My daughter, Sarah, always asks Honey who her favorite is. Honey never gives in to her persistent efforts to have her choose her. She asks me and I tell her I don't have a favorite. She wants to know who is the favorite most of the time and I tell her it is even. But when she wears me down I say, "Duke", our sweet fur baby. I never asked my Granny because it was understood, it was me! Mike always asked his grandmother and she would tell him it was him. I love how Mom and I don't have to say out loud that I am her favorite child!
These silly dialogues have gone on for years. James and John's mother wanted Jesus to favor her sons. Jesus told her that this request would have significant consequences. Matthew 20: 26-28, "Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” In life, we often feel we should be favored. Sometimes even at the expense of another.
But when I think of all the things God has done for me in my life I do feel like His favorite. Think about it. He has orchestrated our lives to enable us to accomplish the plans He has for us. Jeremiah 29: 11, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" AND He adopted me (and you) and bought me (and you). Ephesians 1: 5-7, "he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace."
God treats us each like we are His favorite child! Before we were even formed in our mother's wombs, He was planning for us to be His child. He has planned that for all eternity! Wow, we are special! We are the favored child of the Most High God! And God wants us to believe this. Psalm 30: 7-12, "Lord, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed. To you, Lord, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: 'What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me; Lord, be my help.' You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever."
David loved God's thoughts about Him and he wrote about them in Psalm 139. Verses 17-18, "How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you." In Ephesians 1: 6, "...to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved." NKJV We belong to a group called the Beloved. Do you know what Beloved means? It means dearest, precious or favorite! I am His Beloved. I am His Favorite! And you are too!
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