what does it mean to be highly favored one, the lord is with you; blessed are you among women!â€Â
I recall walking into church one Sunday morning and a lady walked in with me. She happened to see one of her friends in the entrance hall and she proceeded to go upwardly and greet her. The exchange went something like this. The one lady said, "Good forenoon, how are you?" The other lady replied, "I'm blessed and highly favored."
You lot may have heard like greetings like this in your church building. You may accept fifty-fifty used them.
Regardless of whether you have used it or not, there is a question that needs to be addressed: is this really true? Are you lot promised to be blessed and highly favored? Most importantly, does God have anything to say near this?
Let's examine this farther so nosotros can get it right.
What Does 'Blessed and Highly Favored' Actually hateful?
This phrase is straightforward. The thinking is that in every expanse of life you will come across God'due south blessing and experience his supernatural favor. By the way, if yous are from a shouting church you might want to cutting a step right here. Information technology'due south okay to become get your shout on and so come dorsum and stop reading the article.
To understand farther, we need to run into where this idea comes from. The phrase does come from the Bible, but are we using it in its proper context?
Where Is This Concept in the Bible?
The thought of "blessed and highly favored" comes from the gospel of Luke. Notice the commutation that happens:
Now in the 6th calendar month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin matrimonial to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's proper noun was Mary. And having come up in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blest are you among women! – Luke ane:26-28 (NKJV, emphasis added on highly favored and blest)
One of the first things to admit is that this proclamation was non one that Mary spoke over her own life; it was Gabriel who spoke this about her. Mary was blessed, but not because she said so, it was considering God said and so.
In other words, we aren't blessed considering we say it. We are blessed because God says it.
The actual discussion used here in the greek is "Kecharitōmenē" (pronounced key-car-it-oh-may-nay). If you translate it literally in English it means "you who have been graced." This is the just time this form of the give-and-take is used in scripture.
There are other forms of the word grace in scripture but none used in this exact grade. This lets united states of america know that while God has called many people blessed throughout scripture and has even called people favored...only 1 person has he e'er called highly favored.
Tin can We Have Some More Context Please?
To further empathise this passage and statement we demand to continue reading. The first thing to pay attention to is Mary's response to this greeting.
But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what way of greeting this was. – Luke 1:29 (NKJV)
Look a minute why wasn't Mary shouting? Why didn't she go running through the streets of Nazareth declaring I am blessed and highly favored? Her response was much more subdued and guarded. The New Living Translation uses the words 'confused' and 'disturbed.' This lone tells the states that this greeting was very unusual and Mary was not expecting it.
Information technology still doesn't answer the question why was Mary highly favored? The answer is found in the adjacent few verses:
"Don't be afraid, Mary," the angel told her, "for yous have plant favor with God! You will conceive and give nascency to a son, and y'all will name him Jesus. He volition be very great and will exist called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will requite him the throne of his ancestor David. And he volition reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!" – Luke 1:thirty-33 (NKJV)
What we tin glean from this I believe is very simple. Mary was highly favored considering God chose her to be the 1 to give birth to Jesus. This was the favor she had been graced with. It doesn't mean that Mary was more special or improve than anyone else. She too would need to put her trust in Christ for salvation. It ways that God had given her special grace or high favor to carry out this detail assignment.
We tin can all receive favor from God and we often exercise. However, merely ane person can claim the stardom of 'highly favored' and that is Mary. This is the merely time this term was used and rightfully so, because no one else on globe would ever give birth to Jesus.
Is This a Promise to Be Claimed?
We have every right to claim the blessings and promises of God for our lives, as long as we run across the weather condition, because many promises and blessings are provisional.
However, this argument of "blessed and highly favored" was neither a promise nor a approving.
It was a announcement made by God to one woman, Mary.
So yep, you can experience the blessings of God and be blessed. Yep, you can see and experience the favor of God in your life. Notwithstanding, unless you lot plan on giving nascence to another Jesus (which we know is not going to happen), so this "hope" doesn't employ to y'all.
How Practice We Claim the Promises and Blessings of God?
The answer to this question is very straightforward. You must come across the conditions. Most of the promises of God are conditional. They require something from you in exchange for receiving from God. That something could exist faith, obedience, sacrifice, giving, seeking, knocking—but it is something that is given in exchange.
Let me give you lot an example. The greatest hope we have from God is conservancy and eternal life. Nonetheless, to receive this gift or hope of salvation and eternal life it requires confession, conventionalities in your heart, and repentance from sin.
God is willing to requite it freely merely we have to be willing to ask for information technology.
Therefore, if you don't come across the condition, you don't receive the hope.
Unfortunately, too many people want to experience God's blessings but have no existent interest in following God's conditions. If you want to experience all of the best God has for you in this life and then you have to be willing to practice it his mode. Recollect Joshua 1:eight:
Keep this Book of the Constabulary ever on your lips; meditate on it twenty-four hour period and night, so that you may be conscientious to do everything written in information technology. And then you will be prosperous and successful.
What Does the Bible Say most Blessing?
Let me be clear: if you are in Christ you are blessed. Ephesians one:iii reminds us:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blest u.s.a. in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Where we sometimes go wrong is we likewise oftentimes equate the blessing of God with only the material things. The blessings of God that matter most are non food, article of clothing, and money. These things are important, don't become me wrong.
Still, the blessings that aren't always seen are the most important...and the ones that matter most. How important is peace, joy, hope, and confidence in a God who will never exit y'all or forsake you?
When you lot grab concord of these spiritual blessings you truly begin to experience God's favor that shines regardless of the situations you are facing.
To be blessed and highly favored may non mean what you lot thought, but it doesn't discount the fact that if you are in Christ you are blest. I encourage you to grab agree of all of the promises and blessings that God has for you in Christ. God's want is to shower y'all with grace and favor. He requires that you lot walk in agreement with the weather of his promises, just when y'all do—scout all that God volition practise in your life.
A Prayer of Gratitude for God'south Spiritual Blessings
Father,
Today I acknowledge all of the spiritual blessings you have bestowed on me because of Christ. I cull today to align my life with your conditions so I tin can feel all of your promises. I am blessed because of the work Christ has done for me and I receive them freely because of your grace. Amen.
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