Category: favor

Monday's Marinade Favor-Ps 5-12

Monday’s Marinade – Surrounded by His Favor

Posted on by Evangeline

FAVOR, is:

“excessive kindness or unfair partiality; preferential treatment” (as defined by Dictionary.com).

It is unearned…there’s nothing you can do to get it. The Psalmist assures us that because of our righteousness, we are SURROUNDED by God’s kindness. Do you see it being exhibited in your life? Look for it. Expect it!

Here are a couple more scriptures about how you can enjoy God’s preferential treatment:

You have granted me life and favor, and Your care has preserved my spirit. ~Job 10:12

For whoever finds me (wisdom) finds life, and obtains favor from the LORD.~ Proverbs 8:35

Monday’s Marinade is a means of “soaking yourself” in the hope-filled Word of God at the beginning of your week. Start your week by meditating on scripture about God’s FAVOR. Repeatedly think about and quietly say it to yourself.  Marinate and season your week with hope and a confident expectation of good things happening!

The Good Thing I’ve Enjoyed For 33 Years

Posted on by Evangeline

I’ve enjoyed a good thing for 33 years…being married to the guy that God gifted to me through “holy matrimony” in 1982.

good thing - wedding

 

These 33 years of married life have had their ups and downs but we’ve been blessed to experience a very high rate of ups!

Here are a few of the downs:

good thing - downs

  • The death of my father 6 months after we got married. My biggest regret about his death is that my children never got to know him as “Granddaddy.” He would have made a  wise and fun one!
  • My layoff from my job.
  • INFERTILITY
  • My mother’s bout with cancer.

 

Here are the few of the ups:

good thing - ups

      • My mother lived to see, hold, and pray for each of my children.
      • JOB SECURITY!!! Freeman has never been laid off from his job.
      • Discovering Family Life’s “Weekend to Remember” getaway. It’s a booster shot for our marriage. We’ve attended this event more than a dozen times!
      • We OVERCAME infertility using God’s Word
        • Gave birth to 3 wonderful children
        • I became a stay-at-home mom 🙂
      • Cancer has no authority in our family anymore.
      • My in-laws love me!
      • Freeman’s in-laws love him! 🙂
      • I became an author (NEVER planned for that to happen!)

 

I’m so glad today is my wedding anniversary. But more importantly, I’m so thankful to be sharing life with a man who loves God and loves me unconditionally and allows me to return the favor!

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In honor of Freeman and our 33 years of being married, I’d like to share with you something a wise woman passed on to our church in 2013. It struck me as one more way that I can be selfless and focus on the good qualities my husband possesses (and that I desire him to possess).

Daily Confessions For My Husband

(Original version shared by Glorya Huff at SonRise in 2013)

He has the Meekness of Moses

The Patience of Job

The Ear of Samuel

The Courage of Joshua

The Strength of Sampson

The Discipline of Daniel

The Integrity of Joseph

The Heart of Boaz

The Focus of David

The Peace of Paul

The Steadfastness of Peter

The Love of John

And most of all, he has the Mind of Christ.

Freeman is my Mighty Man of GOD!

 

Here’s a link to a PDF of this confession. Why not personalize it and use it to speak goodness over your husband AND to help you focus on the goodness that’s already in him?

Daily Confessions For My Husband TEMPLATE

 

The Pit or the Palace

Posted on by Evangeline

Pit - DestinyThere’s a faded sticky note on my kitchen cabinet that I put there many years ago. It has survived the steam and the grease from the nearby stove. The ink has faded but it’s still readable. And even though it’s been in the same spot since my oldest was in high school (he’s now 25), it still catches my attention from time to time.

 

“The pit is not your destiny. Your destiny is with the King.”

 

How do you see your life right now? Are you in the Pit or are you in the Palace? Jesus died so that you would have a life lived in the abundance of the palace. John 10:10 states, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” This abundance is not just about material wealth. It applies to any and every aspect of your body, soul, and spirit.

If you’re feeling like your life is stuck in a pit right now, check where your focus has been. Do you need to shift your focus from the negative to the positive (Philippians 4:8)? Look to Jesus who finished a work on your behalf so that you wouldn’t have to remain in the pit. Be encouraged and choose to focus on the love of the One who shines a brilliant light into in the darkness of any circumstance. He wants you to choose the destiny He planned, one of joy, favor, peace, and abundance in every area of life.

What will you do today that will remind yourself of Who lovingly holds your destiny?

The Guest Room

Posted on by Evangeline

I grew up in a home where there was no guest room. If anyone spent the night, they had to sleep on the sofa. Not a sofa bed, just a sofa. That didn’t make for comfortable accommodations so we didn’t have very many overnight guests!

Fast forward to the future. The date is May 30, 2014. On that day, I am not in the home where I grew up.  I am in the retreat home where I am hosting the iHope Fertility Retreat. There are enough bedrooms in this house so that there is an empty bedroom. But because a generous donor gave me a scholarship for a young woman, that empty room has become a guest room for an attendee.

::::::

Bedroom by Witthaya PhonsawatHave been thinking about coming to the iHope Fertility Retreat but finances were holding you back? I have a scholarship that you could possibly qualify for and use to pay your FULL registration fee! Someone who believes in the mission of the iHope Fertility Retreat handed me a check last night to cover the the cost of one person to attend. This was such a clear indication of God’s favor working. It was such an unexpected blessing!!! And yet, I must say that all along I was expecting God to make a way for the right people to be in the right place at the right time so that the right people could attend. In the Fall of 2013, I made Him my Retreat Attendance Officer  and I haven’t worried about who’s coming since then.

I expect that He will continue to provide in other ways, just as He has provided the guest room at the iHope Retreat.

If you’re interested in seeing if you qualify for this scholarship, please email me at Evangeline@EvangelineColbert.com and let me know why you’d like to be the one enjoying a stay in the guest room. 

Will you be my guest?

 

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:19

 

Image : Freedigitalphotos.net  |  Witthaya Phonsawat

Loved by a Cross-Eyed God

Posted on by Evangeline

For the last 6 weeks I’ve been teaching at my church about God’s Favor in our lives. It has been a transformative time as I have learned more about being accepted by God purely by what Jesus did on the cross and not by my efforts/works. Here’s one of the props I’ve used in the class:

I know, it looks ridiculous, but when God gave me the idea, I knew it would be effective in getting this point across…

Did you know that God is “cross-eyed?” He sees the believer only through the finished work of Jesus on the cross.What Jesus did on that cross on our behalf was so important. At the cross is where He established our value to Him. It’s where we find assurance of both His love and His desire to bless us with His unearned favor/grace.

Do you know how God sees YOU? Well, He’s “cross-eyed” all the time so when He looks at you, He ‘s still looking through the lens or filter of the cross.  No matter what you’ve done or are doing at this moment, if you’re a believer in Jesus, God’s viewpoint of  you is always through Jesus’ shed blood and complete work on the cross. That’s why He can love you unconditionally, the same way He loves Jesus (John 17:23), because He sees you clothed in Jesus’ righteousness, fully and eternally cleansed of any sin because of His sacrifice on the cross.

God’s blessing, healing, delivering and prospering believers is all because of Jesus’ perfect obedience/efforts/work at the cross. There’s nothing we can do to earn His love and there’s nothing we can do to lose it. As the old hymn goes, “Jesus paid it all!”

Being loved by a “cross-eyed” God is the best way to be loved! Can you think of any better way to be loved?

*****************************

Cover of "Unmerited Favor"
Cover of Unmerited Favor

 

If you’d like to study more about Jesus’ finished work and His favor to us, our resource text for the class has been Unmerited Favor by Joseph Prince. I highly recommend it!

God Enjoys “Doing You Good”

Posted on by Evangeline

Just a note to encourage you to remember the goodness of God…He enjoys doing you good!

Photo courtesy of Microsoft Images

I couldn’t say it any  better than God already did in Jeremiah 32:38-41 [NLT]:

“They will be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. I will find joy doing good for them…” 

Embrace Your Inner King/Queen

Posted on by Evangeline

Jesus died to enable us to reign in life. Do you feel like royalty? Or do you simply feel like you carry the royal title of “Christian” but you’re not exercising nor experiencing the ruling power that’s supposed to come along with it?

There is a king/queen in you if you are a believer in the work of Jesus on the cross on your behalf. Maybe you need to tap into the knowledge that through Jesus, God transferred you from the devil’s kingdom of darkness and oppression into the His kingdom of light, life and power [Col. 1:13]. If you need a boost in believing your life should be more of a demonstration of the power to reign in life, I encourage you to read these scriptures and thoughtfully consider their application in your life.

There IS a King in you if believe in Jesus as Savior. How will you more fully embrace your inner king/queen and reign in life?

“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.” ~~ Romans 5:17 NIV

“And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” ~~Revelation 1:6

Enjoy hearing Donald Lawrence & Company sing There Is A King In You.

Want Great Results?

Posted on by Evangeline

Ruth, a woman whose story is found in the Old Testament, was living a life that seemed desolate of anything good. Her husband had died, leaving her childless. Her father-in-law and brother-in-law had both died, leaving Ruth, her mother-in-law (Naomi) and sister-in-law without a family provider. She was living in a country that was not her own so she had no nearby relatives who could help her. There was famine throughout the land. Talk about unfavorable life circumstances!

But Ruth chose to put her faith in the God of her Hebrew mother-in-law. She was determined to see the salvation and deliverance that she believed God had for her. Even while she lived in seemingly unbearable conditions, she believed that God would ultimately show her favor.

Ruth and Naomi traveled back to Naomi’s homeland, hoping to find a family member who would show kindness and assist them.  Ruth chose to declare that God would help them and provide for them. She trusted that He would lead her to the right field to glean and to its kind owner. God honored her faith in Him. She began to see His hand of favor operate in her life. God led her to Boaz, who loved her and redeemed her. Instead of being a poor, childless widow, she experienced marriage, wealth, and motherhood. Faith in God’s favor produced great results!

Want great results in your life? Believe that God’s loving hand of favor is on you. Declare it every day!

Please come back and share the wonderful results you experience due to believing and declaring God’s favor in your life.

God’s Circle of Blessing

Posted on by Evangeline

Each day, take time to remind yourself that because of Jesus, you live in God’s circle of blessing. It’s the place where He lovingly pours out provision, safety, healing and favor.

Here’s an excerpt from my devotional ebook, “A Seed of Hope: God’s Promises of Fertility.” Enjoy!

God’s Circle of Blessing

“I will bless you richly. I will multiply your descendants…”

~ Genesis 22:17 ~

The Living Bible Translation of Psalm 25:13 says, “He shall live within God’s circle of blessing, and his children shall inherit the earth.” To whom is this passage referring? The previous verse tells us…the person who reverences God.

Living in God’s circle of blessing enables us to enjoy the best in life even when circumstances around us tell, and sometimes yell, otherwise. Isaac, Abraham’s son, was a great example of living in the circle of blessing.

The Bible’s account in Genesis 26:1-13 tells how there was a famine in the country where Isaac lived and he wondered if he should leave like so many others and go to Egypt where there was no famine. God told him to stay and that He would be with Isaac in his obedience. God promised him increase in all areas of life, including children.

In the midst of his country’s famine, despair, lack, and death, Isaac was blessed with extreme abundance because he stayed where God wanted him—in His circle of blessing. Infertility is like a famine—extreme hunger and despair—except it’s for a child. Just as Isaac experienced great bounty in the midst of famine, so can you, when you choose to remain in God’s circle of blessing even as your circumstances scream “famine.”

You can live in God’s circle of blessing by keeping the ears of your heart open to His Word. Hear Him as He speaks to you through it. Receive the Word by faith, as personal promises from God to you.

Receive His wonderful blessings by saying “thank you” to Him for the promises you find in his Word for your child. Repeatedly speak His Word, His Truth, over your life. When we speak the Word, we’re in agreement with God. Receive His blessings by living in His Word and resting in His grace.

No matter what the doctor’s reports say, you don’t have to be stuck in the famine of infertility. Declare that you live in God’s circle of blessing because famine can’t exist there. Jesus is God of abundant joy!

Nothing is too hard for Him to change; therefore He can change your circumstance of infertility. His Truth, His Word, can bring extreme abundance in its most wonderful form—the blessing of a child.

Speak the Word: I choose to stay in God’s circle of blessing.  He is my source of everything good. 

More Encouragement: Galatians 3:14; Hebrews 6:14

To receive another free sample of  additional devotions from ” A Seed of Hope,” click HERE.

Focus Friday

Posted on by Evangeline

 

Focus on the following promise throughout the day. God said it and it’s what He desires. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth. Speak the Word continually and expect God to do what He has said!

“And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”  ~~2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT