Ultimate FavorSample

The Two Sides of Favor

For those who know the Bible well, it’s easy to get preoccupied with the ‘two sides’ of God’s promised favor mentioned in Deuteronomy 28.

As Israel was poised to enter the Promised Land, God prompted Moses to give them a two-part message. The first part was, in essence, “Obey God and your life will be blessed. If you walk in his word, you’ll see blessings on your crops, your villages, your families, everything you touch.” What an encouraging word! 

Then came the second half of the message, which spoke of curses instead of blessings. “Likewise, if you don’t obey God, you’ll be cursed in your fields, your villages, your families, everything you put your hands to.” 

A lot of Christians read this passage and think, “My life falls more into the disobedient category. That’s why my life isn’t blessed, why I still struggle, why things don’t go my way.” They may not say it out loud; but at some level, these Christians believe they’re cursed in God’s eyes. 

That’s not what this passage conveys at all. God’s bottom line to his people was this: “I want to bless your life, your parenting, your work, your relationships, your community life. Stay in my word, and you’ll have a blessed life.” Despite this, many read this chapter and think, “The moment I depart from God’s commands, he automatically moves me to the cursed category.”

We can be tempted to think our life is continually cursed, especially if we endure trial after trial in life. We might even be tempted to think we deserve our trials, that our sin has brought them on. 

Here is the core of the favored life we have in Christ: He is with us in everything, whether our situation is dark or promising.

Friend, your marriage is not cursed. Your finances are not cursed. Your health is not cursed. Regardless of any outward appearances, you are walking in God’s favor, which was secured for you by Christ. That is your reality. His Word says so. 

I can assure you of this about God’s favor: “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9, ESV).