Favor
1 Chronicles 12
Then the spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers; for they God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captain of the band.
I Chronicles 12:18 KJV
Have you ever been in a situation where you didn’t know who to trust?
During this time David is in living in the territory of the Philistines to escape King Saul who wants him dead. The first verses in this chapter describe men, mighty warriors, who are coming to David and express their allegiance to him.
This is especially remarkable because they were of the tribe of Benjamin, as was Saul. They were willing to give up what they had to gain with Saul as king because they knew that God was with David.
When Amasai and his men came to David he went out to meet them himself. This shows that David put his trust in God.
Would you be willing to go out and meet a group of armed men and ask them if they are for you or against you?
I don’t know Amasai’s intentions at the beginning of the chapter, but this verse tells us that the Spirit of God came upon him, prompting him to declare his allegiance to David. This is important because it shows us the spiritual empowerment and guidance that people received, leading them to unite under David’s leadership. David had the Lord’s favor.
Now that sounds great, but in reality, David did not have it easy. You might think that because of God’s favor everything came easy to David and he never had any struggles. We know though the story of David and that this isn’t the case. Remember, the only reason David is where he is, is because the first King of Israel, Saul, wants him dead. He is being hunted because of the favor of God.
When you have favor you will also have those who are jealous and want to see you fail. But you will also have people who are for you.
Favor is not a feeling and it isn’t earned. Favor is a gift, a blessing. In the old testament it is referred to as favor. In the new testament it is referred to as grace, the unmerited favor of God.
For by grace ye are saved through faith; and not of yourselves. It is the gift of God.
Ephesians 2:9 KJV
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:14 KJV
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV
PRAYER: Jesus, help me to always remember that your grace is sufficient for me, sustaining me through every challenge that I face. Let me trust in your wisdom and guidance, knowing that you are always by my side. I pray my heart remains open to receiving and giving your grace today and every day.
In Jesus name, Amen.
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