Favours can mean gaining approval; acceptance; receiving special benefits or blessings; giving exceptional kindness; preferential treatment; etc. By swimming, I mean soaked, submerged, entrenched, dipped, etc. in favours.
One of the things that can make life to be distinct and meaningful is the extent of favours that life enjoys. While God loves everyone the same, not everyone has the same measure of favour with Him. One must first be favoured in order to attract more favours.
All children of God are already favoured; but if we seek God’s face the more, that favour will increase. Luke 17:12-19 (the ten lepers; nine were healed, one was not just healed, but made whole).
The Bible makes us know that it is possible to grow in favour.
1 Samuel 2:26 – Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favour with the Lord and with man.
There is a problem therefore when one continues to grow just in stature and not in favour.
Luke 2:52 – And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and man.
Even Jesus had to grow in favour as He kept growing in stature. Yours will not be an exemption. Your life shall swim in favours. Some life only experience trickles of favour; while few enjoy abundant favours, but as for you, I pray again, your life shall swim in favours.
King David had close to 20 sons; one actually swam in favours. His name is Solomon.
2 Samuel 12:24-25 – Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her, and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And the Lord loved him and sent a message by Nathan the prophet. So, he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord.
That was the beginning of the favours of God upon Solomon; not only did God spared his life; God also loved him, and God personally gave him a name.
David gave him Solomon. God gave him Jedidiah through prophet Nathan – because the Lord love him. May God demonstrate His love for you in a special way.
Solomon continues to enjoy more and more favours until he was swimming in favours.
– He was chosen by God to be the next king after David. He wasn’t among the senior sons of David.
I Chro. 22:7-11 (you will have a child called Solomon).
May God make you to reign. May God reserve a throne for you.
– People may have gone ahead of you, don’t fret, you will reign over them.
– Great wisdom was given to him.
1 Kings 4:30-31 – so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations.
– Great understanding given.
1 Kings 4:29
And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore,
– Great wealth given.
1 Kings 4:22-23
Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty cors of fine flour and sixty cors of meal, ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl.
– Great honour accorded.
I Chro. 1:11-12
– Great peace and rest enjoyed.
1 Kings 4:24-25
For he had dominion over all the region west of the Euphrates from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates. And he had peace on all sides around him. And Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan even to Beersheba, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon.
– Long time on the throne.
1 Kings 11:42
And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.
Two other things a favoured life ought to enjoy are:
– Legacy.
– Long life
Unfortunately, because Solomon did not fulfil the last part of God’s instructions in I Kings 3:10-14 (his long life may have been withdrawn). There was also God’s decision to rend the kingdom because of him, such that he did not leave behind a good legacy (I Kings 11:1-40).
Joseph was another individual that swam in favours.
Joseph was the eleventh of the twelve sons of Jacob; he was however loved and favoured the most.
– Specially decorated by his father.
Genesis 37:3-4 – Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colours. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.
Your life shall not be plain. It shall be colourful and full of brilliance.
In Potiphar house, he was the favourite servant.
Genesis 39:4 – So, Joseph found favour in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.
In the prison, he was the favoured inmate. He lived as a warder, though a prisoner.
Genesis 39:21-22 – But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it.
– Whatever level you are now; may you be more favoured.
As you rise higher in life, may you increase in favours.
– Great wisdom
Gen. 41:32-37 (preserve harvest for 15 years hasn’t been done before, used to waste).
– Great understanding
Gen. 40:9-22 (interpret dreams)
– Great Wealth
Gen. 47:14-26 (money, herds, land, 20% tax).
– Great peace
All the years of Pharaoh that knew Joseph reigned; the Israelites enjoyed great peace. They multiplied greatly.
– Great Honour
Gen. 41:39-44 (Pharaoh only higher in throne).
– Long Reign
Became Prime Minister at 30 years and lasted for 80 years.
– Long life
Died at 110 years.
– Legacy
Joseph has been said to be a typology of Jesus. Love & Forgiveness. What a great legacy he left for us. His brothers couldn’t believe it.
Daniel also swam in favours.
– Blessed with great looks
Daniel 1:3-4
Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skilful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
– May your image and appearance attract favours to you.
– Great wisdom
Daniel 1:20
And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.
– Great understanding
Daniel 1:17
As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
Dan. 8:15-17
– Great honour
Daniel 4:8
At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods —and I told him the dream, saying,
– Great wealth
Daniel 2:48
Then the king gave Daniel high honours and many great gifts and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.
– Long reign during:
Dan. 2:8 – Nebuchadnezzar
Dan. 5:29 – Balthazar
Dan. 6:1-3 – Darius
Dan. 6:28 – Cyrus
– Long life (92-95 years).
– Great peace
Despite all the storms and persecution, Daniel faced in life, he still enjoyed calm and peace. These shall not elude you in Jesus name.
– Legacy
We are still learning about him today. No single error was found in Daniel, unlike other saints of old (David, Noah, Abraham, Moses, etc). The only way to catch him was in his faithfulness to God.
3 things that can threaten favours
- You will be tempted to make mistake so that the favours can be withdrawn by God (Job – wife, Joseph by Potiphar’s wife, Daniel not to pray to God for 30 days, Solomon by his women).
- You will surely be envied by men (Job – other citizens, Joseph – siblings, Daniel – other governors and presidents, Solomon – siblings). It is better to be envied than pitied though.
- You may be persecuted and let down by people (Job – friends, Joseph – varied, Daniel – other presidents, Solomon – Adonijah/Joab/Abiathar).
One thing I have come to understand is that the spirit of favour is stronger than the spirit of envy. Whenever the two fight, favour always win. E.g.
Haman vs Mordecai
Shedrach and friends vs certain Chaldeans
Daniel vs other presidents
Joseph vs brothers
That is why I know that you will also win. May you swim in favours in Jesus name. Your life shall swim in favours in Jesus name.
Prayers
Father, grant me Great wisdom in life.
Father, bless me with great understanding in life.
Father, grant me great wealth in life.
Father, let me enjoy great peace in life.
Father, make me enjoy great honour in life.
Father, help me to reign long in life.
Father, help me to live long in life.
Father, help me to live a lasting legacy behind in Jesus name.
The sermon was delivered on April 7, 2019.