This sermon is about obtaining favor by seeking good.
I have been preaching a series on favor with God. We began this series by seeing that favor with God is one of the most notable characteristics of some of the most outstanding people in the Bible. Jesus, Mary, David, Daniel, Abraham, and Samuel all had favor with God.
We have studied, thus far, that we obtain favor by righteousness, mercy and truth, wisdom, and understanding.
- Ps 5:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
- Prov 3:3-4 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
- Prov 8:35 For whoso findeth me (wisdom) findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.
- Prov 13:15 Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.
Prov 11:27 says, “He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour”. In this passage you see that we procure favor by “seeking good”. Today’s society seeks pleasure and mischief. Just look at the things they watch, hear and say. Unlike the world, we want to seek “good”.
You seek good by seeking God. God is good, Mk 10:18. Many people won’t seek God because they have judged that God is not good. They hate God because he lets bad things happen and doesn’t stop them, or because he sends people to hell.
If they knew God, they would find that he is, like Jesus said, the only one who is good. It’s odd that men will daily receive every good thing from the Lord and never thank him. And yet they will accuse God of being evil the first time something goes wrong that affects them personally. Yet consider these scriptures…
- Acts 17:25, speaking of the Lord, “he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things”.
- Acts 17:28, speaking of the Lord, “in him we live, and move, and have our being…”
- Job 12:10, speaking of the Lord, “In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind”.
- Ps 104:14-15, “He causeth the grass to grow for cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that maketh glad the heart of man and oil to make his face shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart”.
- Matt 5:45, “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust”.
- Jn 3:16, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”.
- Rom 2:4 “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance”.
Look at all these wonderful things God has done and continues to do. Sadly, most men are just like the people we read about in Rev 16:11, “And they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds”.
To men, God is the problem, not the solution. So, they justify themselves and condemn God. God is good. And when you seek him diligently, you find favor by seeking good.
You seek good by seeking God’s judgments. Ps 119:39 says, “… for thy judgments are good”. God’s judgments are clearly written in his words, so that we can know the proper judgment on everything in life. Unfortunately, many believe that God is unfair in his judgments. And so, with him, they don’t have favor by seeking good because they won’t seek his judgments. We, on the other hand, have found favor by seeking his judgments which endure for ever, Ps 119:160.
You seek good by seeking God’s ways. Jer 6:16 says, “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls”. His ways are good and when you walk in them you find favor with God. Unfortunately, many reply like they did in Jeremiah’s day, “But they said, We will not walk therein”. How favorable God is to those who will seek his ways and walk therein.
You seek good by seeking God’s words. God’s words are good. Following Isaiah’s prophecy of the Babylonian captivity, Hezekiah said, “Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken” Is 39:8. Despite the ominous prophecy, Hezekiah said that God’s words are good. And they are. When you seek the good word of God, you find, with God, favor by seeking good.
Conclusion: If you desire to have favor with God, you will find favor by seeking good. God is good with good judgments, good ways, and good words.