Charles Stanley - Walking In The Favor Of God - Part 2

The world was a sinful and wicked place, and it grieved God so much that He regretted ever creating mankind! Noah was the only one who found favor in the eyes of God (Genesis 6:5-7).

But what set Noah apart? In part two of this three-part series, Dr. Stanley uses both the story of Noah’s obedience to God and examples from his own life to help us discover how we can listen, trust, and obey the Lord. God may not be calling you to build an Ark, but He is most certainly calling you to fulfill His will. When we make wise decisions that honor and bring glory to Him, we will find His favor in our own lives.

A story written thousands of years ago continues to speak to us today because the lessons we learn from the life of Noah are still applicable to our daily lives. What makes Noah unique is that in the midst of a wicked, evil society, he alone “found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen. 6:8). This is the kind of affirmation from God that we should all desire and pursue in order to honor and please Him.

The favor of God is His acceptance, approval, provision, divine energy, and joy given to us. To walk in His favor day by day, we must listen to Him and trust Him. Both of these are required for salvation because God is the One who tells us of our sin and our need for a Savior. Then we must believe Him, receive the forgiveness of our sins through Christ, and trust Him to be our Savior and Lord. Listening and trusting the Lord are also essential in the Christian life in order to follow His guidance and walk in His will.

A good way to test whether we are truly trusting God is to consider our prayer lives. Do we come to Him with our needs and concerns and leave with an expectation that He has heard and will answer? Sometimes our prayers become lifeless because we lack confidence and faith in the One to whom we pray.

Proverbs 3:5-7 shows us how to walk with God as Noah did. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”