Favor

Read: Luke 4:14-21

. . . and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come. Luke 4:19

IN WORD

Isaiah’s prophecy declared the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God. To his readers, those two points were likely the same: God’s favor on His people implies vengeance on their enemies. But Jesus stopped immediately after His proclamation of the Lord’s favor, right in the middle of Isaiah’s sentence. Why? Because the day of vengeance has not yet come; it was never a feature of His earthly ministry. There will be a time, a Second Coming, when God’s anger toward enemies is expressed, but not now. This is the age of favor. And that’s why the Good News is good.

Christians who are pessimistic about the course of history or about their own lives have forgotten that this is an era of favor. So have Christians who point fingers of judgment at others, as though the primary focus of this age is to condemn those outside the Kingdom rather than invite them into it. In an age of favor, we can expect goodness from Him in every area of life at all times, and we can offer it to everyone we meet, whether we agree with them or not. We may experience hardships, but we don’t incur His wrath. If we’re in Christ, we never will. For those who aren’t, the time of judgment has not yet come. Favor is still the climate of the Kingdom.

IN DEED

Pessimism and criticism are not part of the Kingdom culture. This is not an age for hopelessness or defeatism. We are called to be like our God, who has never had a moment of hopelessness or ever felt defeated. That means that if we fully embrace the Kingdom message, we expect goodness from His hand.

Surround yourself with hope. Fill yourself with high expectations for God’s goodness, regardless of what you see in your immediate surroundings. Receive the perfect love that casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Refuse the critical, negative thinking that fills so many hearts, even Christian ones. Resolutely insist that right now is the time of the Lord’s favor—for you and for everyone around you. And offer His favor generously, just like He does. It’s the only message that can change lives.

ADDITIONAL READING: Psalm 5:11-12

The future is as bright as the promises of God.

ADONIRAM JUDSON