Favor

"And I will cause the Egyptians to look favorably on you. They will give you gifts when you go so you will not leave empty-handed. Every Israelite woman will ask for articles of silver and gold and fine clothing from her Egyptian neighbors and from the foreign women in their houses. You will dress your sons and daughters with these, stripping the Egyptians of their wealth."

- Yahweh, Exodus 3:21-22

"People want your Glory, but they don't want your Story.

They want your Blessings, but they don't want your Burdens.

People want what you have, but they don't want to walk through

the fire you had to walk through to get it."

- Jeanette Coron

If you travel back in time, 4000 years, to the Middle East, you'll see a huge ragtag band of former slaves marching out of Egypt towards Canaan, looking like a royal entourage. What happened? Because for 400 years these Hebrews (which means 'Wanderers') were the slaves of the Egyptian people. They were the oppressed laborers of Egypt who were forced to make bricks for the aggressive building programs of Pharaoh. But suddenly… Egyptians… who were treating them as slaves the day before are now treating them like the King's kids and showering them with all their riches. Why? There's only one reason these Egyptians suddenly looked with favor on these Hebrews… God changed their hearts toward them.

You have anyone in your life today whose mind you cannot change.... that needs to change?

You know someone who's got a hard, unyielding heart towards something that you cannot soften… that needs to soften?

You know someone who's just against you, and who has unfairly judged you, that you cannot convince… who needs convincing?

You know someone who holds the opportunity that you desperately want and need that you cannot persuade… who needs persuading?

You know someone who strongly disagrees with you that you cannot make think differently… who needs to think differently?...

...a husband… a wife… an employer… your adult son… a teenage daughter… a co-worker… a neighbor… a dad… a mom… someone who needs a change of verdict that you cannot change?

Pray for God's favor! Pray for God to change their heart towards you! Oftentimes, you and I will find ourselves powerless to affect change in someone's heart and mind.

We cannot force someone to do what they don't want to do… our influence clearly has its limits. But what we cannot do, God's Spirit can.

Essentially, Moses said to Yahweh, "Lord, there are people who don't agree with us, who are against us… people who don't like us… people who will never let us go. I'm asking that You give us favor in their eyes so that they will have a change of heart towards us." The next thing you know… Egyptians were opening up their hearts and their wallets to bless God's people in unbelievably generous ways… all because God changed their hearts towards them.

Dr. Luke said this about Jesus… "Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people." (Luke 2:52). You have an impossible person in your life today? You want to influence someone and draw them towards God's heart and values? Pray that God's Spirit will give you favor in their heart… that they will like you!

What you cannot do in someone's heart… Jesus can!

Pastor Harry

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