GOD'S FAVOR

GOD'S FAVOR

Of the three types of life we know: Zoe, Bios and Psuche; God wants us to always maintain, grow and live our daily lives based on Zoe’s life. Jesus has given Zoe’s life when we experienced the new birth.

John 4:13-14 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But anyone who DRINKS THE WATER I GIVE will never be thirsty again. The water I give people WILL BE LIKE A SPRING flowing inside them. It will bring them eternal life.”

John 10:10 (NET) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I HAVE COME SO THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE, AND MAY HAVE IT ABUNDANTLY. The Zoe’s life has to be like ‘a spring of life’ in all aspects of our daily life, not only on spiritual aspect.

When I learned Jesus’ ‘timeline’ on earth, He had to face certain situations and conditions, and He faced it with the Zoe’s life that was in Him. Jesus is the forerunner and pattern who shows us how to live our daily lives in His divinity and how to 'swallow death’ around us from the victorious position that God has provided for us. (1 Corinthians 15:53-54)

1. Jesus increased in wisdom, stature and favor.

Luke 2:52 So Jesus grew both tall and wise, and was loved by God and man.

Luke 2:52 (NKJV) And Jesus increased in WISDOM and STATURE, and in FAVOR WITH GOD and MEN.

a. It is interesting to notice that Jesus increased in wisdom, stature and favor through a process of ‘forging’.

The word ‘increase’ is written in Greek: Prokoptō, which can be interpreted as to grow, to increase in length (as if by hammering many times), like a blacksmith’s work. I believe when believers want to grow in wisdom, they also have to go through the process of ‘forging’. God will put us in situations and conditions so we can overcome them.

Situations and conditions will never ‘change’ even if we have prayed, fasted, etc. Because God puts us in certain situation or condition to ‘forge’ us, so we will ‘grow’. Nothing will happen, until we move and rise to overcome our ‘shortcomings’. Once we rise in the power of the Spirit and move to overcome our shortcomings, then God will give us breakthroughs and abilities to change.

b. The word Wisdom is written in Greek: Sophia, which can be interpreted as broad, full of intelligence; often used to describe someone who has a broad knowledge/ insight thinking.

The growth of wisdom in Jesus’ life, described as growth in understanding God’s work and patterns; and also described as a process that formed Jesus to become a person who always does the right things, and is responsible. (Proverb 3:3-4)

When we always cling to the true vine (John 15:1-8), we will experience how ‘the forging of life’ and ‘the forging of the word and the Spirit’ will make us understand how God works in all aspects / areas of life. At the same time, we are formed to have a heart that is set on the truth, to do the right things, to be responsible and to have good qualities.

c. Through the work of the word and the Spirit, God is building our lives so we will be more suitable to do something according to His design for us.

For example, for someone to function as a board member, he is required to have a certain competency. Though the work of the word and the Spirit, God will make sure the competencies he must have before he begins to function in certain areas, will always grow. Even when he has to go through the process of ‘forging’, like an iron in the hands of a blacksmith. The iron is formed according to what the blacksmith wanted. But the process of developing those competencies will occur naturally, according to his passion which will move him to learn something (fill his life with the information and knowledge he needs and overcome his shortcomings).

I believe, when we learn to overcome our shortcomings, to understand God’s work and patterns, to give our lives to be formed into someone who always does the right thing, trustworthy and responsible, then the favor of God and men will be our portion. #ILoveGod

Ps. Steven Agustinus