"Because He Said So! Discovering who the I AM says I am"

The I AM says I am favored!

“Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” Psalm 5:12

I was an elementary school teacher for 15 years and although I loved every student that I ever taught and my intention was to treat every child the same, there were some students that were easier to build relationships with than others. These are the students who we as teachers call on and trust to deliver a note to the office, take names when we have to step out of the room, or allow them to help with other tasks and responsibilities in the classroom. These are the students who are often labeled as a teacher’s pet. The attributes that tend to cause a student to be placed in these types of leadership positions have to do with their attitude and actions. These students are generally the ones that bring smiles to their teachers’ faces because they are rule followers who are responsible and treat others with kindness and respect. And I’m going to speak truth here…it is hard not to show favoritism to these students who are so eager to please! When I was teaching, I prayed daily for God to show me ways to make every child feel special and loved.

In the old testament there is much to read about blessings and curses. It is quite clear that in order to receive God’s blessings and favor you had to keep the law perfectly! “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands, I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 29:1-2). Praise be to the Lord! None of us can lead faultless lives, but the sacrifice of Jesus blots out our sins; the blood of our Savior covers our imperfections. Because of the cross, God in His sovereigntry sees all of His children as His favorite and His favor, as the spotlight scripture points out, surrounds us all like a shield. Isn't that a wonderful visual?

Favor is the undeserved goodness of God; it’s the undeniable hand of our Creator orchestrating happenings in our life in ways that we can’t comprehend. Quite simply, favor is the grace and mercy poured out on us by God. It is favor that turns a shepherd to a king, it is favor that turns a prisoner to a prime minister, and it is favor that takes a young virgin girl to the mother Christ. If we look closely at any of these “favored” characters from the Bible we see that favor doesn’t mean that we will never have battles to fight and storms to weather. It means that God will never leave our side during those difficult times.

I don’t know about you, but I want to be The Teacher’s pet; I want His favor. I want to be the reason that He smiles. I want to please him by seeking Him and taking steps of faith in obedience to that which he commands and calls me to do. “Those who seek the LORD lack no good thing” (Psalm 34:10). When we follow Jesus, favor follows us! So today, no matter life’s circumstances, let’s claim the gift of favor shown to us as grace and mercy through Jesus and proclaim, “I am favored…because He said so!”

Additional Reading: Genesis 6:8; Exodus 33:17; Daniel 1:9; 2 Chronicles 16:9; Psalm 30: 1-5; Proverbs 3:1-4; Micah 6:8; 1 Luke 1:28; Luke 18:9-14; Luke 21:1-4; 1 John 2:20

Dear Lord,

I praise You today for all that You are; You are the Creator of the Universe, the King of kings and Lord of lords. You are the I AM! I know that You created me on purpose for a purpose. I am who You say I am. The enemy wants to hold me back from living out the calling You have placed on my life. Lord, saturate my mind with the truth of Your Word so that I may remember that my identity is found in You and only You. Remind me throughout the day, when the world comes tumbling in, that You are in control. Reveal Your will in my life as I only want to please You. No matter how difficult my day becomes I will remember that I can do all things through You (Phil 4:13). In Jesus' name. Amen