RR Fake Favor By David Harwood

Shabbat Shalom,

I remember a time I vindicated myself and was dissatisfied with the results. I had experienced God’s vindication several times before this, and I prayed, asking where His manifest approval was in the current situation. I believe the Ruach answered me, saying that I had done it myself and had left no room for Him to act. When I asked what I should have done, He directed me here:

For Messiah’s sake, then, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10)

The instruction was that I should consider it all joy and wait on the Lord. If He chose to vindicate me, fine... No, not “fine”, wonderful! However, if not, I should joyfully embrace the weakness and pain.

Self-vindication is similar to self-promotion. Vindicating oneself may produce a similar result to divine-vindication. Self-promotion seeks to imitate favor. Their common source is one’s own will, one’s own effort. Neither relies upon the Lord.

I want to describe a pernicious problem with soulishly generated favor. If one advances through merely natural means, it becomes difficult to discern whether the origin of any apparent achievement is from above. Then, if there seems to be success, the naturally produced outcome needs to be maintained by more, merely human, effort. What follows is a temptation to further self-promote causing the outcome to appear to gain momentum. Then even more human effort is required to maintain that momentum.

Sometimes success comes by the hand of the Lord, but then people seek to sustain it by themselves, or, worse, to build upon the success and produce the appearance of spiritual momentum.

The following statement is attributed to A. W. Tozer: “If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95% of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference.”

Here’s an example of God ordained momentum, and the diminishing of what God was previously doing. In the beginning of Yeshua’s ministry people were flocking to Him and being immersed by His disciples. John the Immerser’s ministry was waning.

This was reported to John.

They came to John and said, “Rabbi, the One who was with you beyond the Jordan, the One you testified about—look, He is immersing, and all are coming to Him!” (John 3:26)

Here’s John’s response.

John answered, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.” (John 3:27)

“He must increase, while I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

John acknowledged that Yeshua’s ministry was the object of Father’s favor. He recognized that the manifest favor of God upon his own prophetic ministry was lifting.

John did not defend himself. He did not struggle to maintain momentum. He did not seek to undermine his “competition.” He yielded to God. He was able to do this because his ministry came from God, and was sustained by God, and fulfilled its purpose ordained by God, and John recognized that God had not stopped working. Father was still working. Father was still manifesting favor. The location of the favor had shifted. The origin of the favor had not changed.

If John’s ministry was self-generated there may have been a different story.

At times it is difficult to know when opportunities to advance have come from God. That’s one reason why it is important to know the nature and sphere of your calling. The favor of God was upon Paul’s outreach to the Gentiles. The same favor was on Peter in his apostolic ministry to Israel. Neither sought to manufacture favor. They were responding to Yeshua’s initiation.

On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcised just as Peter was for the circumcised. (Galatians 2:7)

These men were unique, but they embody a principle: God has a specific sphere for each of us.

But we will not boast beyond limits, but within the limits of the area that God has assigned to us—to reach even as far as you. (2 Corinthians 10:13)

Let us clear the way for Him to shower favor upon us by not seeking to fabricate the results of divine favor. He has set you in the Body. You have been favored with a special calling. There is enabling favor reserved for you that you might fulfill the call.

Through Him we have received (favor/charis/grace) and the office of emissary, to bring about obedience of faith among all the nations on behalf of His name. (Romans 1:5)

You don’t have to fake it. Father favors you.

Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sat22-Nov-20252nd of Kislev, 5786Parashat Toldot
Ge 28:5-9Mal 1:1-2:7Rom 9:1-16