What does blessed and highly favored mean to believers and nonbelievers In Today Christianity?
I am blessed and highly favored. Are you blessed and highly favored? That’s a fascinating topic and one that many people find difficult to answer. I want you to realize that when I say “many people,” I mean both believers and nonbelievers. Someone would scoff at the concept that a believer would have trouble answering this question.
One Sunday morning, I was walking into the church when I met a lady. She happened to notice one of her friends in the lobby and went up to say hello. This is how the conversation went. “Good morning, how are you?” said one lady. “I’m blessed and highly favored,” the other lady replied.
Perhaps you’ve heard similar greetings in your church. You might have even made use of them.
Whether you’ve tried it or not, there’s one question that needs to be answered: is this really true? Have you been promised that you will be blessed and favored? Does God have anything to say about it, most importantly?
Let’s take a closer look at this so we can get it right.
What does blessed and highly favored mean
What does the Bible teach about being blessed and well-liked? When Jesus says “Blessed are you” in the beatitudes, we should understand that Jesus means “happy.” To say you’re blessed is to indicate you’re spiritually content. We commonly use the phrase “blessed” to express our joy and thanks to the Lord. How did we arrive at this conclusion?
12 For the righteous will be blessed by You, O Lord; You will surround him with favor like a shield. NKJV PSALMS 5:12
Let’s take a closer look at the word “bless.” When we examine our key verse, we must pay special attention to what David has to say. God will bless the pious, he claims. He is speaking in the present tense of something that will happen in the future (or even right now) for the righteous. It’s important to recognize that blessing someone entails giving them something (a gift). Aren’t we capable of blessing others? Isn’t it also true that we should bless others?
Bible provides some additional context
Yes of course
Continue reading to gain a better understanding of this paragraph and statement. The first thing you should notice is Mary’s reaction to this greeting.
When she saw him, though, she was worried by what he said and wondered what kind of greeting this was. – 1:29 (Luke) (NKJV)
Why, exactly, wasn’t Mary yelling? Why didn’t she declare I am blessed and highly regarded as she ran through the streets of Nazareth? Her retort was much more reserved and restrained. The phrases ‘confused’ and ‘disturbed’ are used in the New Living Translation. This alone indicates that this meeting was unexpected and Mary was taken aback.
It still leaves the question unanswered as to why Mary was so favored. The answer can be found in the following verses:
“Don’t be scared, Mary,” the angel reassured her, “for you have won favor with God!” You will have a son, whom you will name Jesus, and you will conceive and give birth to him. He will be extremely powerful, and he will be known as the Son of the Highest. The Lord God will place him on his ancestor David’s throne. And he will rule over Israel indefinitely; his Kingdom will never come to an end!” Luke 1:29-33 (NKJV)
What we can take away from this, I feel, is fairly straightforward. Because God chose Mary to give birth to Jesus, she was favored greatly. This was the favor that had been bestowed upon her. It doesn’t imply that Mary was exceptional or superior to others. She, too, would have to put her faith in Christ to be saved. It suggests that God had given her extra grace or favor in order for her to do this task.
We can all receive God’s favor, and we do so frequently. Mary, however, is the only person who can claim the title of ‘very favored.’ This is the only time this term was ever used, and it was justified because no one else on the planet could ever give birth to Jesus.
What Is the Bible’s Take on Blessing?
Let me be clear: you are blessed if you are in Christ. We are reminded in Ephesians 1:3:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has bestowed every spiritual blessing in Christ onto us in the heavenly regions.
Where we sometimes go astray is when we identify God’s blessing with solely material things. Food, clothing, and money are not the most important blessings from God. Don’t get me wrong: these are significant issues.
The blessings that aren’t always visible are, nonetheless, the most significant…and the ones that matter the most. How vital is it to have peace, joy, hope, and faith in a God who would never abandon you?
When you grasp these spiritual blessings, you will begin to feel God’s favor radiate through you regardless of the circumstances.
Although being fortunate and highly favored may not imply what you think, it does not negate the reality that you are blessed if you are in Christ. I encourage you to grasp all of God’s promises and rewards for you via Christ. God wants to lavish you with grace and kindness. He asks that you walk in accordance with the terms of his promises, but once you do, watch what God will do in your life.
How Do We Accept God’s Promises and Blessings?
This is a simple question with a simple response. You must fulfill the requirements. The majority of God’s promises are conditional. They want something from you in exchange for God’s blessings. Faith, obedience, sacrifice, giving, seeking, and knocking are all examples of something offered in exchange.
Let me give you an illustration. Salvation and eternal life are God’s greatest promises to us. To receive this gift or promise of salvation and eternal life, however, you must confess your sins, believe in your heart, and repent.
God will freely give it to us, but we must be willing to ask for it.
As a result, if you do not meet the criteria, you will not be granted the promise.
Unfortunately, far too many people desire God’s blessings yet are uninterested in following God’s rules. You must be willing to do things God’s way if you want to experience everything God has for you in this life. Keep in mind Joshua 1:8:
Keep this Book of the Law on your lips at all times; concentrate on it day and night so that you can perform what it says. You will be affluent and successful as a result.
To be blessed and highly favored
God is gracious to those who choose to be gracious to Him! This means that the person who chooses to prefer the Lord is also choosing to seek the Lord. This person has not only sought the Lord but he or she also enjoys being in the presence of the Lord. Isn’t it true that we have a special connection (bond) with those we admire? The Lord has a special connection (relationship) with those who favor Him.
This individual has actually met the criteria outlined in Isaiah. When they came to the Lord, they were most likely humble in their hearts. I mention this because proud and boastful people do not truly turn to the Lord (sorry, they simply do not). Not only that, but this person has also followed the Lord’s commandments.
Loved by God
This individual has given of themselves to the Lord! People were asked to let go and give of themselves when Jesus asked them to follow Him. Those who are capable of freely giving of themselves demonstrate a genuine love for the Lord. God generously offers Himself to those who seek Him out.
God’s favor implies that you are loved by Him. This is a special and one-of-a-kind affection. Why? Because the Lord favors those who get into a personal connection with Him. “Preacher, you just claimed God loves everyone unconditionally,” someone will say.
We can love and have relationships with everyone while still having a specific kind of love and friendship with people we favor. You realize the special relationship you have with the Lord when you claim you are blessed and highly favored. This pronouncement should be a mark of respect, not something to be hungover someone’s head.
Because of all the Lord has done for us, we are blessed! We acknowledge what the Lord has done for us, and we should bear witness to it! We also recognize the Lord’s love for us at the same time! In our key verse, David says that God will surround us like a shield with His favor! By the Lord’s definition, I am truly blessed and highly favored, and that is what matters to me!
No one should be able to control the definition.
Someone would look at me, see what I’m going through, and see where I’m at in life, and laugh at the idea that I’m blessed and favored. Allow me to tell you something very important: don’t let somebody manipulate your perception of what it means to be fortunate and favored. When it comes to God, their interpretation of what that means is irrelevant.
That’s the game they play down here, you see a game of control. Don’t let anyone convince you that you must do what they did in order to be blessed and highly favored, especially if it contradicts the sound doctrine. Don’t let someone else play the “I made it, thus I’m blessed and highly favored” card on you. What “making it” means to one individual may be very different from another.
TAKE NOTE
We are not looking for favor in the sight of others! (By man, I mean any individual — man, woman, boy, or girl.) We don’t want to earn God’s favor; we want to earn God’s favor! I don’t need anyone but God to praise me.
A Gratitude Prayer for God’s Spiritual Blessings
Dear Father,
Today, I thank you for all the spiritual blessings you have showered upon me as a result of Christ. I’ve decided to align my life with your conditions today so that I can benefit from all of your promises. I am blessed as a result of Christ’s work for me, and I receive these blessings freely as a result of your grace. Amen.
