Surrounded by Favour

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TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 38-40

TO CHEW ON: “So Joseph found favour in his (Potiphar’s) sight and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.”  Genesis 39:4.

“But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy and He gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” Genesis 39:21

One of the notable things of Joseph’s life was the favour that was upon it. This favour was evident despite his circumstances. We read he found favour with his Egyptian boss, Potiphar, then later with the prison keeper, and eventually with Pharaoh himself. What is this “favour” that surrounded his life?

The English word “favour” (noun) has many definition nuances. Quoting the first three definitions from Dictionary.com,  favour is:
1] something done out of good will rather than from justice of remuneration.
2] friendly or well-disposed regard.
3] the state of being approved or held in regard

The Hebrew word translated “favour” is chen, also translated grace, elegance, and acceptance.

A look at some other places the Bible speaks of “favour” helps us understand its dynamics. We see that:

• God’s favour can be seen on someone’s life as early as childhood. That was the case with Samuel (1 Samuel 2:26) and Jesus (Luke 2:52).

• Favour can be part of one’s inheritance. God favoured Israel because of His covenant with their patriarchs (2 Kings 13:23).

• David praises God for His presence, which brings favour (Psalm 21:6).

• The writer of Proverbs connects favour with mercy and truth (Proverbs 3:3,4), finding wisdom (Proverbs 8:35), goodness (Proverbs 12:2), and living in ways that please God (Proverbs 16:7).

I like Barbara Billett’s description of the potency of God’s favour:

“The favour of God will open doors that men say are impossible to open. It will change regulations and give you preferential treatment to get you where God wants you to go (Esther 2:17; 5:8; 8:5). … Favour will … cause you to be noticed and cause people to be drawn to you like a magnet” - Barbara Billett, Praying With Fire, p. 88.

God’s favour is something we long for. Let’s pray for favour for us and our children. Let’s pay attention to the principles of Godly living connected with receiving it. But let’s also desire it for the right reasons—not for personal gain or promotion but so that we will be in positions of usefulness for God’s kingdom and glory.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for Your favour on my life and the life of my family, seen in many ways. I pray that it will increase so that I will realize the purpose and destiny for which You have placed me here on earth. Amen.


PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 12

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Thanks for reading! This year we are using The Bible Project "Timeless Reading Plan" to read through the Bible in 2018. If you'd like to read along in your own Bible, you can download a pdf of the reading plan HERE.

God casts the deciding vote

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TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 45:1-13

TO CHEW ON: “For the sake of Jacob my Servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me.

I am the LORD, there is no other, apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you do not acknowledge me.” Isaiah 45:4,5

In these days of various factions wringing their hands when the person they consider the enemy, the mistake, the illegitimate one gets into power, this chapter that describes how God plans to use unbelieving King Cyrus to perform His will is a good passage to remember. For in the end, it’s God who has the last word in installing leaders.

He can subdue nations before, open doors for, level mountains, cut through metal bars, give treasure, summon by name, bestow honor and a title, and strengthen even the godless person or leader to accomplish what He has in mind to accomplish.

Do you find yourself thinking or feeling—If only the people in power were God-fearing, believers, all our social and economic problems would be on the road to being solved? Well, here we see that God doesn’t need that. He can use anyone, even an atheistic (or probably in Cyrus’ case idol-worshiping) king to achieve His will.

All this underlines the necessity for us to respect our leaders, whatever their stripe, to be subject to them, and to pray for them. Some scriptures for us to keep in mind: *

• 1 Timothy 2:1-2: I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

• 1 Peter 2:17- Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

• Romans 13:1 - Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God (emphasis added).

• Jeremiah 29:7 - Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

• 2 Chronicles 7:14 -  if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

*This collection of verses taken from the website Crosswalk.com - “10 Scriptures to Pray for Our Nation and Leaders,” which continues with Bible verses to pray for our leaders.


PRAYER: Dear Father, I am so glad that you are not stopped from working and achieving Your will by any individual. I pray for the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau and all his cabinet, that You give them wisdom to govern Canada well. Amen.

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Unless noted otherwise, all Scriptures quoted in this meditation are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Come and get prayed for

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TODAY’S SPECIAL: Philippians 1:1-14

TO CHEW ON: “‘And this I pray…’”  Philippians 1:9


In our church we have a Sunday morning prayer time. It’s an interlude during congregational worship when people people can come to members of the prayer team and get prayed for.

I’m on the prayer team. When I take my place during prayer time I never know what it will bring. Sometimes no one comes. At other times I pray for two or three. The needs are as various as the people that come. I always pray beforehand that God will, by His Spirit, give me the thoughts and words to pray for each person so that what is really needed, even below the felt need, is exposed and brought to God.

Paul, in his prayer for the Philippians, prays with a broad brush. His would be a prayer to fit a lot of requests in the way it addresses the deep issues of heart and life.

• He prays for the quality of their love (Philippians 1:9).

Doesn’t that need—for a growing, intelligent, discerning love—cover a lot of requests that have to do especially with relationships (marriage, family, friend, work, ministry). A list of what a growing, intelligent, discerning love would look like is found in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.

• He prays for their excellence (Philippians 1:10).

The NKJV expresses it: “… that you may approve the things that are excellent…” The Amplified Bible enlarges on that thought:

“So that you may surely sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value—recognizing the highest and the best, and distinguishing the moral differences.”

Doesn’t that sound a lot like a prayer for wisdom? It reminds me of a list of excellent thought destinations Paul gives us later in Philippians  (“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” - Philippians 4:8.)

• He prays that their lives will produce good fruit - Philippians 1:11.

Doesn’t that sound a lot like a prayer for success—a success whose goal is God’s glory not ours (“… to the glory and praise of God” - Philippians 1:11b)? Another list comes to mind: the fruits of the Spirit: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law" - Galatians 5:22,23. 

What a great example of an all-encompassing prayer! Praying it for ourselves or for someone else brings to God a multitude of needs, many of which we’re aware of, others we may not even know we have.

PRAYER: Dear Father, I pray that my love will grow in knowledge and discernment, that I will dwell on and give expression to that which is excellent, and that my life will be filled with the fruits of righteousness today. May I bring glory to You. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Is God's Word part of your life's fabric?

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TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 119:1-16

TO CHEW ON: "Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart.” Psalm 119:2

Psalm 119 is a psalm that focuses on the delights of the Word of God. As I read the first two sections, my attention is captured by all the verbs. Interacting with God’s Word is not passive for the psalmist. It includes much that’s intentional:

“Walk” - Psalm 119:1,3.
“Keep” - Psalm 119:2,4,5,8.
“Seek Him” - Psalm 119:2,10.
“Praise”  - Psalm 119:7.
“Learn” - Psalm 119:7.
“Take heed” - Psalm 119:9.
“Hide” - Psalm 119:11.
“Declare” - Psalm 119:13.
“Rejoice” - Psalm 119:14.
“Meditate” - Psalm 119:15.
“Delight in” - Psalm 119:16.
“Not forget” (remember) - Psalm 119:16.

I ask myself, do I, do we interact as actively and intentionally with the Bible? What are some everyday things we could do to engage with the Bible?

• Regularly read the Bible and pray, and in this way "seek God." "Learn" by studying the Bible and when we have questions, consult Bible study helps.

• Memorize passages and verses and in this way "hide it" to "not forget" it and have it readily available to "meditate" on.

• Sing, write (e.g. in a journal), and speak responses back to God and in this way "praise," "rejoice," "declare," and "delight in" God, during our quiet times and as we go about our daily activities.

• Obey - change our behavior as we "keep" in mind what the Bible says,  "heed it," and "walk" in its ways by incorporating its principles into our lives.

It’s a lifelong occupation and adventure!


PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for Your Word. Help me to weave it into the very fabric of my life. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Choose to linger

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TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 27:1-14

TO CHEW ON: "One thing I have desired of the Lord;
That I will seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple."  Psalm 27:4


"This desire of David gives us a key to understanding why he was a 'man after God's own heart,' and so beloved and blessed by Him" says Dick Iverson, writer of my Bible's commentary on the Psalms (New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 706).

Several other Bible characters also come to mind when we think of people desiring to linger in God's presence.

Moses spent days on end with God ("So the Lord speaks to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend" Exodus 33:11). When he returned to everyday life from these times he covered his face with a veil to shield the Israelites' eyes from the glory that shone there (Exodus 34:29-35).

Simeon and Anna, two senior citizens of Jesus' day, seemed to have experienced that intimacy. Both were in the temple the day Jesus' parents presented Him to God. Of Simeon Luke says he was "… waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him … So he came by the spirit into the temple" (Luke 2:25,27). Similarly Anna, the elderly widow "… who did not depart from the temple but served God with fasting and prayer day and night"  was there (Luke 2:37,38). To these two God told His secret, giving them a glimpse of Jesus—Messiah—and allowing them to hold Him, bless Him, and spread the news of Him (Luke 2:28-32,38).

And there was Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus. She sat at Jesus' feet, drinking in what He said and who He was while harried Martha fretted in the kitchen. When Martha complained and asked Jesus to put Mary to work, Jesus said, "'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her'" - Luke 10:39-42.

The word "chosen" pops out at me (and, from our focus verse, "desire," "seek," "dwell," "behold," and "inquire"). For as spending time with God was an intentional choice for David, Moses, Simeon, Anna, and Mary, so it is for us. I ask myself, when given the array of ways to spend my minutes, hours, days, how much do I choose to spend with the Lord, beholding His beauty in the temple of His presence?

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to tune out the noise and clamor of my life and spend quality and quantity time with You. Amen.

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New King James Version (NKJV) Used with permission. The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.