NOW! Is the Time of God’s Favor

NOW! Is the Time of God’s Favor

“Which do you want to hear first?”

God’s grace says it does not matter!

Paul makes a very bold statement to the Corinthians,

“Now is the time of God’s favor.”

He quotes from the prophetic word of Isaiah 49:8,

a promise of God to bring salvation to the Gentiles.

Isaiah 49:6

What seems to be so amazing

about Paul’s bold statement of God’s favor,

is the seemingly unfavorable conditions in Paul’s life.

As I look at these verses,

I can not identify

with the beatings & imprisonments,

but I can identify with

sleepless nights and bad reports.

It is amazing that

when we get a good report,

we praise God

and know God’s grace

and favor is on us.

These are happy times!

But what about the bad reports

is God’s grace any less on us?

Has God removed

His grace and favor

when we get the news

we do not want to hear?

Faith seems to be so much easier

when we get the good news.

Too often faith diminishes

when the bad news comes.

Does God change with every report?

Is God like our emotions;

up on good news

and down on bad.

Or is,

“God the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow!”

Is His grace and favor the same!

Paul didn’t seem to be shaken

on the matter of

God’s favor and grace on his life.

Bad news

or good news

Paul was confident

of God’s loving favor!

We, too, should not be discouraged….

 God’s favor on our lives

is not in vain, empty or fertile.

Remember…

the sun never stops shining!

It is the same everyday!

No cloud will change the sun,

no matter how dark a cloud.

“Now is the time of God’s favor!”

Scripture Reading

2 Corinthians 6:1-10 NIV

1 As God's fellow workers

we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain.

2 For he says,

"In the time of my favor I heard you,

and in the day of salvation I helped you."

I tell you,

now is the time of God's favor,

now is the day of salvation.

3 We put no stumbling block in anyone's path,

so that our ministry will not be discredited.

4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way:

in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;

5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots;

in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;

6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness;

in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;

7 in truthful speech and in the power of God;

with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;

8 through glory and dishonor,

bad report and good report;

genuine, yet regarded as impostors;

9 known, yet regarded as unknown;

dying, and yet we live on;

beaten, and yet not killed;

10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;

poor, yet making many rich;

having nothing, and yet possessing everything.