November 3rd is my birthday and I will turn 47 years old. Unless God has ordained something different I’m probably half way through my life. I don’t think I’d want to live hundreds of years like Noah or Methuselah (ever wonder how their teeth held up for all those years…) and I believe God has planned my life perfectly so I feel nothing is special about getting older but for the simple fact I am hopefully growing in wisdom.
Every other Wednesday I meet a friend for breakfast and this week a man I know was also meeting in the same place. I’ve known this gentleman in a roundabout way for quite some time although not very well. We had a brief conversation and I shared with him some convictions we came under a couple years ago about allowing God to be sovereign in the area of children, i.e. no birth control. The result of this was our beautiful Lydia Faith a year ago. I expected we were like minded in this area. He has five daughters and I believe we were both blessed by our conversation.
At 47 for me, and with Jen being 40 something, haha, I don’t know how many children the Lord will bless us with but I’m all in either way. I enjoy seeing my brothers and sisters that have big families. There is something so incredible about the faith they place in God to provide for them. God promises to provide for His children, but do we really embrace this theology? Do we really trust that God will provide if He gave us lots of kids? Or do we think we need to be in charge?
This post is for Believers. I don’t expect non-believer’s to buy into what I’m saying, nor should they. I also expect many Believers will “push back” at what I’m writing. But I’d like for you to consider the reason for push back, if that is welling up inside of you right now. At the root of this whole issue is trust. Do we trust the promises of God or do we trust that we have better ideas.
Psalm 127 Unless the LORD builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain; unless the LORD watches over a city, the watchman stays alert in vain. In vain you get up early and stay up late, working hard to have enough food – yes, He gives sleep to the one He loves. Sons are indeed a heritage from the LORD, children a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons born in one’s youth. Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them. Such men will never be put to shame when they speak with their enemies at the city gate. – Holman Christian Standard Bible
I chose the Holman version of this chapter for a very specific reason. I read out of the New King James Version but I love the way this captures my role as a man of God. I am happy when I fill my quiver…This requires an action on my part.
There is so much depth in this very short chapter that I can only scratch the surface of what is being said but let’s notice four things.
The LORD builds His house
If your house is not being built on the foundation of Christ it is in vain, no matter how few or how many children you have. Could this possibly be anymore clear? Solomon writes a whole book on the subject and concludes with this in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.
Children are a reward
I don’t think most people believe this. I believe they love their children as we loved our children before we were converted. But I couldn’t wait till…. (You name it) we could sleep through the night, they were out of diapers, they could move into a booster seat, they were out of a booster seat. Two kids were plenty; I never considered children a reward, more as a duty. Take a quick moment and think about which child you wouldn’t want once you’ve had them. If you had two would you only want one? So why wouldn’t this apply to ten?
They are warriors
I have a wonderful opportunity to affect God’s kingdom through the raising and training of my children. I am responsible for teaching and preaching the gospel to them. I must set an example of what a Godly man looks like for my daughter’s so they will know what to expect in their future husbands. In Voddie Baucham’s book “What he must be, if he wants to marry my daughter” he lays out the plan for a multigenerational vision for the family. I need to be thinking three and four generations down the road. Just imagine how the kingdom can be impacted by these little warriors.
I will be happy
eh’-sher happiness; only in masculine plural construction as interjection, how happy!: – blessed, happy. I can only attest to this happiness in my own life. I think often what it would be like to have more kids and I look forward to that opportunity if God decides to bless our efforts. This is the kind of blessing that the Lord Jesus speaks of in the Beatitudes. Makarios – supremely blest; by extension fortunate, well off: – blessed, happy (X -ier).
Brothers and Sisters I hope you will be encouraged to be fruitful and multiply.
Kevin
Uncommon Faith 