WHICH GOD DO YOU WORSHIP?
Part 2

"To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?"
(Isaiah 40:18).

We continue today talking about how we think about God. Do our thoughts match up with the God of the Bible or have we made a god of our own design? Another false conception people have of God is that:

2. GOD VIEWS CHILDREN LIKE WE DO

The attitude of most Christians towards children reveals that they do not believe in a God who wants to bless us with children. Most couples believe in limiting their family size to a number they think they can afford, or the number they decide to fit in with their life agenda.

I talked to a gentlemen recently who said, "We can only afford three children."

"So you believe in a God who is only capable of providing for three children?" I replied. This does not sound like the God of the universe who created the earth and all the galaxies and worlds beyond our earth. It doesn't sound like the God of the Bible.

Let's come to the Word and get a little glimpse of what our God is like. First of all, can I ask you a question? What was the very first thing God did after creating Adam and Eve? He blessed them. God is a blessing God who loves to bless His creatures. And how did He bless them? He blessed them with fruitfulness of the womb. "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion . . . " (Genesis 1: 28).

In fact, every time God talks about fruitfulness, He first gives His blessing to the man and wife. Every conception is a blessing from God.

When God spoke to Abraham about his wife Sarah, He said: "And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her" (Genesis 17:15, 16).

Genesis 49:25 speaks of the "blessings of the breasts, and of the womb." They are blessings to embrace, not curses to avoid.

Deuteronomy 7:12 talks about God showing mercy to His people. Verse 13 and 14 continue: "He will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb . . . Thou shalt be blessed above all people there shall not be male or female barren among you."

What a beautiful understanding of God. How does He show us His mercy, love, and blessings to us? Not always with material possessions, an easy life, and getting everything we want, but with the blessing of children from the womb.

In Deuteronomy 13:12-18 God tells the children of Israel how they must destroy those who serve other gods so that He will "turn from the fierceness of his anger, and show thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers." After the judgment comes God's love and kindness. The words "mercy" and "compassion" are both the same Hebrew word "racham" which mean "love, compassion, tender pity, and the womb." Once again, how does God show His great love and compassion to us? By giving us children.

Deuteronomy 28:2-4 says: "And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body . . . " You can read verses 1-14 to check out all the other blessings that we receive when we walk in obedience to God's ways, but the very first blessing He mentions is the fruit of the womb.

As parents it is our responsibility to leave an inheritance for our children. It is a great blessing to receive an inheritance--a house, land, or even a million dollars! God as our Father also loves to give us an inheritance and He knows the best inheritance for us. Psalm 127:3 (GW) says: "Children are an inheritance from the LORD." I love the way the Douay-Rheims Bible translates this Scripture: "Behold the inheritance of the Lord are children: the reward, the fruit of the womb."

The inheritance of material possessions will pass away, but children are eternal souls who will live forever. Each child also gives us grandchildren and great-grandchildren and the blessing of continuing generations.

If we do not believe in a God who wants to bless us with children, we worship a different God than the God of the Bible. If we do not believe He is able to provide for the children He gives us, we do not know the God of the Bible (Psalm 78:19-25).

Who is your God?

Blessings from Nancy Campbell\

PRAYER:

"Thank you, dear Father, that You are a God who loves to bless your people. Help me to understand that Your blessings are the best blessings. Help me to know You as You truly are. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

My God loves children and therefore I love children.

Further references:
God's blessing comes before conception:
Genesis 9:1; 17:20; 21:1, 2; 22:17, 18; 24:60; 48:3, 4; Leviticus 26:3, 9; Deuteronomy 1:10, 11; 33:24; 28:63; 30:5; 1 Samuel 2:21; 1 Chronicles 26:4, 5; Job 42:12, 13; Psalm 107:38; 115:12-15; 127:3-5; 128:1-3; Isaiah 51:21; and Luke 18:31.

Can God Provide for Another Baby:
http://tinyurl.com/CanGodProvideforBaby