Favour is the measure of grace you obtain from God, either directly or indirectly. It has nothing to do with your holiness, or how righteous you are to seek God’s face.
When God decides to favour you, it goes beyond human understanding. People will keep saying you’re just blessed, even though you don’t understand how the blessing is pouring out from all corners.
There are different types of favour we obtain from God. Note that when man favours you, it has already been written by God; he has plan for everything and all glory should be given to him. The type of favour we are looking at here is generational favour. This type of favour is not worked for directly; it is indirect.
Mephibosheth is a perfect example, when Jonathan was busy helping David and saving his life from his father, Saul, he never knew he was laying a foundation for his generation. Jonathan went against his father’s will, which led David to the throne. David never promised Jonathan anything, he never mentioned any word that he will help Jonathan’s family when he gets to the throne but Jonathan did everything out of goodwill.
After Jonathan and Saul’s death, David got to the throne, and on a particular day in 2 Samuel 9:1, he asked a specific question: ‘is there yet anyone that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’ Meanwhile Mephibosheth, the son of Saul, was a forgotten soul, even Ziba, the servant, described him as a ‘man lame on his feet’
David was not after his condition, he just wanted to bless anyone that came from Jonathan’s household no matter how they looked like or how sinful they are. Mephibosheth never expected to hear from David because he knew his foundation, he fell on his face and did reverence. David said unto him ‘I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father and thou shall eat bread at my table continually’.
I am very sure Mephibosheth would have been speechless, and have wondered if he really deserved all the blessings he had received from David. Basically, he received unmerited favour he knew nothing about, a pure generational blessing which his father laid unknowingly.
There is a great message for us to learn here: when we do good and we don’t get positive result for our kindness immediately, God is not sleeping, he is not dead not to see everything we laid down; when we lay wickedness it’s been recorded, when we lay good it’s been seen, and his blessings are from generation to generation, likewise his curse.
God’s favour is unlimited, from everlasting to everlasting. May God give us wisdom to sow in the right place, at the right time to the right people, and may we obtain generational favour in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Marian Oyetola