I grew up in a small little church where the congregation was mostly older people. There were very few kids and teenagers there so me and my friends stuck together. One time the pastor asked me to lead the other young girls at church, so I started a group called Rachel’s Reapers. From that moment on I always seemed to have favor on my life. From leading parts in church plays, being prophesied over every time we had guest preachers, and having others flock to my side, I really felt God’s blessings all over my life.
Recently as an adult, I’ve had a few experiences that made me feel not so special in the eyes of God. Experiences that made me question if He still loves me or if He has forgotten me. These feelings are hard to admit to anyone, but because I know I’m not the only one who has ever felt that way, I want to share them. Several months ago, I went to a women’s conference, and the guest speaker was someone who has spoken a word over my life many times. At this event she did not have a word for me from the Lord, and I don’t know why but it bothered me. I left feeling somehow overlooked by God as I watched others being encouraged. Then right after that I went to Texas and although God did some amazing things on that trip, I found myself comparing the spiritual blessing my best friend received on that trip with mine. I know that sounds like a crazy statement, but the enemy is always trying to discourage us with negative thoughts, division, lies, comparison, and jealousy.
Have you ever felt like God’s favor was not on your life? Maybe you’re struggling to get pregnant while watching all your friends have babies. Maybe you’ve been praying for years for a husband while watching on the sidelines as your friends walk down the aisle. Or maybe you’ve worked super hard to get that promotion at work only to watch a coworker get promoted instead. I don’t know your situation, but I want to encourage you today by sharing what God is teaching me in this season.
After doing some soul searching and asking God to open my eyes, He reminded me of two specific things. The first thing is that as much as He loves to pursue us and lavish His blessings upon us reminding us of His favor, He also wants us to seek, pursue, and go after Him. A perfect example of this is the story of the woman with the issue of blood. Have you ever thought about how Jesus went up to people healing them of their disease, but this lady had to go after Jesus and her healing? “And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, And who had endured much suffering under [the hands of] many physicians and had spent all that she had, and was no better but instead grew worse. She had heard the reports concerning Jesus, and she came up behind Him in the throng and touched His garment, for she kept saying, If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health. And immediately her flow of blood was dried up at the source, and [suddenly] she felt in her body that she was healed of her [distressing] ailment. And Jesus, recognizing in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around immediately in the crowd, and said, Who touched My clothes? And the disciples kept saying to Him, you see the crowd pressing hard around You from all sides, and You ask, Who touched Me? Still He kept looking around to see her who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had been done for her, though alarmed and frightened and trembling, fell before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, Daughter, your faith (your trust and confidence in Me, springing from faith in God) has restored you to health. Go in (into) peace and be continually healed and freed from your [distressing bodily] disease” (Mark 5:25-34 AMP). Jesus didn’t call her out in crowd, He didn’t do anything that made her feel special or favored, in fact He didn’t even recognize her until He felt the power leave His body. All throughout the Bible there are other Scriptures that teach us the power in pursuing God, and how sometimes we have to go after what we want. “Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you” (Matt. 7:7 AMP). And let us not forget the story of how Jacob wrestled with God until He got His blessing. Yes, there are times God will chase us down, but perhaps right now God is asking you to just seek and search Him just a little bit more.
The second thing God is teaching me right now is sometimes it’s just not my season. Timing is everything in the Kingdom of God and we cannot rush the Lord. He sees our lives from beginning to end so He knows what we need and when we need it. If your promise hasn’t come to pass yet, don’t think God’s favor has left your life or that He has forgotten you. We know the story of David who was anointed to be the next King of Israel yet sent back out in the fields for several years before he would reign. Yes, God wants to bless you, yes God wants you to feel special, yes God wants you to feel favored, but sometimes you have to be patient and wait on the right timing.
In times that we may feel doubt or discouragement, let us remember that God loves each and every one of us and because we are His beloved, we are favored.