How To Find Favor With God

​1 Peter 2:20 - For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.   NASU 

• It Won't Be As You Believe 

Many people believe that if you love and serve the Lord that your life will be chaos free. The facts are when you read the Bible God's servant's lives were one chaotic mess after another.
 
If you do a word study on the Greek word "favor" it is "charin" and our English word "Grace" is derived from this word. Peter is saying if you want to find "grace or favor" with the Lord then you should prepare yourself for suffering. 

• Mary Found Favor 

Luke 1:30 - The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.
 
Well, that is a good thing right? Oh it is definitely a good thing, but before we start jumping up and down for joy do you remember what is going to happen to Mary?
 
She is engaged to be married.

The Lord is going to impregnate Mary and this is going to cause a lot of embarrass-ment and shame for Mary and her family. It becomes such an issue Joseph is not going to marry her: Matt 1:19 - Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
 
As the ole cliché goes Joseph was trying to sweep this mess under a rug. As we can see finding favor with God doesn't mean our life is going to go smoothly.
 
In fact, it can mean just the opposite. 

• Noah Found Favor 

The next time you want to find favor with the LORD you may want to rethink that idea.
 
Genesis 6:8 says it this way: "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD".
 
Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD and God gave him the job of building the ark. How many people made fun of Noah and his family? They were building a boat because it was going to rain and flood the earth.
 
The only problem it had never rained on the earth at this point of time in history. The people had no idea what Noah was saying. Can you imagine all the people that came out to watch Noah and his family build an ark to protect them from the rain that was coming to destroy the earth?
 
They would have ridiculed Noah and his family mercilessly all because he found favor in the eyes of the LORD. 

• You May Find Favor With The LORD 

What this means is you are going to have to endure some type of trial in life and by enduring it you prove that you love the LORD your God with all your heart. You find favor with the LORD by suffering in His name.
 
Look at all the prophets that suffered. Why did they suffer? They suffered because they were doing the LORD'S will.
 
Did anyone suffer more than Job? I don't think so.
 
Did Job find favor with the LORD? Yes he did.
 
The LORD reprimands Job's three friends, commands that they offer a sacrifice for themselves and Job. Once Job prays for his three friends his fortune is returned to him according to Job 42:10 - The LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold. 

• How Does One Find Favor With The LORD? 

It is my observation from studying the scriptures that one finds favor with the LORD by enduring the suffering that comes our way during our lifetime.
 
Think About This:
 
God had one Son without sin, but never one without suffering.
 
Stay Pumped.
 
Gary A. Serago
 
Minister of God's Word