ON THE VANGUARD

BANKING ON IT
“Isaac prayed to God on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. God heeded his prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant.”
Genesis 25:21

Being married now, I find myself being asked a new series of questions. People ask about our home and if we are finished with mixing our décor styles. Please ask if we are going to be getting a minivan to tote the whole family in one car (which we just got this last weekend). People ask how we are adjusting as individuals and as a family unit to all the changes. But occasionally people ask if we are planning to have any more children. It is for these people today that I write this devotional.
Are we going to be having any more children? I cannot answer that fully, and here is why. While the desire is there, the ability is not. Back in 2005, following the birth of my daughter, my wife at that time and I decided to have no more children and I had the ‘man surgery’ done. But I cannot say that that may have been the wisest decision. I knew even back then that I wanted another child and I began to regret my decision within hours of the procedure. Now, married again with a total of four little ones running around in the house, I feel a fullness as well as an emptiness. While the quiver may be full, the desire to add another youngster to the home still weighs on me.
In my alone morning moments with God this past Monday, I was reminded of a verse talking about prayer for a barren woman. I am sure you know the verse. It is Genesis 25:21. “Isaac prayed to God on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. God heeded his prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant.” For Isaac and Rebekah, I feel the feelings may have been the same. He had a fullness in that he had a wife, but he lacked the pitter-patter of little feet. The difference in their story, though, was that she was barren as opposed to him having had a procedure done. Shortly after their wedding they found themselves in a position where children were not coming. So what was the action taken? Isaac prayed.
Isaac had seen the faith of his father, Abraham. He had seen God work His miracles as he himself had been a miracle. So in learning that they would be unable to have children, Isaac prayed to God on behalf of his wife and asked that her womb be opened. God heeded his prayer. Soon after Rebekah became pregnant and gave birth to not one child, but two. But I want you to notice something in this fact. The enemy was at work. Abraham had been promised that he would be the father of many. Abraham had in all eight sons. But only one of those sons was the true promised son. But now the true promised son from whom the promise would continue was faced with the fact that his wife was barren. Right there the promise could have ended, the devil could have won, and God could have been named a liar. But, Isaac prayed.
This speaks to me because it gives me hope. Just because I have gone under the knife does not mean that God cannot work a miracle. I have talked with people who have had body parts pop out of nowhere, have had ears and eyes open, and have been healed of deadly diseases. If God can do all that, can He not mend back together my man parts to function and produce another child? I will answer for you…YES! So I stand in faith that it will happen. And this is just one area. I stand in faith that the promises in the Bible will happen to me. I am reminded of Deuteronomy 28 where God speaks via Moses that the people are blessed coming and going, are the head and not the tail, and are the lender not the borrower. It may be hard to see this knowing I have a student loan I am still paying and truly am the borrower, but again I stand in faith that what God has said will come about. Nothing is too hard for God, and this ‘thing’ of having a baby is ‘nothing’ difficult in His eyes. So, will I have another child? All I can say is we will see…but I am banking on it.