The
Favorable Hand of the Lord
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Proverbs 8
It is hard
to think of Jesus as ever needing improvement or growth of any kind, but the
Word of God tells us that He “kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in
favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52). As God, He was complete and had
everything, but as a human being, He had to grow in wisdom and favor. So do we.
When we
become children of God by placing our faith in Jesus, we are fully accepted and
deeply loved, regardless of our behavior. It’s not possible for the Lord to
love us more at some times than at others, because He is love (1 John 4:16) and
cannot stop loving.
But favor
is a different story: it can be conferred or withdrawn by our Father. The
believer’s responsibility is to choose a path that leads to His favor,
according to guidelines laid out in the Word of God.
Some of the
Lord’s preferred paths are specifically described in Proverbs 8, in which
wisdom is personified: she is calling in the streets and inviting the simple to
come. She finishes her discourse by saying that “he who finds me finds life and
obtains favor from the Lord” (v. 35).
From this
passage, we learn that obtaining wisdom and favor is not a one-time event but,
rather, a growing process that includes specific steps. First, we must listen
and keep wisdom’s ways. Then we are advised to heed instruction and not neglect
it. Finally, we are exhorted to watch daily and wait at her doorposts. (vv.
32-34). God is pleased when His children act wisely.
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