Apples of Gold
Radio Script for April 17, 2008
“I Just Want Good Things to Happen to Me”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
“Look, Doug. I just want good things to happen to me. Is that too much to ask?”
Not at all. I want good things to happen to me, too. Who doesn’t want a “lucky break” now and then?
Well, I don’t believe in luck, but I do believe in God’s favor. God makes good things happen to us when we find favor in His eyes.
So how do we find that favor?
Look at the example of Noah. Genesis 6 says, “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”
How did he do it? Verse 9 says, “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.”
There’s our example. If we want God’s favor, then we need to walk with Him, and live righteous and blameless lives.
Psalm 5:12 confirms this. It says that the Lord blesses the righteous, and surrounds them with His favor.
Psalm 84:11 indicates that the Lord will bestow His favor on those whose walk is blameless.
So do you want good things to happen to you? Then live a righteous life.
Daniel also talks about God’s favor. Daniel 9:13 even gives us a little formula for finding God’s favor. In order to seek the favor of the Lord we must do two things: Turn from our sins, and give attention to God’s truth.
Samuel had the favor of the Lord. Jesus’ mother Mary was “highly favored.”
Proverbs 12:2 indicates that all good people obtain favor from the Lord.
So if you want good things to happen to you, then be a good person.
In the Old Testament, Joseph is a great example of God’s favor. Genesis 39:2 says, “The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered…”
“Yes, Doug, the Lord was with Joseph. Of course He was with Joseph. But I’m not so sure He’s with me.”
Remember what it said about Noah? It said that he “walked with God.” If you walk with God, then you know the Lord is with you, because you are walking with Him. And when we walk with Him, good things happen.
Joseph walked with the Lord, and Genesis 39: 3 says, “…the Lord gave him success in everything he did…”
That could have made his boss, Potiphar, really jealous. But instead, his boss showed him favor.
I picture a sort of “favor zone” around Joseph. So how can we get in that favor zone? By walking with the Lord. That means we turn from our sins, give attention to God’s truth, and live righteous lives. When we do this, we will enter God’s Favor Zone.
“Was Joseph always in the favor zone, ‘cause you know, some bad things did happen to him…”
Great question. When Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph, he went to prison. That doesn’t sound like God’s favor, does it?
But did Joseph do anything to put himself outside the favor zone? The Bible doesn’t mention anything, no sin, no corruption, nothing. So I think Joseph was still in God’s Favor Zone, even in prison.
Joseph never stopped walking with the Lord, and Genesis 39 says, “…in the prison, the Lord was with him…”
Now Joseph could have said, “Gee, Lord, thanks a lot. I walk with You, and this is the thanks I get? Forgettaboutit!”
But he didn’t. No matter what happened, he kept walking with the Lord – and he kept walking in God’s Favor Zone.
Now I’ve heard some people say that if we just believe in good things, God will send them. I don’t believe that. If you believe good things are coming, but you don’t turn from your sin, you will not receive God’s favor.
Sure, sometimes good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. Joseph went to prison and Potiphar’s wife did not. But you can’t judge things on isolated incidents. It’s when you look at the broad spectrum of Joseph’s life that you see God’s favor, and the same is true for us.
My wife and I both have stories of applying for jobs we really wanted, and then being disappointed when we didn’t get them – only to discover that those businesses ended up closing, which would have left us out in the cold. So we can’t judge by isolated incidents. We have to look at the big picture over time to really see God’s favor at work.
So do you just want good things to happen to you? Here’s how. Walk with the Lord by turning from your sin, giving attention to God’s truth, and living a righteous life. When you do that, the Lord will be with you, and you will find yourself right in the middle of God’s Favor Zone.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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