Beyond Appearances: Rethinking God’s Favor in Light of Suffering
In Part 1, we explored how God’s favor is secure and rooted in Christ—not in what we can do or earn. But let’s be honest—this can be hard to accept when life is hard.
Our natural tendency is to measure God’s favor by what we can see. And that can lead us into all sorts of judgmental or discouraging ideas—about ourselves and about others.
We might see someone struggling financially and jump to the conclusion that God is withholding His blessing because of some sin or disobedience. Other times, we assume that wealth automatically means someone is greedy or spiritually shallow. And the truth is, sometimes those assumptions can be partly true. Financial struggles can be linked to unwise decisions or ignoring God’s wisdom, and wealth can certainly fuel pride and spiritual drift. But more often than not, those assumptions aren’t ours to make.
Scripture warns us not to judge by appearances (John 7:24), because only God knows the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
Suffering doesn’t automatically mean God is punishing someone, and abundance doesn’t automatically mean they’re living righteously.
God’s favor isn’t a formula that guarantees outward success—it’s His presence and His steadfast love, faithfully poured out in every circumstance, whether that looks like abundance or lack.
Jesus reminded His followers that trouble was inevitable in this world (John 16:33).
Paul, too, taught that sharing in Christ’s glory also means sharing in His sufferings (Romans 8:17).
These truths don’t diminish God’s favor—they redefine it.
Favor isn’t found in wealth or perfect health. It’s found in the unbreakable promise that God is with us and for us, no matter what.
This is why judging someone’s financial situation as a reflection of God’s favor is so short-sighted.
Outward circumstances can’t fully reveal the heart behind them, and they’re not reliable indicators of God’s favor. Someone might have material abundance that actually came from dishonest gain, not from God’s blessing. Someone else might be in a season of hidden obedience or costly faithfulness that looks like lack on the outside but is actually brimming with spiritual fruit.
But there’s another dimension to consider, too.
God’s ways are not just “spiritual”—they’re woven into the natural rhythms of the world He created. His wisdom shapes how economies flourish and how communities thrive. His wisdom, reflected in His Word, isn’t just spiritual advice—it’s the blueprint for living well in His creation.
When we live generously, practice contentment, steward resources faithfully, and rest in His provision, we’re not just obeying Him spiritually—we’re also living in step with the way He designed life to flourish (Psalm 147:5, Proverbs 3:5).
And often, this brings a natural goodness—like the fruit of wise decisions, healthy relationships, and community well-being. Paul captured this beautifully in Philippians 4:12-13, saying he learned the secret of contentment in both plenty and want because he drew strength from Christ.
Still, we must remember: this natural goodness is not a formula for favor. It’s not a guarantee that living wisely will always lead to wealth or ease. We live in a broken world, and the effects of sin and injustice still touch our lives. Yet even in that, God’s ways remain for our good because they flow from His perfect understanding.
That’s why we don’t have to chase visible blessings or measure our faithfulness by them. We’re invited to trust Him, follow His wisdom, and leave the outcomes in His hands.
This isn’t just a theory—it’s a reality proven again and again in the lives of faithful believers. One powerful glimpse of the Lord’s favor in times of lack comes from the life of Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian pastor who spent 14 years in communist prisons for his faith. In his book Tortured for Christ, he tells of how, even in the damp, windowless cells of solitary confinement—where food was scarce and beatings were common—he felt the overwhelming nearness of God.
Wurmbrand wrote:
“We had no Bible, no light, no songbooks, but I had the presence of Jesus… We could be in the dark physically, but we were in the light spiritually.”
He and other believers would tap out Scripture verses on the walls in Morse code. They sang hymns under their breath. Guards tried to beat them into silence, yet Wurmbrand testifies that in those moments of deepest deprivation, he knew the favor of God more tangibly than he ever had in freedom. He said:
“The best wine is the wine of the Lord’s presence. It is a wine of suffering, but of joy, too.”
His story stands as a powerful reminder that God’s favor isn’t measured by comfort or an abundance of things.
It’s measured by His presence and peace.
In Wurmbrand’s cell, there was no abundance of food, health, or wealth. Yet there was an abundance of divine favor—the favor of the God who draws near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18) and whose love is unshakable (Romans 8:35-39).
