IS GOD ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR ANOTHER BABY?
Recently I read some comments from mothers which grieved my heart. One mother said she would love to have more children but couldn't afford to build more rooms to their home to accommodate them. Another said she would like more but believed that God does not guarantee to provide all our needs. It is true that if we looked at our financial circumstances most of us would never have children. But God doesn't provide for children before they come to us, but when they arrive.
The Scriptures are very clear that God will provide food and clothing for His people who walk in His ways and who trust Him. As believers, we do not live by what we see, but by faith in God's living Word which cannot lie. It is an indictment to the church of God today that most "believers" do not believe. We have the same attitudes as the people who do not know God. Surely, we are a different people. We are a people who are saved by faith and now live by faith in His promises.
Can I encourage you to read the following promises of provision? Let God strengthen your heart. Let Him fill you with faith as you read His Word because "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God". Romans 10:17.
Jehovah Jireh
Genesis 22:14, "And Abraham called the name of the place, The Lord Will Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided."
The Hebrew for "The Lord Will Provide" is Jehovah Jireh which is one of the names of God. God cannot go against His name, for that is who He is. Because He is Jehovah Jireh, we can trust in Him that He will provide.
The First Blessing
In Deuteronomy 7:12-13 God promises that if we hearken to His Word and obey it, that "He will love you and bless you and multiply you; he will also bless the fruit of your womb."
The fruit of the womb is the first blessing that God gives. After the blessing of the fruit of the womb, God lists further blesses that He will bestow on those who keep His commandments, "And the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock."
The blessings of the harvest of the land and the increase of flocks for food and clothing come after the blessing of the womb. The purpose of these blessings is to provide for the first blessing, the blessing of children. There would be no need for all these other blessings if we did not have the first blessing of children. What's the use of bountiful crops if there is no one to eat them? God always puts things in order of importance.
This theme is repeated again in Deuteronomy 28:1-8. Once again He reminds us, "If you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all his commandments... Blessed shall be the fruit of your body." Again it is mentioned first, and then the added blessings are mentioned. We are promised that after the blessing of children we will receive "the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out."
Moses has just finished giving the children of Israel these promises from the Lord when he repeats them again. Obviously God thought they may not believe Him the first time, so He immediately repeats the promises again in Deuteronomy 28: 11-13, "And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, (and now the provision promises follow) in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground... The Lord will open to you his good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand"
And if this wasn't enough, God gives this same promise again for the fourth time to make sure they get the message. Deuteronomy 30:9 says, "The Lord will make you abound in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, (the blessing of the womb is mentioned first again, and then follows the provision for the fruit of the womb) in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your land for good."
The Lord repeated this truth four times when speaking through Moses to His people to make sure they got the message. Have you got the message too?
City or Country
Deuteronomy 28:3-4 says, "Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body." Before God mentions the blessings of the womb and all the provision for the children He gives, He reminds them that they will be blessed in the city and in the country. It doesn't matter whether you have your children in the city, or in the country, God has promised to bless you wherever you live.
Some mothers think they could maybe have more children if they lived in the country, but God's blessings are for the country and the city. It doesn't matter where you live, God will provide for the children that He gives to you. We now live in the country, but we raised our children in the city!
God's Faithfulness to Israel - They Lacked Nothing
Deuteronomy 2:7, "For the Lord thy God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your trudging through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing."
Nehemiah 9:20-21 says, "You also gave your good Spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst. Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell." Read also Exodus 16:14-36; 17:1-7; Deuteronomy 8:3-4 and 29:5.
How did the Israelites live in the wilderness? They didn't live in lovely homes like we do today. They lived in temporary tents made of goats' hair! They didn't have all the mod-cons that we have today. Although they lived in the heat of the desert they didn't have refrigerators and freezers. They didn't have washing machines, dishwashers or vacuum cleaners. They had no shops to run to when they ran out of milk or bread. They had to trust in God's faithfulness to provide manna each day! And it was the same diet for forty years! But God said that they "lacked nothing!" God provided their daily food and water and protected their clothing. They had all they needed.
By the way, they didn't have extra bedrooms for each child either. The children would have all slept together in their tent. And what did God say? "They lacked nothing!" Children love sleeping in the same room. It is only parents who want separate rooms for their children; children would rather be together. And they don't even have to have beds if you don't have room for them; they can sleep on mattresses on the floor. One of my daughters has ten children and they have never slept in beds. They are not deprived. They are the happiest and most well-adjusted children you could find on the planet!
I remember when our children were growing. I would go into their bedrooms to say goodnight and make sure they were all settled in their beds. Later, when my husband and I would check them again before we went to bed, we would find empty beds! They were out of their beds and sleeping with one another or having fun sleeping in a cupboard! Many times the boys would rather sleep outside in a hut they had made during the day!
We think we need so much and yet it is amazing what little we can live on when we have to! We may not always have everything we covet, but God has promised to provide our sustenance. You can trust Him.
No Want
Psalm 34: 8-10, "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in him! Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints! There is no want to those who fear him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing."
No Begging
David says in Psalm 37:25-26, "I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lends; and his descendants are blessed." God has promised to provide for the children of those who are righteous and generous.
God Delights to give us Food
The following Scriptures show God's heart to us about providing us with food and clothing. It is His delight to give us food.
Deuteronomy 10:18, "He loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing."
Deuteronomy 11:14-15, "I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled."
Job 36:26, 31, "Behold, God is great... He gives food in abundance."
Psalm 23:1-2, 5, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters... You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies."
Psalm 36:7-8 TLB, "You feed them with blessings from your own table and let them drink from your rivers of delight."
Psalm 103:1, 5, "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name! ... Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."
Psalm 104:14-15, "He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the service of man, that he may bring forth food from the earth, and wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread which strengthens man's heart."
Psalm 111:4-5 says, "The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. He has given food to those who fear him; he will ever be mindful of his covenant." The RSV translation says, "He provides food for those who fear him."
Psalm 136:1, 25, "Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! ... Who gives food to all flesh."
Psalm 145:14-16, "The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up al those who are bowed down. The eyes of all look expectantly to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing."
Psalm 145:5, 7, "Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God... who gives food to the hungry."
Isaiah 25:6, "And in this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all people a fest of choice pieces, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of well-refined wines on the lees."
Isaiah 40:11, "He will feed his flock like a shepherd."
Ezekiel 34:13-15, "I will feed them in good pasture... There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will make them lie down,' says the Lord God."
Acts 14:17, "He gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness."
We are also reminded of how Jesus provided for the 5,000 on one occasion and 4,000 on another occasion from a little bread and a few fishes. Nothing is impossible to God. Read Matthew 14:13-21 and 15:32-39.
God Provides for Hard-Working Husbands with Families
Psalm 128 is one of the special family psalms in which God portrays a picture of the family that is blessed of the Lord. He states here that, "Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways. When you eat the labour of your hands, you shall be happy and it shall be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord."
You will notice that this is a family that fears the Lord and the husband is a hard worker. Often husbands can lose a job and be out of work. However, a man who continues working full time from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm each day looking for a job, will soon have another job. Many wait for the job to turn up, but a man who works full time looking for one will soon have one!
We notice four things about this family who fears the Lord and walks in His ways:
1. The family is happy and blessed. The NLT says, "You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How happy you will be! How rich your life!"
2. The mother is not out doing the husband's job of providing for the family. She is fulfilling the mandate that God has given her to mother and nurture her children in the home.
3. The wife is flourishing in her home. The NLT says, "Your wife will be like a fruitful vine, flourishing within your home."
4. The children are also flourishing. The family is not fragmented with the children going here, there and everywhere. They are a cohesive unit. They eat their meals together and all sit around the table together.
5. They are committed to their marriage and will one day enjoy their grandchildren together.
Enough Food for your Household
Proverbs 27:25-27 says, "When the hay is removed, and the tender grass shows itself, and the herbs of the mountains are gathered in, the lambs will provide your clothing, and the goats the price of a field; you shall have enough goats' milk for your food, for the food of your household, and the nourishment of your maidservants."
Stop Worrying!
Our Father in heaven has promised to watch over us and give us food and clothing. Matthew 6:25-33 says,
"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap not gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: their neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Therefore do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?' or ‘What shall we drink?' or ‘What shall we wear?'
For after these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added t you.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
Do you notice how many times Jesus reminds us not to worry?
Many parents decide not to have any more children because they think they will not be able to provide for them. They not only think of providing for their food and clothing but for their future. Jesus commands us not to worry about these things for He has promised to provide them for us. To be concerned and worry about it is in direct disobedience to the words of Jesus. We are either walking in obedience to His words or in disobedience. It is amazing that most of the church walks in disobedience to the words of Jesus.
Psalm 127:2 also talks about this, too. This is another family psalm and in the context of talking about the family God says, "It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so he gives his beloved seep." In other words, "Stop worrying and trust the Lord!"
God not only promises to provide food but also clothing. I don't have time to shop for clothes, but God is my shopper. He sends along clothes that people no longer want. They are always perfect for what I need. I find God is a better provider of clothes than I am. This has been my experience for just on 70 years!
God will Supply all your Needs
Philippians 4:16 says, "My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
Sometimes Abased and Sometimes Abounding
Paul's testimony in Philippians 4:11-12 is, "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need."
Although God has promised to provide for us, there are often times when we don't live in the lap of luxury. We scarcely make it! The amazing thing is that even when we hardly know where the next mouthful is coming from, we don't starve! God is faithful! Paul knew how to be hungry and how to abound. The NLT says, "I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength."
I remember one time when we were going through a very lean time. The only food we had in the house was potatoes! Praise the Lord we had potatoes. Think of the Israelites who only had manna for 40 years! Some friends arrived at our door one lunchtime. I felt embarrassed to invite them to lunch with only potatoes on the menu! However, I swallowed my pride and asked them to join us for our meal of potatoes.
I placed the bowl of potatoes in the middle of the table and we all partook together and had wonderful fellowship. They didn't mind that there was no variety on the menu! In fact, it is well over 20 years since that incident and my friends still remember that lunchtime with great joy. They say that if we had had a sumptuous meal they would not have forgotten it. But they have always remembered their lunch of "potatoes only!"
We can learn to laugh and praise God in the lean times and in the abounding times. Even in the lean times, God will never forsake us. Praise His wonderful name!
It is true that life is not perfect. Each one of us faces difficulties. We have been promised that we will have afflictions and persecution, but even in the midst of these circumstances we can trust God.
Psalm 34:19 says, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." Claim this wonderful promise.
Be Content because God will Never forsake You!
Hebrews 13:5-6 says, "Be content with such things as you have. For he himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.'"
Did you notice the words, "Be content?" 1 Timothy 6:6-8 sys, "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can carry nothing out. And have food and clothing, with these we will be content." We certainly don't have to have everything we think we need. We all have more than we need. Our homes are filled with unnecessary "stuff." We need to eliminate rather than accumulate!
Wuest's Greek Word Studies says of this Scripture: "There are three negatives before this word (leave), making the promise one of triple assurance. It is, ‘I will not, I will not, I will not let thee down, leave thee in the lurch, leave thee destitute, leave thee in straits and helpless, abandon thee.' All of which means that our God will come to our rescue when we find ourselves in difficult circumstances."
The following is Wuest's translation of this Scripture. "Let your manner of life be without love of money, being satisfied with your present circumstances. For He Himself has said, and the statement is on record, I will not, I will not cease to sustain and uphold you. I will not, I will not, I will not let you down. So that, being of good courage, we say, The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What shall man do to me?"
How can we doubt God when we have such a wonderful promise? We are either a believer or an unbeliever!
Cultivate a Garden
God reminds us in the Scriptures that His plan is for each family to keep a garden to help provide food for their family. The first home, which was the prototype of all homes to come, was called the "Garden of Eden." The first home was a garden and consequently God intends all homes to have a garden! Many of us are rather slack on this principle, aren't we?
Genesis 2:15 tells us the first thing God did after creating the first garden home, "Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it." The word "tend" is avad in the Hebrew and means "to work hard even until fatigued, to till, to plow." This command was given before the Fall! The word "keep" is shamar and means "to guard, to protect, to preserve."
You may say, "Help, that may be okay for you, but we live in the city with hardly any space." It's amazing what you can do if you set your heart to it. We live in the country but the land on our hill is clay and rock. We had to make garden beds and buy in our dirt to start our garden. You may have better soil than we have, but not much room. Make a small garden or grow tomatoes, lettuces and herbs in containers on your deck. There is always some way you can do it.
The following are further Scriptures that remind us of this important provision principle:
Proverbs 12:11, "He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, but he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding." Read also Proverbs 28:19.
Proverbs 24:27, "Prepare your outside work, make it fit for yourself in the field; and afterwards build your house."
Proverbs 27:18, "Whoever keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit."
Proverbs 31:16, "She considers a field and buys it; from her profits she plants a vineyard." This Scripture is often taken out of context with women saying they are free to get into a career outside of the home. No, this Scripture is in the context of the home and feeding the family. As the family grows, she needs more land to plant more vineyards which were survival for every Israeli family in those days. The mothers' management of the home, not only included her home, but her garden and growing food for the family.
Jeremiah 29:4-5, "Thus says the Lord of hosts; the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit." This commandment was given to the exiles in Babylon. Even in their captivity God wanted them to continue the principle of planting gardens for their food.
2 Corinthians 9:6, "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." Read also Proverbs 6:6-11.
Dare we Question God?
Psalm 78:18-25, 32, 41, says,
"And they tested God in their heart by asking for the food of their fancy.
Yes, they spoke against God: They said, ‘Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
Behold he struck the rock, so that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed. Can he give bread also? Can he provide meat for his people?'
Therefore the Lord heard this and was furious; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel,
Because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in his salvation.
Yet he had commanded the clouds above, and opened the doors of heaven,
Had rained down manna on them to eat, and given them of the bread of heaven.
Men ate angels' food; he sent them food to the full...
In spite of this they still sinned, and did not believe in his wondrous works... Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel."
"Can God provide for us?" "Can God provide for another baby?" When we ask these "Can God?" questions we openly state that we do not believe God is who He says He is. We actually speak against God. How can we call ourselves believers if we do not believe? It is hypocrisy.
Hebrews 4:2 says "For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it." We have read al the above wonderful Scriptures about God providing for the children He gives. But it is not enough to read them. We must believe them! If we don't believe them, thank God for them and trust in these promises (even when things look impossible) they won't profit us. The Word of God must be mixed with faith in our hearts. Romans 14:23 says, "Whatever is not from faith is sin."
God does not Provide before the Baby Comes, but After the Baby Comes!
May God fill your heart with faith to trust God. He is faithful. You can trust Him. God is the author of life. He loves to give life. He looks for life. We read about this in Malachi 2:13-15. God looks for godly offspring from our union together. When God gives life, He promises to provide for this life. He doesn't provide before the baby comes, but when He sends the baby, He will miraculously send the provision.
Don't expect to have the provision in tact before you embrace having a child. Trust God. If He blesses you with a child (and you can only receive a child through His blessing) He will then provide for this precious baby.
May your life be a testimony to the people around you of God's faithfulness and provision. You do not have to strive and worry like the people of the world. As you walk in obedience to God's ways, you will see His provisions.
NANCY CAMPBELL
Above Rubies, www.aboverubies.org
All Scriptures, unless otherwise stated, are taken from the Revised Authorised Version. British edition 1982. This translation is very similar to the King James Version except "thee" and "thou" has been replaced with "you."