IT IS THE LORD’S FAVOR ON YOU THAT SETS YOU UP FOR RECOGNITION, PROMOTION, AND INCREASE.

24/08/24

GOSPEL CORNER

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
TODAY’S WORD

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the LORD with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
2 Samuel 6:14–15, NIV

KEEP CELEBRATING
In 2 Samuel 6, David and his men had just recovered the ark of the covenant. There was a huge celebration, with shouts of joy, trumpets blowing, cymbals crashing. David was so excited that he danced with all of his might. He was the distinguished king, but he didn’t hold back from celebrating the goodness of God. When his wife Michal saw him dancing and leaping, it says she was filled with contempt and criticized him for acting like a vulgar person. David responded, “I was celebrating before the Lord, not you. What you think of me is not going to keep me from being who I am.” David wasn’t controlled by what other people thought.

When you’re honoring God, when you’re being your best, some people are going to find fault with you. They won’t give you their approval unless you lower your standards and conform to their thinking. That’s okay. Be a David. Have the attitude: “I don’t need your approval. I’m keeping God first place. I’m going to live with integrity. I’m going to do the right thing when it’s hard.”

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for the people in my life who celebrate You and approve me. Help me, though, to honor You and be my best when other people find fault and try to change me. I declare that I will freely worship and serve You with all my might. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

SECTION TWO

It is important for you to recognize that there is a significant difference between God’s unmerited favor and favoritism. God’s unmerited favor is based entirely on Jesus’ merit, and we received it through His finished work at the cross. We did nothing to deserve His favor. It is completely unmerited.

Favoritism, however, stinks of self-effort. Individuals who rely on favoritism for promotion have to resort to apple polishing, office politics, manipulative tactics, backstabbing, and all kinds of compromises just to get what they want. They use all their efforts to open doors for themselves, and in the process, they lose themselves.

God has a higher and better way for you. It hurts Him to see His precious children groveling like sycophants just to get ahead in life.

If a door closes, so be it! Believe with full confidence that God has a better way for you. You do not have to depend on favoritism to keep opportunities open for yourself when you have God’s unmerited favor!

That was how Joseph operated. He depended on the Lord for his success, and not on favoritism, which would have required him to compromise his beliefs. When Potiphar’s wife, who was likely one of the most beautiful women in the land, kept trying to seduce Joseph to sleep with her, Joseph stood his ground on the firm foundation of unmerited favor.

He refused, saying, “There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he [Potiphar] kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Gen. 39:9).

From his words, it is clear that Joseph knew the source of his success, favor, and blessings. He did not see giving in to Potiphar’s wife as a great wickedness and sin against Potiphar alone, but against God too.

He knew that every blessing that he had experienced was a result of the Lord’s favor on him. He knew that it was not Potiphar who promoted him from the position of a lowly slave to become the overseer of Potiphar’s entire estate. It was the Lord!

Similarly in your life, know and rejoice that it is the Lord who is the source of your blessings and success! You don’t have to resort to trying to win the favor of significant people in your life. It is the Lord’s favor on you that sets you up for recognition, promotion, and increase.