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Psalm 30 reads as follows from the New King James Version of the Bible: 1 I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me. 2 O LORD my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me. 3 O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.[a] 4 Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.[b] 5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning. 6 Now in my prosperity I said, "I shall never be moved." 7 LORD, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was troubled. 8 I cried out to You, O LORD; And to the LORD I made supplication: 9 "What profit is there in my blood, When I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth? 10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy on me; LORD, be my helper!" 11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever. This psalm brings the idea of favor for a lifetime from the Lord and it is obvious that some people are experiencing and have experienced extended favor Lasting favor is important from the point of view of discernment, While it might be an issue of discernment as to what flavor of ice cream I should have at the beach after a day of fun and sun, there are often bigger dots to connect than that. While we are all contending with everyday details and these details can make a difference, it is important to affirm and reaffirm in your prayer discussions as to asking for, identifying and finding clarity on bigger picture stuff,and just because I might just about completeloy lack the means for a given pursuits, doesn't mean that the Lord cannot induce favor and infuse or interject the grace for the favor. If I'm looking at this tree, I can also look at the whole mountainside of trees and get another perspective,and the Lord has the tree but much more than this tree or that treel.. We also at times need to look at the broad sweep of things and this also might be appropriate in dealing with an more moderate problem that I am trying to solve in the minutia and a shift in prayer towards the problem or in listening for the answer in prayer it might be that there is something broader, bigger, longer lasting that the Lord is bringing in to the issue that you would have thought and this is part of the watching and listening in prayer that needs to be continuous and alert not only to the nitty gritty detalls but also the broader sweeper, granter vision of the Lord that might be greater than what wer are thinking, feeling and contemplating at this very point of time and place. You might be looking a little wider and bigger in seeking favor for the Lord, looking maybe to connect the dots in the sky as well as the sidewalk right in front of you to understand favor. Say for example you have two amazing days this week and five run of the mill type days, connect the dots on these two amazing days and see that the Lord's favor is in close proximity in bringing in to momunmentaly great days out of 8 in terms of say suprises and thrills.. Where this idea of favor is important, is not only at the point of seeking favor but also of realizing it and believing it and acting within it. I'm not going forward or as likely to go forward on any number of pursuits is I don't see any optimism towards favorable outcomes and experiences. I am ready to settle for what is real apparent and what I am used to, and while there is a cll to contentment there is also a call to search for the Lord's favor and see what is might and can be and realize that if need be the Lord can infuse or inject grace to massive grace for that favor. You really do want to keep an eye out as to favor or lack of favor in what you are trying to do. If I am running into a brick wall, hitting on dead ends, then there might be other real options that would be more favorable.and the Lord might have other directions and ideas but the general idea that the Lord's favor is somewhere if not here. In this psalm, David equates the very presence of the Lord to him as favor. He has had a rough patch, apparently a foreboding illness or something similar or some event that was quite alarming and dangerous and compromising. But as the storm was passing and hopefull ending David found either newly standing or still standing favor of the Lord with him on the next watch as he still has his antenna up for the Lord's favor and the scriptures do admonish us to both pray and watch. You can warch for the Lord's favor from situations and circumstances that are quite unfavorable. The image of the mountain in this psalm can be representative as well of favor that is has been standing and is still standing but that doesn't mean the favor has been used or lived in. The favor might indeed be gigantic, or could be gigantic, like the big mountain. The Lord might have blessed someone with a great singing voice, and they have hardly sung a note or many they have sung those songs but the voice hasn't been heard widely. Witness Susan Boyle as the recent example of this.. Discernment of favor is also important for taking advantage of and using the favor. Albert Einstein was a genius, but even if he was surfing the sands he didn't just do that and he did venture into the theory of relativity. . This psalm is important to discernment, as even while going through a storm, personal troubles or a rough and tumble situation, there is still the call to discern how and where the Lord's favor still might be in spite of these troubles and set backs. This problem, this trouble doesn't disqualify me from really the obligation to discern the Lord's favor as there is an understanding that there is darkness but there is also light.. It can't be presumed because of this trouble, this setback that all favor is forever gone and the Lord doesn't have favorable plans and roads ahead for us. Ads by Google The sun might not show up for weeks, in certain cases, but it can't be presumed that this will continue on indefinitely. An important aspect of the walk and journey with the Lord is discerning possible favor for which he has reasons that are important. Look for and to these reasons as they may be important. There is a football movie, Any Given Sunday. And for any given favor of the Lord, there are reasons so as you continue to pray within the favor and watches within the favor ask the Lord to cite the reasons with clarity and understanding. You may not get the reasons in all cases but there are reasons for the favor and you can indeed ask the Lord and thank the Lord not only for his favor but his reasons for it and many times there will be a revealing of the reasons. The favor might relate to talents, gifts and a calling. If the favor is there you don't necessarily have to look far for it. David is using the imagery of the mountain standing firm and that is close and visible. Columbus wouldn't have started off on his expedition across the Atlantic if he really believed in the likelihood of falling off an edge. Favor does have a trust and belief aspect to it. The old story of someone sulking through the day on the birthday because no one remembers yet there is a big surprise party waiting and they just didn't believe it at the get go and sulked without cause or to the point they never did get to the party, a type of favor Complaining isn't always the best route to finding out what the favor is, you can say I need the grace and I apparently lack it but first look for favor and reasons for the favor because giving the usual litany of complaints.. At the same time, certain excursions might not be precisely from the Lord and not really sanctioned by the Lord. There is a book out about a woman swimmer who has braved the elements and for example has swum a channel off the coast of Argentina in 46 degree water temperatures without a wetsuit and in chaotic heavy dicy currents. She was successful in this pursuit; she did have a boat alongside for safety purposes but is this really a pursuit stamped with the Lord's favor? It would more likely be the favor was in some other environment, of warm and friendly waters. If am going on a solo trek at night by the North Pole, say a ten mile hike, to show how strong I am, even if I have the supplies, this could be called more reckless than bold and to ask the Lord's favor might not be the question but more so why I am doing this. And even if in the Lord's lasting favor, there is still the need to watch. The Titanic was such a majestic ship that in theory it could have been seaworthy with maintenance and upkeep to this day. However, despite the favor to build this ship with many workers working together at a shipyard, someone was asleep at the watch for sure. And part of that is readjusting goals within the favor, the Titanic was looking for a fast run across the ocean, record setting time and that goal should have been dropped or changed with monitoring of the considtions of the voyage, with thesemassive icebergs on the surface, which we know are even wider underneath and more massive underneath the surface, the ship could have been stopped and steered directly South and reset the sail within warmer mostly iceberg free waters and it what would have been favorable seas for an already favorable ship. But the obstinacies of the moment usurped what could and was real favor and it resulted in disaster, a distaster that could have been averted had prudence, good sense and a good watch been maintained . You still have to keep your eyes on the road if you are going to drive a car, even if it is now your dream car. More likely commonplace type pursuits, goals, wish would involve favor from the Lord. Most people are eating a meal or two a day at least and the Lord's favor might be having great meals on top of that, but this is commonplace.and we can also search the commonplace to look at and maybe see favor from the Lord that we can already see and already see as having been lasting. Getting back to the swimming idea, favor for swimming might be good conditions in the water including temperature and so on. Then someone might ask the Lord's favor in questionable pursuits where there would be legitimate debate of what is the Lord's favor or is this matter of the Lord's favor. For example, the planes going on a bombing run in a war might to some theologians be a questionable area as to seeing the Lord as looking upon this with favor and there are contending views on this. While these pilots might indeed be asking for the Lord's protection as a type of favor from the Lord, some would debate that this is out of parameters of what should be happening in the first place. More likely the Lord is not going to take you to the edge and then reveal favor at the edge although anything is possible and darkness contrasting light does have the appearance of the edge. Noah was in the favor of the Lord all along, yet he was certainly at the edge of things. And it is interesting that Jesus in his first encounter with Peter, met him at the edge of the waters and brought about the favor of a great catch against vain fishing efforts until Jesus showed up, and this is also indicative of how the Lord meets us where we are at as where Peter was at was fishing. Luke Chapter 5 verse 1 and 2 from the NIV bible says: One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. And reasons can be important in this, as at times the Lord might reveal reasons for the favor preceding the favor, and a grasp on the reasons for the favor are important to getting the best results and experiences within the favor. Columbus never did go off the edge of the earth because there was no edge of the earth. More than likely, the favor would be more so as mentioned in that famous psalm 23, "I set a table before you", and "You cup overflows." You don't have to go all that far to reach that table or grab that cup. When it says in psalm 23 that the table is set before his enemies, this could be seen as edgy as it might be interpreted that the enemies where right there, but that is less likely, it is more so that they can observe from some distance this wondrous blessing but it doesn't mean that they are still a real hands on threat. It would be more so like the depiction in the book of Revelation where there were outsiders to the wondrous city, who felt the pain of regret and loss seeing from the outside what they where missing because of their choices. And it is interesting that the blessings expoused at the end of the book of Revelation are seen as lasting. There is another aspect to this section of Psalm 23 as well. David certainly had his faults, but being an enemy of David was akin to being an enemy of the Lord. It is a mistake to seek the favor of the Lord and at the same time become an enemy of someone who is in his favor. Don't for sure step on the wrong toes and this can ruin your own chance for favor. Hebrews 13 verse 2 says, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without kn This verse is also telling of the need for discernment, that we really do not know who we are talking to when we are talking to strangers and it is better to be on the side that they may be angels or important people to the Lord and see it that way. Also this verse from Hebrews does admonish not to forget which is a form of watching, to be included with prayer. Favor in general has debatable elements as to whether the activety is good, godly and proper. Or on a more personal level, favor for robbing a bank or accounts, in this day and age would be done electronically more so than in the days gone yonder, is something that could work out as it did at times for Willie Sutton, but most would call this a violation called stealing and not something to pursue the Lord's favor for. In any event there would likely be limits upon which the Lord would sanction favor and this could go even for good things. He might be green lighting surfing but not in super treacherous conditions. But it could be argued, favor can be taken to the far limits in terms of its largess and a lifetime of favor is something that is taken to the far limits time wise. So a lot that is seemingly impossible is actually possible with the infusion of the grace of the favor.. There just isn't enough a person can do on their own, that is self generated, that can reach those far limits of favor. There almost has to be an intervening presence and that presence can and does include angels of the Lord and this is considered infused grace, and unless the Lord is going to infuse this grace, it isn't happening.. But some caution and watch within favor always remains. Take for example some sports like skiing, the Lord might give favor for skiing but if you are an extreme skier the risks of going down a steep and at terms nearly vertical uncharted mountain in remoteEurope are not ferreted out by asking for the Lord's favor for this activity. But the read of favor especially goes into commonplace as you already see examples of it all over the place. Seeing can believe in the case of favor. But favor for the praying person can also be discussed and some speculative thanksgiving can be put on this. I seem to be in the Lord's favor, I am not quite sure, but I can thank the Lord for this seeming favor and the reasons for it although the favor and the reasons might still be filling in, even as the events of a day will fill in. The fact that food has always been available every single day, a commonplace concurrence for most, is not to be so taken for granted that it is not seen as a favor for the Lord. If you have always had electricity, or fuel for your car, that is a still standing mountain that you shouldn't totally take for granted and its absence will be quickly felt. Favor can be seen as roving, where it can follow you into different pursuits, whether it is travel, new jobs, and whatever as the Lord is present anywhere you go, as per psalm 139. Just because you are now in Alaska, in remote situations doesn't mean that the Lord can't infuse graces right there. But the night or the darkness mentioned in this psalm could be right there with the light and the favor and contrasting to it within even simultaneous occurrences... The Lord can bring the fullness of light against any darkness. Isaiah chapter 58 verse 11 from the New King James Bible says, 11 The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. 12 Those from among you The favor is continuous, occuring right in the midst of a drought, where overall conditions at this time were not favorable but the favor was in no way interrupted, it continued. Favor is not necessarily a before and after, it can rise up right in the darkness, right in the night and right where you are wherever you are. In the psalm David is still in the middle of the dark hours or close to it, and he is discussing favor from that position. You do want discuss favor in prayer right in the midst of whatever and wherever you are at, even if the appearances are more so unfavorable because favor indicates direction, light, guidance and finding the better paths even from points of relative darkness and drought and you can approach the Lord saying that unless you co partner with me and infuse light and grace, I am not going to get there.. If I find out when I am 90 years old that I love painting and I can do it great, wouldn't it have been better to find this out much earlier, Grandma Moses notwithstanding. The idea of discerning favor is important earlier on as well as later on. John 22 verse 21 says: Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." Jesus is giving John as early heads up that he wants him to live. Jesus is telling Peter in the presence of John that he wants John to live, and he is letting this favor come across in this moment possibly so John can feel a trust and ease that the lurking dangers will bypass him as a threat to his life and he indeed will live and be able to use this favor in the advancement of the Kingdom In any event, Jesus has his reasons for making this statement and revelation at that particular moment but it is also revealing to Peter that he is to primarily discern for himself and not worry about the particular graces dispersed with particular instructionis to someone else.. From Judges Chapter 13 starting at verse 21 in the NIV version of the bible it says, . 21 When the angel of the LORD did not show himself again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized that it was the angel of the LORD. 22 "We are doomed to die!" he said to his wife. "We have seen God!" 23 But his wife answered, "If the LORD had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this." Sampson's mother Manoah deduces that the appearance of the angel wasn't for their demise based on what was said, that they would have to survive to have for these events to take place that they couldn't nurture and guide this child in the ways of the Lord if they were doomed. There was favor in the events but it is not initial seen that way by the husband who goes with what was then a traditional understanding of the foreboding nature of such visitations. His wife Manoah goes to reasoning, logic and with centering on understanding precisely what was being said to her with the supporting reasons for what was indeed favor that they would have to live on. for this to happen. John Chapter 15 verse 9 says, 9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. The invitation is there, the possibility is there and you can stay in the favor of the Lord with the overview of his great love and the bigger picture beyond is staying with what can be that lasting personal love of the Lord towards you as he calls you by name. and seeks that you heed the call and remain in it.
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