SAMUEL: HOW TO FLOURISH IN FAVOUR

And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in FAVOUR with the Lord and with people – 1 Samuel 2:26 (NIV).

It is one thing to FIND the favour of God. It is another thing to GROW and FLOURISH in the flavours of favour. The sons of Eli were positioned to be potential recipients of favour, by birth and the priestly calling of their father. Regrettably, they lost their place in destiny and missed out on divine favour! The Bible carefully juxtaposed the story of these greedy and unruly “sons of Belial” with that of submissive Samuel who “ministered unto the Lord before Eli the priest” and “ministered before the Lord” (1Sam.2:11-12, 18). Samuel ministered both UNTO the Lord and BEFORE the Lord. He served God in devotion and worship and also served Him by serving people. Samuel cherished and valued the Presence of God. Little wonder, he became the recipient of favour in flourishing dimensions!

What made Samuel such a favourite of God? Few points can be gleaned from the Scriptures: (a) Samuel started well in life, having been dedicated to the Lord prior to conception and rededicated at birth (1 Samuel 1:11, 27-28); (b) he reverenced and respected the things of God, unlike the sons of Eli (2:18); (c) he grew up in the presence of God (2:21); and (d) he learnt to become a faithful priest who listened to God and obeyed His voice (2:35). Through spiritual disciplines, the young boy grew in stature (spiritual, mental and physical) and in favour with God and men. One key Secret of Favour is SERVICE – dedicated and selfless service. The place of service is the place of flourishing favour!
This is a recurring truth: even though God is sovereign on the question of favour, your spiritual attitude and positioning matter in becoming a recipient of favour. What are your primary pursuits in life? Are they merely mundane and secular or do they hold some measure of eternal significance? Are you pushing yourself in any areas of spiritual discipline? In 2 Peter 3:18 we are admonished to “GROW in GRACE, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” This implies that we can and should also grow in favour. What was written about Samuel was also recorded concerning the boy Jesus: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in FAVOUR with God and man” (Lk.2:52). The same kind of testimonies can be given concerning us and our children, if we dare to nurture them in the fear and admonition of the Lord (Pro.22:6).

Proverbs 3:3-4 summarizes another important Secret of Favour: “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.” Favour with God and with men is a function of your dedication to meditating on and walking in the Mercy and Truth of God’s Word! May the Light of God shine on your ways and usher you into dimensions of flourishing favour in Jesus name.