Lessons From the Secret Place – Lesson 6 Favor Isn’t Fair

I am in a season of transition and my blogging has been scattered and inconsistent.  I believe it will remain this way for the unforeseeable future.  I will endeavor to blog as the Lord leads but cannot promise consistency as in the past.  

Today I want to relate the events of our family’s weekend experiences as they relate to God’s favor.  

Psalm 5:12, For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield. (ESV)

Friday, our dear friend Joe, his son Caden, Scott, Samuel, and I embarked on a three-day whirlwind trip to Las Cruces, NM to help our daughter Emma and son-in-law Josh move to TX!!!  

The five of us set off early Saturday morning to a clear and beautiful day.  We traveled unhindered from Temple, TX to El Paso, where we picked up a U-Haul trailer and continued our journey to Las Cruces.  The day was sunny and clear, the boys had a great time gaming and being all around silly.  I enjoyed some much-needed quiet time to crochet and just relax.  Scott and Joe did the hard work of driving and Joe pulled the trailer for the last hour of the trip.  

Upon our arrival we were warmly greeting by Emma and Josh.  We all spent the evening with our mentors and dear friends Morris and Pam and enjoyed warm hospitality and much love and laughter at Wolf Lodge (aka Pop and Geema’s house.) 

Rising early Sunday morning we began the daunting task of loading all of Emma and Josh’s belongings into the trailer.  As we started, we were seriously concerned that we might be at it all day! However, within three hours, thanks to Emma and Joshua’s diligent preparation, Scott and Joe’s masterful packing, and help from our friend Daniel, we had the trailer loaded to the max and had things prepared for the loading of the four trucks in the early hours on Monday, before we embarked on our epic journey to TX. 

For the sake of space and time we will fast forward to early Monday morning, however, I want to give a shout out to my amazing husband for his great teaching on Hearing the Voice of God at Healing Word Sanctuary on Sunday afternoon (you can view the message on their FB page).

When we had left Emma and Josh’s house Sunday morning after loading the trailer, we figured in under an hour we could fill the trucks and get on the road the next morning.  LOL. The best laid plans…

Finally, Monday morning, after one hiccup followed by another, and a prayer for protection and safety, we embarked 2 1/2 hours later than we planned.  Once we hit the open road, aka I-10 we thought our hiccups were behind us.  Little did we know, the had only just begun…

Our loading and covering of the trucks had been impeccable (not), and we soon realized that Josh and Emma’s loads, while stable, had tarp issues.  Emma’s tarp kept coming untucked from the back of the bed and fluttering in the breeze.  About a 4-foot section that had been tucked into the end of the bed kept coming out despite our best efforts to contain it.  Not wishing to damage our borrowed tarp we continued to pull off the road and tuck it in again.  Each time trying a “new” and “better” technique.  Finally, in total desperation over what had now become a comical but time sucking task, we cut it off and vowed to purchase the lender a new tarp.  

Meanwhile, Josh’s tarp had begun to totally shred and eventually become a tattered ruin.  While this would have been fine as everything was securely strapped down, we saw storms brewing ahead (literal storms).  Dark ominous clouds began gathering and we were again forced to stop, this time at Wal-Mart, three long hours from home, to purchase another tarp, rachet straps, and a cargo net.  

Proverbs 8:35 For whoever finds me [wisdom]  finds life and obtains favor from the LORD, (ESV) [ added for clarity by me].

After another long delay we set off again, this time heading toward the storm that we know was brewing.  Our phones began to beep with warnings from friends and family here in Bell County, warning us of the terrible storm they were enduing.  Hurricane-force winds, baseball sized hail, heavy rain, and power outages were reported across portions of TX.  However, we were riding with the favor of God upon us.  Our caravan never once got a drop of rain, the winds were manageable and on top of all that we had a front row seat to the magnificence of God’s creation in the form of the best light display in the heavens we have ever witnessed.  The lightening continued for the last three hours of our journey, always off in the distance, providing us with a spectacular view but no harmful damage or concern.  

As we drove through the night hours, we were all in awe of God’s favor and protection upon our group.  A normal 10-hour trip was increased to a 14+ hour trip; however, we realized that if we had not had all the delays with the tarps, we would have been driving right through those storm systems.  As my lovely friend Rhonda pointed out to me, we were saved because God had us traveling behind the storms.  We got to see His glory on display but did not have to deal with the enemies damaging efforts to twist what God intended for good, the rain, into a destructive force that damaged property by causing lightning strike fires, and hail damage.  

2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.

Favor is not fair, as my sweet friend Clara has often reminded me, it is for King’s kids. And today, my friend, I am more grateful than ever to be the child of the King of King’s and the Lord of Lord’s!!!!!

Walking in favor involves two things: Faith in God’s promises and Obedience to His leading (wisdom).  

First, Faith is God’s promises

No matter what our eyes were witnessing, we knew and had unwavering faith that God had promised us a safe trip through His Rhama word spoken to our hearts as we talked with Him about the trip and through His Logos, written word. In Psalm 32:7 we read, You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah (ESV) 

Also, Psalm 91:11-12 tells us, For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. (NLT)

Second, Obedience to His leading (wisdom)

In Luke 2:52 we read, And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. (ESV)

How did Jesus grow in wisdom?  John 5:19 tells us, So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. (ESV)

John 12:49, I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. (NLT)

Jesus grew in wisdom by doing what the Father did and saying what the Father told Him to say.  

When we saw the storm brewing up ahead, we knew we needed to stop and batten down the hatches. Our past experiences with God’s creation told us (wisdom) that preparations should be made to protect Emma and Josh’s stuff.  

We don’t always need a loud trumpet blast or an audible voice to tell us what to do.  If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you have Holy Spirit living inside of you.  He will quicken a thought to your mind when you need it.  Obedience is then the only logical step if we want to be walking in favor.  

Today, let me challenge you to unwaveringly trust in God’s promises and to walk in instant obedience to Holy Spirit’s promptings and leading.  This will result in the unfair favor of God being active and overshadowing your life!!!!

Remember: Favor isn’t fair, it’s for King’s kids!!!