Son of a Preacher-Man

Or daughter, as the case may be…

I have been studying the Old Testament book of First Samuel in a women’s Bible study at church each week, and I have been mulling over something that I learned and wanted to share…

Hannah was barren for years, and according to I Sam. 1: 5, “The Lord had closed her womb.” She cried out to God to give her a child, and ultimately she gave birth to Samuel, who became a great judge/leader of Isreal. In this study, we also looked into the stories of several other women in the Bible who were also barren and crying out to God to give them children. In one story, Genesis 30:22, it says, “God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb.”

(Now, all this is not to say that women struggling with infertility have only to pray to God for a child and that wish will be granted. Infertility is something I cannot understand or explain, and it hurts my heart for my dear friends who have this struggle. God, in His infinite wisdom, has purpose in that somehow. However, I brought these verses up to explain something else that is on my heart.)

Each woman that we studied had been infertile for years, yearning for a child. When they finally did give birth, according to the Lord’s purpose, timing and plan for their lives, they gave birth to majorly important children who had huge impacts on the history of Israel and Christianity in general. The births of those specific children were purposeful, not accidents, and certainly not just God giving in finally. There was a specific reason that each of those children was born at that time and not any sooner or later in history.

Another scripture we studied was Psalm 139:13-16: “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.”

All this to say, I was awed by the lives of my own two beautiful children. Though Greg and I are planners and did our best to “plan” the approximate timing of Sophie and Owen’s births, God was ultimately responsible for their birthdays. He ordained when they would come into the world, and if, really. In His book are written the days that are ordained for them, when there weren’t any days to count yet. And God didn’t just randomly pick a day or a child; He chose a specific time in history specifically for Sophie and Owen to be, for some specific purpose that He has in mind. Amazing!

No child is an accident, even if we “weren’t being careful.” No child is disposable because it is unwanted or unplanned. God has a purpose for every life He weaves in a mother's womb. And the same goes for yours!