The Favor of the Lord

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;
    establish the work of our hands for us—
    yes, establish the work of our hands. - Psalm 90:17

Who doesn’t want the “favor of the Lord: to rest on them? Honestly, most people run from it, because finding God’s favor only happens after we understand our need and limitations.

Psalm 90 was written by Moses and it details what a soul has to endure to live in the favor of God.

First, we have to realize how vast God is. God is “from everlasting to everlasting.” He is older than the mountains and the creator of the world. God is sovereign. omniscient. omnipotent, and holy.

Realizing that we suddenly see our limitations. Compared to God, we are dust. A thousand years in God’s sight is like a day that has just gone by. While God is eternal, our days come to 70 years, or 80 if we have the strength. We are fleeting, God endures.

In addition to our limitations, we face our great need. We deserve to be consumed by God’s anger. Our days are full of trouble and sorrow; much of it our own fault or because of how others have treated us. We were given something wonderful and trashed it.

Seeing our limitations and need, God steps in with unfailing love. Moses saw the Passover and the Red Sea part. He ate manna in the wilderness and drank water from the rock. Those were just shadows of God’s unfailing love. We’ve seen the full expression; Jesus, the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. We’ve eaten holy communion and been washed by His blood.

To understand all of that (God’s greatness and our need) is to live in the favor of God. It means rejecting the modern concept that we are greater than God. It means rejecting self-righteousness. It means rejecting the gospel of life hacks. It means embracing the good news that God saves sinners, of whom I’m the worst.

May God’s favor rest on you!
Pastor Tim