God’s favor does not mean you are protected from or removed from a difficult situation. I have been studying BSF: Exile & Return, which covers both the books of Daniel and Esther. When you read about Daniel, Joseph, Esther, and many others in the Bible, they are not restored when it mentions God’s favor. It is more that the sovereignty of God is in place and making paths before them in a way that can only be credited to God Himself. In fact, that specific kind of favor from God is perhaps only experienced in the midst of a difficult situation that does not have a ready exit!
Joseph was sold by his brothers to Ishmaelite traders who sold him in Egypt. His brothers told his father that he was dead and killed by a wild animal. As a slave, Joseph was accused falsely by Potiphar’s wife and imprisoned. He had dreams before slavery that signaled the future and later interpreted dreams of other prisoners. Yet he was still in prison. Pharaoh had a dream. Joseph interpreted the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of the upcoming years of plenty and years of family. Joseph was elevated to a position of wealth and power. However, he was still not removed from Egypt and didn’t get to go home to his family. God was positioning him to be used to help save Joseph’s family later when the famine was so widespread. But, he was not removed from the situation in Egypt.
Daniel was taken into captivity in Babylon to be exiled with his people for 70 years. This exile was a discipline by God because of the sin and idolatry of His people. However, it was not a sin specific only to Daniel. In fact, he chose in to honor God in many of his situations while in exile. I believe he lived similarly before captivity. He purposed not to defile himself and had favor to eat a certain way. Daniel had multiple opportunities to be used by God to interpret dreams and also writing on the wall. He stayed faithful to God and he had resolved at a young age not to defile himself. He also took prayer very seriously which landed him in the lion’s den. There is no record that he was removed from Babylon.
Esther was a person that was often look at as being “born for such a time as this.” She was also an orphan, in exile, and being raised by her cousin Mordecai. She was taken into custody, given beauty treatments, and was in a harem for a pagan king. Her exact age is unknown. It is possible that she was around 15 years old. She found favor not only with King Xerxes but also with everyone that served around her. She was brave and wise and humble. She was in a position to be used by God to save her people from the wicked schemes of Haman. However, when we look at her life, she was not removed from being a young queen to a pagan King.
These are all situations that would have the appearance of being unresolved or even unfair. These people were not “deserving” of these situation. these stories have been used for years to bolster our faith in God’s sovereignty. I did a search for a definition of God’s favor and was given this result.
God’s favor means having divine approval, support, and blessing. It is an unmerited gift of grace and goodwill, which can manifest as opportunities, protection, and provision, and is often found through faith, obedience, and a relationship with God. It signifies God’s positive regard and active presence in a person’s life.
That is an excellent summary of where my thoughts were going, but I was using a lot more words to get there! Your relationship with God, which gives you faith to face a situation that you are not removed from, is supernatural – a gift from God, so that no one can boast. So take heart, fellow Christian, and look for God’s favor in the difficult situation you are in. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith. Don’t be so focused on exiting the situation that you miss seeing His favor on you.