Amy Carmichael could have doubted that God’s favor wrapped around her, but she didn’t. After a terrible fall broke her body, she was pretty much bedridden in her mission in India. Nonetheless, she recognized God’s presence and blessing amid her painful limitation, for others were obliged to rise and shoulder the responsibilities of her orphanage and outreach. Furthermore, her passion drove her to write, and those writings kindled a missionary movement.
I love to pray for God’s favor to surround and bless people as the psalmist does. It fills me with joy and well-being. However, if we look at the context of the psalms, we discover that favor is preceded by many days of being afflicted by God, followed by the psalmist’s request that God reveal His splendor to His servants and their children. Amy was afflicted before receiving God’s favor, the favor that established the work of her hands. Affliction before favor is a pattern in Scripture.
Sometimes, what distracts us, what is worthless, needs to be utterly removed before we can see the splendor of the Almighty. Then what is favored by God can rise. The Israelites experienced this in the desert as God weeded their stubborn unbelief. God had gifted the people of Canaan four hundred years to repent before God removed the worthless ruin of their culture and raised up His blessing with righteous guidelines.
We want God’s favor—for Him to confirm and bless the work of our hands. Invite Him to remove what is worthless from your life so He can bring forth what He favors.
(Photo courtesy of morguefile and jeltovski.)
Kim Robinson is a former schoolteacher who has taught in rural and central Oregon, Alaska, and with Mercy Ships in Africa. She currently lives in Salem, Oregon, where she is delighted to serve the Lord as a mom, grandma, writer, copy editor, and encourager of others.