament scriptures. This help us see how the Bible all fits together in God’s plan. John’s Gospel tells why it was written, a purpose that works for the whole Bible: “…so that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:31).

It is Spiritual: “…inspired by God…”

God reveals Himself to us through scripture, and the Holy Spirit helps us understand. (1 Corinthians 2:12-14) God knows everything! There are no mistakes in the Bible. (There are a few things we won’t understand clearly without knowing the meaning of the rest of the chapter.) God wants us to know him, and He cannot lie. That’s why we can trust his word. Reading the Bible is a spiritual experience: ask God to guide you.

It Should Change Your Life: “…so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work…”

“Be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22) When I read the Bible, I ask myself these questions: What does it say about God? What does it say about me (people/believers)? What is it telling me to do? Every time you read scripture you can grow in your faith and ask God to make those truths REAL in your life.