There cannot be any notable change in our finances without the favor of God. It will be interesting to know the total value of the gold and silver the Israelites received from the Egyptians before their exodus from Egypt. Gold and silver are not cheap commodities; they are expensive and valuable treasures. It was God who actually instructed the Israelites not to collect everyday materials like plates, pots, and pans, but to ask for things that would put meaningful financial blessings in their hands. The Israelites received costly jewelry from the Egyptians, their oppressors and tormentors, because the favor of God was open them (Exodus 12:35-36). The Israelites received the kind of blessings they hadn’t seen in all their years of slavery, bondage, and hardship in Egypt because of the favor God put them.
God had earlier promised that the Israelites would not leave Egypt empty-handed: “And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed. But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians” (Exodus 3:21-22). The reason the Israelites didn’t leave Egypt empty-handed was because God put His favor on them. To not leave this month or this year empty-handed with nothing to show for all our labors, we need the favor of God to surround us (Psalm 5:12).
There are some signs that clearly show that God is with us and backing us up. His favor is one such sign. When God is with you, and His favor is on you, you’ll receive help, kindness, and support from unlikely people and unexpected places. The Egyptians—the cruel taskmasters of the Israelites—blessing them with silver and gold is a typical example of this.
When the favor of God comes on a person, the person can’t remain on the same level. Esther’s level was elevated from captive to queen; she moved from a regular, ordinary house to the palace because of divine favor. “The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti” (Esther 2:17). Esther was not the only one vying for the position of queen, but she got it because she carried favor. If you submit an application, a business proposal, or sell a product, it can be rejected and shoved away if God’s mark of favor isn’t on it. You can remain in the same spot for years in business, career, or ministry, if God’s favor isn’t speaking for you. The favor of God lifts and promotes to higher levels and higher grounds.
God knew Esther wouldn’t just sit idly in the palace; she would intercede for her people, be of help, and a blessing to them. God knew Esther would use whatever gift, position, and blessing she received to serve others (Esther 4:14, Esther 5-8, 1 Peter 4:10). God doesn’t put His stamp of favor on laziness and irresponsible living. God must see an element of trustworthiness in us to release kingdom responsibilities and wealth into our hands (Luke 16:11). A life of love, mercy, faithfulness, and truth attracts divine favor (Proverbs 3:3-4).
If Jesus needed favor to go about His ministry, then we certainly need God to soak our lives—and all that concerns us—in His favor for us to succeed, experience growth and progress, and prosper (Luke 2:52). We need God’s favor for the work of our hands to be established and for us to remain stable and secure, no matter the economic tide and financial hardship in our nation (Psalm 90:17).
God’s favor can preserve our lives in the midst of danger and disaster. It was the favor on Noah that protected him and his family from the flood that wiped out all living things and animals, except the animals with Noah in the ark. Genesis 6:8 says, “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” So, there’s a special covering of protection that comes with the favor of God. Right now, we live in difficult, perilous times—times when individuals, families, corporations, and organizations are drowning in financial floods; times when people are struggling to stay afloat financially; times when many are overwhelmed with financial pressures and stress. Now, more than ever before, we need the favor of God to be a covering of protection over us—a covering that will help us navigate through these turbulent financial times and give us a confident peace and assurance that God is with us as an ever-present help. Noah and his family had a different story to tell—a story of supernatural survival. For us to have a different story to tell in these times when people are saying there’s a casting down, we need divine favor (Job 22:29). May the favor of God encompass us as a shield and give us testimonies of a lifting up, not a casting down.
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