The Favor of God

As you and I follow Jesus with all our hearts and practice being people of mercy and truth, then God grants us an exquisite grace called favor.

The Favor of God

"Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart,
And so find favor and high esteem
In the sight of God and man."

(Proverbs 3:3-4)

I hope your New Year 2025 is off to a great start. Ashley and I enjoyed our time with the family. It was pretty wild having in our home all 7 grandchildren, each one under 5 years of age! We made some wonderful memories, laughed a lot, and had so much fun. Here is a picture with Ashley and me and all our grandchildren:

For our annual Christmas party with our kids and their kids, we had a visit from the Grinch. Our son Bryant came into the living room all decked out as the Grinch, jumped over the couch, and started "stealing" our Christmas presents. The adults were laughing, but the grandchildren were all scared and crying! Also, that same evening, Ashley and I dressed up as President-elect Donald and Melania Trump. Here is a picture of our guests from Mar-a-Lago:

God continues to bless our family and grant us His favor and joy. God's ways work! When you pursue Him, put Him first, and build your life upon the solid Rock of Jesus Christ, then you will be blessed. Does our family have difficult days? For sure, we do like every other family. Knowing and serving Jesus does not prevent the trials of life from invading our tranquil souls. But what is so amazing is how the Lord is especially close during those hard times.

In our Scripture teaching for today, notice that couplet that is seen numerous times in the Word of God: mercy and truth. We are told by God to pursue these twin virtues; forsake them, or make sure you keep them front and center in your life. We are to bind them around our necks and write them on the tablet of our hearts. This is a graphic and memorable way of putting it.

As you and I follow Jesus with all our hearts and practice being people of mercy and truth, then God grants us an exquisite grace called favor. God also grants to His children high esteem, and notice that this is in the eyes of God and man. To live with the favor and blessings of God upon our lives is the best way to live!

How will you be a person of mercy and truth today? Will you be merciful to everyone with whom you come in contact? Will you care enough to speak the truth in love? I pray that God blesses you and uses you to be a blessing to others.