GOD’S FAVOR IN THE NEW YEAR

TEXT: PSALM 65:1-3 (11)

The message this morning gives us the confidence to face the New Year. It directs us to God’s goodness and favour that will sustain us always. We focus especially on the eleventh verse “you crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance”(11). As the year 2019 has come to an end, you may still be going through much reflection as to what happened in 2019. Some of us remember challenges, whiles others have testimonies of victory. For some of you, 2019 was the best year, for others the worst year, whichever way God is good all the time. Psalm 65 is considered the national Psalm of praise and thanks to God for His goodness. It was sung after the rains. The rains had come to refresh the earth. The song was even more meaningful if the nation had been through a bad dry season. God’s favour is upon the year (65:11)

Let us learn:-

I. GOD PLACES A CROWN OF FAVOR ON THE YEAR 2020.

• A crown is a special and glittering insignia worn by kings, queens, emperors and other royalty.
• A crown is also given to winners in sporting events
• Beauty queens are given crowns too.
• We also crown people with titles like King of Rock and Roll (Elvis Presley), King of Pop (Michael Jackson) King of Reggae Bob Marley and Lucky Dube.
• Crowns though are identified with royalty, but human crowns fall off after a season.
• The Bible identifies us God’s people as a royal priesthood, crowned by God himself.
• Now God says in Psalm 65:11, God has crowned your year 2020 with favor.
• His grace will crown every day we face in the coming year with favor.
• The Bible mentions some crowns, II Tim. 4:8 – crown of righteousness. James 1:12, the crown of life, Isaiah 61:3, a crown of beauty, I Cor. 9:25 – eternal crown, I Peter 5:4, everlasting joy will crown their head.

II. THE CROWN OF FAVOR GOD GIVES IS A BOUNTIFUL HARVEST.

• God says that this New Year is a year of a bountiful harvest.
• God’s goodness is upon us, so let us look at some of the Acts of God’s goodness shown in this Plasm.
• He answers our prayers (V.2)
• He forgives our sins (V.3)
• He fills us with the good things of His house (V.4) presence.
• He answers with awesome deeds (V.5)
• He protects us (V.5-7)
• He does wonders (V.8)
• May 2020, be a year of a bountiful harvest in the ministry.
• Be ready for God’s bountiful harvest through Gods goodness this year 2020.

III. GOD’S FAVOR WILL BE SEEN EVEN IN THE HARD PLACES.

• “Even the hard pathways overflow with abundance”
• In the hard pathways of life, God’s bounty will be seen.
• Even in the most difficult moments or seasons 2020, God’s favour will be found.
• “If God takes us on stormy paths, He will fix us with strong shoes.”
• Was last year a dry season for you, for ministry etc, God’s abundance is coming your way in this year of favour, even in the hard pathways

IV. DIVINE FAVOR (PSALM 5:2)

Look at how divine favour operates

1. When a man is selected for something good from among many qualified counterparts (Esther 2:15-17)
2. When a man is chosen for the position he is not naturally qualified for especially among others that are better than him. David was the most unqualified in his family, but God rejected others to look for him (I Sam 16:11-13)
3. When a man seeks the face of God in prayer and his request is granted (Jabez. I Chro. 4:9-10)
4. When help is made available unto a man at a time and from a place he least expected (John 17:1-15)
5. When a person is always receiving kindness from others as a result of God’s hand on his life (Joseph in Egypt Gen. 39:2)

• Gods favour can come from many directions, like medical direction, material direction, marital direction (I Sam. 1:9-20) Mental direction (Daniel 2:20-22) ministerial direction.
• The only thing that can destroy divine favour in a person’s life is disobedience to God (Psalm 1, I Sam 15:19-24), sexual sin (Judges 16:18-21) pride (Isa 28) lack of faithfulness to God. Sowing the seed of wickedness (Judges 1:5-7)

CONCLUSION

• Divine favour will produce supernatural promotion and increase
• Divine favour brings restoration of everything the enemy has stolen (Exodus 3:21)
• Divine favour will bring unusual victories, prominence and preferential treatment and increased assets.

2020 = Favor