I cannot imagine anything more life enriching than knowing that I am blessed and highly favoured by God. All the great Bible characters were not so great in themselves, but the moment the favour of God touched them, they changed nations and fulfilled their destinies.

It’s the most important thing to find in life, because it means whatever circumstance you’re in, it’s going to be all right. Just as to Mary in Luke 1, God has spoken over your life and calls you blessed and highly favoured! That message is underlined in Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” This favour that God has bestowed upon you doesn’t originate with you. You did not attract it by having a positive mindset or by learning how to manipulate your environment. It is your birthright, God’s pronouncement over your life. You are under the high favour of God. Many times, we think of the word ‘under’ as being oppressive, pressing you down and keeping you suppressed, compressed, and depressed. But when you come under the blessing of God, not only is it pure blessing, it lifts you up above your circumstances into a position where you always win.

This doesn’t mean the absence of trouble but, rather, confidence and joy, even in the midst of difficulty. One of the blessings of seeking to serve God and keeping our eyes fixed on him, even in the midst of what have been quite overwhelming circumstances, is that, because we are in Christ, we will be able to come out on top. How do you receive, enjoy and live under this favour? First, God has pronounced divine favour over your life, you cannot undo that. But you have the choice whether or not to believe it. You need to align yourself with this spiritual reality and then to act accordingly. Acknowledge God’s favour is in your life and you will look at every circumstance differently! Then, when things look gloomy, you will look into every aspect, turning over the situation in your mind, until you will discover the treasures of God’s favour in that circumstance. That’s the life of righteousness that is described in Psalm 1. It means making the decision to delight in the Lord no matter what is going on because you have been blessed. In verse 1, the psalmist issues a warning, which highlights what a blessed person will avoid. This is relevant for us in the 21st century, because there is so much pressure today for Christians to conform to the opinions of this age. But you cannot allow the false ideas, opinions and beliefs of this age to dominate you. We must be transformed by the renewing of our mind into God’s truth, not conformed to worldly values.

This blessed person shall be like a tree planted by streams of water. God is the source of refreshment, and when you put your roots deeper into him, you will find all the resources that you need to flourish and prosper. Your life will become more and more fruitful, and you will not subject to your natural environment. Because you are blessed, you can sow in a famine and reap a hundred-fold! You can stand firm in seemingly impossible situations, where people to the left and the right are going one way, but you are under God’s grace, mercy and favour. He will direct your paths, prospering you in all that you do and protecting you in the days that lie ahead.