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Seeking God’s Favor

Proverbs 11:27 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)
²⁷He who diligently seeks good seeks favor,
but evil comes to him who searches for it.

He who diligently seeks good seeks [God’s] favor: He who diligently seeks (שָׁחַר shachar) here is the servant of God who is continuously on the look for, searching for, longing for, strongly desiring to do good (טוֹב tob), that is, good conduct or acting justly, honorably, honestly in all things that he says or does, based on God’s Word. This servant in searching, diligently seeking to do good is, in essence, seeking God’s favor (רָצוֹן ratson or רָצֹן ratson), that is, seeking to have God view him favorably.

but evil comes to him who searches for it: Evil is morally bad behavior, wickedness, depravity, unfortunate or bad circumstances, difficult times, and comes to him who searches (דָּרַשׁ darash) for it. He is the one who is alienated from God who is continuously on the look for, searching for, longing for, strongly desiring to do evil, that is, not morally good conduct, causing harm to self and others because he acts unjustly, dishonorably, and dishonest in all things that he says or does, based on his fleshly desires.

A true servant of God is always seeking to find his favor, seeking God’s good will. It isn’t about becoming a Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, or any of the other 41,000 different denominations, but being one of God’s true, genuine servants. Psalm 149:4 says: “For Jehovah takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.” Psalm 147:11 adds: “Jehovah takes pleasure in [favors] those who fear him, in those who hope in his loyal love.” God’s pleasure means his goodwill.

In the conscience that God has given all of humanity, his servants have cultivated, and refined that conscience by searching God’s Word to know good, until his conscience has developed within him an upright heart. A true servant of God dreads the very idea of becoming something detestable to God because he has allowed his fallen flesh even one victory over his upright heart. If the servant of God continues to seek heavenly wisdom and act in harmony with it, patiently waiting for the moments that it brings him even a measure of gain in this wicked world, he can rest assured that he will find God’s favor.