Pray For God's Favour

Proverbs 3:4 - So you will find favor, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

To fulfil your God-given assignment in life you will need God's favour! How did Joseph go from being a lowly inmate to running the whole prison system? '... The Lord was with Joseph... and He gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison... whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper' (Genesis 39:21-23 - But Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22The keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever they did there, he was responsible for it.  23The keeper of the prison didn't look after anything that was under his hand, because Yahweh was with him; and that which he did, Yahweh made it prosper. ). Why did King Ahasuerus choose a Jewish slave girl named Esther to be his queen? '... She obtained grace and favour in his sight... so he set the royal crown upon her head... ' (Esther 2:17 - The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti. ). How did Samuel go from being a custodian in the temple to being a prophetic voice of the nation? '... Samuel grew... in favour both with the Lord and men' (1 Samuel 2:26 - 26The child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with Yahweh, and also with men. ). What did all these favoured people have in common?

First, they gave their best effort. They excelled at what God gave them to do, and when the time came He promoted them.
Second, they put others first. David served King Saul even though he was a ruthless boss. Ruth worked to support her widowed mother-in-law Naomi, while Naomi's other daughter-in-law Orpah thought only of herself.
Third, they sought guidance and had a teachable spirit. God answered Ruth's request by giving her Naomi, the right mentor, Boaz, the right boss, and making sure she got into the right field (Ruth 2:2-3 - Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor. She said to her, Go, my daughter. 3She went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech).
God's favour will connect you to the right people and get you to the right place. When your chosen field is the field God has chosen for you, you can't help but be blessed in it. No, you won't be exempt from trials, but you'll succeed in what you're called to do.


Core Values

James 1:22 : But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.

We talk about our 'core values'. In an ever-changing world they are principles that should govern your life. They explain why you do the things you do, and what you stand for. They're not just business strategies, cultural norms or responses to market changes; they're non-negotiables that dictate how you live your life. John Blumberg says, 'I've yet to meet anyone who would say they didn't want to operate from a solid set of values. However, it's more challenging than it appears. In leadership workshops all over the world I've seen the stunning realisation people face when they're given a blank sheet and challenged to write down their core values.

My hope is you'll be challenged to investigate, indicate, and integrate your core values into the fabric of your life.' The Bible says, 'Be... doers of the word, and not hearers only.' What you truly believe determines how you act and manifests itself in your daily routine.

John Mason says that means 'Making yourself valuable to somebody today... tackling a problem bigger than yourself... getting to know God by reading His Word... helping someone who can't repay you... doing three things that take you outside your comfort zone... giving thanks for your daily bread... leaving others a little better than you found them... not being afraid to ask for help... giving the best time of your day to God... doing today what you want to put off till tomorrow... remembering that the time and place to be happy is here and now... taking small steps to conquer a bad habit... and evaluating your actions not by the harvest they produce, but by the seeds you're sowing.'