Luke 2:52 (GW)
Jesus grew in wisdom and maturity. He gained favour from God and people.
The favour of God can be described as a divine kindness, or an act of true compassion on the part of God Himself toward needy and undeserving human recipients. The favour of God can be described as tangible evidence that a person has the approval of the Lord whilst God shows favour to those who delight in, connect with, and give honour to Him.
Favour is closely related to grace- the unmerited favour of God in the Bible. Those who have received Jesus as their Saviour are saved by grace through faith, as according to Ephesians 2:8–9, salvation is a gift only through the works of grace.
The Lord gave the Israelites great favour, Exodus 12:36 states, they received in one day through no labour on their part what was owed to them for so long because the favour of God spoke for them. Without faith we are told, it is impossible to please God, Hebrews 11:6, but those who have saving faith in God’s Son are declared righteous Romans 4:5 and live in God’s favour.
God’s favour or grace gave us the ability or strength to do something that humans are incapable of doing. it is only by God’s grace (or undeserved favour) that we can experience eternal life, and it is only by God’s grace that we can live for the Lord during the difficult sometimes and triumph over the storms of life.
The Lord shows us favour in diverse ways throughout our lifetime.
The favour of God is the source of mercy: no matter how far we stray or how low we get; God’s merciful favour locates us, in His mercy, He shows us pity according to Isaiah 60:10.
The favour of God grants us a life full of favour and mercy. God is so good, that he cannot delight in either the depression or ruin of his children. When he afflicts, it is for our advantage and no matter how long the affliction lasts, his favour lasts even longer. Psalm 34:5.
The favour of God is like a shield because the Lord loves His children so much, He made His love into a shield that surrounding His children daily according to Psalm 5:12.
Believers are victorious through the favour of God and not on our merit. We are in a battle, fighting on the frontline with unseen and unrecognisable opponents and weapons, and without the favour of God, we would have no hope of victory because our strength will not sustain us in these battles, Psalm 44:3.
God never leaves those He favours. His favour can be felt in the spirit. With the favour of the Lord, we have peace in our spirits that our sins are forgiven Romans 4:7. We can also feel confident that no matter what happens to us in this world, that we are within the plan of God, Psalm 86:11, and that He is with us always Isaiah 41:10. As we continue to walk in favour with God, He equips us in our struggles Psalm 34:15. Our devotion and trust in Him will be rewarded Matthew 10:42, and our eyes are illuminated to blessings in our situations that were previously unseen.
Shalom