Children, Your Reward
“Behold, children are a gift from the Lord;
the fruit of your womb is your reward.”
—Psalm 127:3
"Children are a Gift"
4-minute read
Did you know that children used to be the most cherished blessings any woman could have? Thankfully, children and babies are still treasured in many countries and societies around the world.
Whether or not you "choose" to have children, it's important you don't wait too long to decide. God says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)
It's heartbreaking seeing so many women who wait too long and are forced to try expensive and painful ways to have a baby. This is even happening to Christians who ignore (or are ignorant of God's truths), and soon it's too late. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6)
How do I know I'm right?
"You will know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:16). "...the tree is known by its fruit." (Matthew 12:33).
The painful fruits are all around us. Not only is there an epidemic of women in their late twenties, thirties, or forties suddenly waking up one day to discover how empty their lives are and want to have a baby—but they can't conceive a child. Once they finally feel "ready" to accept their blessing and reward, their window of opportunity is completely closed. Because it's God who opens and closes the womb of a woman. See, “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward.” (Psalm 127:3) "When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was unable to have children." (Genesis 29:31). "For the Lord had completely closed all the wombs of the household." (Genesis 20:18). God opens the wombs as a reward but also closes a woman's womb.
When women's wombs are closed, and they can't have the baby they begin to long for—we have seen what happens next: women become desperate and are forced to undergo the trauma of infertility issues, which are painful both physically and emotionally. Or they try to adopt— only for the birthmother to realize the treasure she was carrying and change her mind (which is what happened to my younger sister). Regardless of what the infertile try, their overall health suffers for many reasons, and too many never become mothers.
Why did they wait so long? They waited to accept God's blessing because they believed the lie that children are a burden, even though the opposite is clearly true. All around us, we witness the fact that children are a tremendous blessing! Women began to believe the lie that having a career, traveling, waiting until they were ready, or any number of worldly pursuits was more important. Until the moment they feel empty, and too often, it's too late to right the wrong.
God's Greatest Miracle
What happens when you hear someone is expecting a baby? Everyone celebrates! There are more and more parties and gifts, and everyone is beyond excited because babies have become so rare and, therefore, more priceless.
After every milestone of their pregnancy is captured and posted for the world to see— after their babies are born—these new parents say they're tired, but they are glowing!! Brand new mothers and fathers can't say enough about how their lives have changed, stating they've never felt that kind of intense love. They are walking on air!
No wonder God sent His Son so we can "have life, and have it abundantly." Because "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy." More children are being sacrificed and robbed from the empty wombs and empty arms of mothers and families.
The most heartbreaking is not that women aren't able to have a baby. No. What's sickening is that more and more children who are conceived are not automatically allowed to live. Countless mothers are still persuaded to kill their preborn, leaving the mother with enormous emotional scars that rob them of peace and drown them in regret, shame, and guilt. Even the fathers are heartbroken, screaming and begging the mother of their baby not to kill his baby.
My own life was spared because my mother knew children are a blessing. To spare her life, my mother was scheduled to have me aborted. Her doctor said she and her baby would die. Together, my father and mother chose life for me so that both of us could live and do so in large, blessed families.
The truth is, there are no unwanted babies! When a mother is not capable of taking on the responsibility of raising a child, there are countless, endless women who long to be mothers, waiting for their empty arms to cuddle and raise a baby who could potentially grow up to change the world! Don't parents fight over children; each wants them, right? Because children are a blessing, they want to be rewarded with custody.
The truth is that every single baby is a gift, God's greatest miracle. When I was blessed to work with young, fearful, and pregnant girls, twice my husband and I agreed to adopt the baby they were carrying. Like many birthmothers, both happily decided to keep and raise their babies with their family's help. So rather than destroying a gift, why aren't more mothers encouraged to give their baby life and reward a desperate family who would love and nurture her child? Again, children are God's most precious gifts to mankind.
4-minute read
What's shocking to me as an older, wise woman is how young girls no longer talk about how many children they want because friends could make fun of them. They actually have stopped dreaming about being a mother. So, instead of talking about having children, they are forced and convinced it's better to "mother" pets (dogs and cats). Mothering is instinctive to women. What or who they "mother" varies.
Every day, I witness people who see their pets as their children or grandchildren. Grown adults who expect strangers, family, and friends to go along with the make-believe. Sure, it's natural for children to play make-believe and dress up—it's part of growing up. Little girls pretend to be mothers, playing with dolls and even dressing up their pets. But let's see what God says, "When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things." (1 Corinthians 13:11)
This make-believe nonsense has gone on for so long that today's children want to become animals.
Is this because they see their own mothers care more for their pets than they do for their own children? I've heard them say this, and it's utterly disgusting and heartwrenching as a mother!
An animal is not made in God's image: "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:27), and an animal is not the promise cherished from the beginning of time. An animal is also not capable of truly fulfilling God's designed gifts and talents, which He gives a woman to become a mother. A pet will never grow old with you or remain with you when you are the age of your grandparents. The life expectancy is just a fraction of a human, so mothers of pets need to suffer, again and again, watching their "children" die.
Stop for a moment and think about the fruits of this lie and what God says will happen, "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." (Matthew 7:19).
Children are the greatest blessing. Even if your own parents have failed to show you how much they care, you are the most treasured blessing by your parents and grandparents. Just look at parents who lose their own children. Your parents would be no different; they would be shattered.
Cry for Your Children
Blessed are the childless? Did you know that the Lord predicted that this time would come? He actually stopped on His way to be crucified and said there was something even more horrible than His death on the cross! Can you imagine what it could be? What could be worse? Read what He said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. Someday, people will say, 'Women who never had children are really fortunate! Women who are childless, the wombs that have not given birth to a child, and the breasts that have never nursed a baby have the advantage!’” (Luke 23:28-29)
This is so important to grasp, so let's read it again so it sinks in, "Women of Jerusalem, don’t cry for Me." He said, "Cry for yourselves and for your children too. The time is coming when people will say, ‘The women who cannot have babies are the ones God has blessed. It’s really a blessing that they have no children to care for.’" Doesn't that sound like what everyone says now? The Lord made sure everyone heard that this way of thinking would be the most heartbreaking, unfortunate, and tragic.
Now, read what God says about the importance of having children, “And God blessed them, saying, 'Be fruitful and multiply' ” Genesis 1:22. How important is this to God? Well, God didn't say, “Be fruitful and multiply," just once or twice. It was so important that God said, “Be fruitful and multiply," 14 times!!
A Gift from the Lord. Are you afraid that God plans to give you too many children? That's not reality. In recent years, due to chemicals in our food and water, being able to have many children is extremely rare. It's why the media makes such a big thing about it. Even without birth control, when you trust God in this area of your life—He will give you the "desires of your heart." This is what God says, “Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.” (Psalm 37:4).
- Stop for a minute and talk to your Best Friend about this. If you haven't yet met a Friend who is closer than a brother, be sure to read my testimony in My First Love, "Closer than a Brother."
Now, let's look at the Bible to see if what I've said is true about how many children God will give you when you trust Him. Noah was blessed with just three sons, Sarah was blessed with only one son, and both Rebekah and Rachel were blessed with only two children—all before birth control was invented. Big families were rare then, and they are rare now, but they're also the most blessed.
Leah had six sons and a daughter, while Rachel had just two sons. “Now the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.” (Genesis 29:31). "Finally, God remembered Rachel—He answered her prayer by giving her a son," and guess what she said? “'God has taken away my disgrace,' she said." (Genesis 30:22-23) God gives each mother the "desires of her heart." God also promises to provide for your children when you're trusting Him. “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches...” (Philippians 4:19).
Unless the Lord builds Your House. There is nothing so freeing as trusting your heavenly Father, trusting what God says over what everyone else is saying. Allow Him to build your life and future. “Unless the Lord builds the house, the work of the builders is useless and wasted.” (Psalm 127:1.)
"Homemakers"
6-minute read
Women who remain at home. As a mother, there is no greater calling than becoming a homemaker, “she who remains at home will divide the goods!” Psalm 68:12. Once again, as proof, there are more and more women who give up their careers and large paychecks to stay home and mother their children. They don't care about how many years they wasted in higher education. Once they become mothers, they are completely fulfilled, and they experience God's blessings that can't compare with anything else. Having a career or traveling is nothing to compare with motherhood. Many discover that traveling with their children doubles their pleasure, and now missionaries never leave their children behind as they once were expected to do.
It's not only celebrities who choose motherhood and being a homemaker. We see "successful" women of influence every day on social media embrace motherhood and homemaking, so now more women are waking up to what their lives could be. God says, “Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have...” Hebrews 13:5. Remember God says, “My GOD shall supply ALL (not some of) your needs according to His riches...” Philippians 4:19. “It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; for HE GIVES to His beloved even in his sleep.” Psalm 127:2
Love of money. God says it's the root of all evil. “For the love of money is a root of all evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many a pang.” 1 Timothy 6:10. We see this truth in the lives of many celebrities who appear to "have it all" but feel empty and use every sort of evil to deaden their pain.
Fear Tactics
Fear. To prevent you from having children, your reward, the enemy is using a variety of fear tactics. One is saving the planet. But as Believers, we know God's plan. He said, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared." Revelation 21:1
It's silly to think we can save ourselves— spiritually or save the planet. There a individuals who "creep into houses, and take captive silly, vulnerable, gullible women weighed down with sins, led on by various passions, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of Truth.” 2 Timothy 3:6-7 It's silly, ridiculous, and a lie that we could save ourselves or save our planet. There is only One Savior who promised to do it. Instead, while we're here, God says to fill the earth with people!
Fill the earth. Another lie we constantly hear today is about “overpopulation.” Yet, alarm bells are ringing around the world, showing us the fruits of this lie. Huge countries will no longer exist because there aren't enough children being born. Like China's deadly policy (when they used to only allow families to have one child) until it was too late. By the time they stopped, they had realized that not enough children were being born to sustain their society, and there were very few females because they aborted them, wanting boys.
Most of the wealthiest countries are dying nations because, in their societies, women no longer want to have children. Many countries began to offer incentives to have children, including financial support, paid leave, and other benefits; Japan gives parents thousands of dollars to encourage having a baby and increase the country's low birth rate. Countries now give paid maternity leave and even paid paternity leave to fathers. Russia pays for the mortgage for parents who have several children because they know children are a nation's greatest commodity.
Playing God
To fight even more to share the truth, let me present a few of the many dangers, hazards, and risks of not having children. Let's talk about what they are not telling us.
- But first, please stop again to speak to either your Best Friend or your Father—whoever you feel you can share your fears and concerns with. Then, sit quietly for a few minutes to see what comes to mind and the peace He will give you. Do this every time you feel fearful or concerned about anything.
Multiply your seed. Not only do we miss the blessings we spoke about already, but also the proof of how desperate women become when they try too late. Stopping the natural outcome of intimacy (reserved for marriage) is dangerous to your overall health! What are the dangers of stopping our own fertility and playing God?
"The Pill," not just the "morning after pill," is an abortion. It works by aggravating the lining of the uterus (endometrium), assuring that the baby who was conceived cannot implant correctly. A fertilized egg needs to be planted in our womb to grow. If not, the baby starves to death about seven to nine days later. The tiny infant is then cast out of the womb during the delicate cycle of a woman, another but uncounted victim of abortion.
Doesn't taking the pill benefit women? No. Every type of hormonal birth control method that they say is 91% effective to stop from having a baby and brag about the "benefits" that they prescribe for painful periods is dangerous to women's overall health. If you do your research from reliable sources, you will see they now realize the serious risks and health problems caused by excessive and unnatural hormones, such as heart attacks, strokes, blood clots, and cancerous tumors. Headaches, mood swings, weight gain, and acne are extremely common. Female doctors, in particular, are sounding the alarm that this hormonal change in young women makes the body react as if it is already old, already in menopause, "the change of life," and it's aging our young people!
The truth rarely spoken about is there is also a higher rate of female cancers that having children and breastfeeding children prevents.
Fear brings a snare. Another effective fear tactic is the fear of giving birth. Childbirth is nothing to fear. First, because God created your body perfectly, "I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful. I know that full well." Psalm 139:14, and also because you can have a supernatural childbirth.
If the pain of childbirth is robbing you of the dream of having a beautiful family, then you need to read Supernatural Childbirth by Jackie Mize, which is part of our Recommended Reading List. After reading the book, I became totally convinced that it is not only possible but also God's plan and the truth.
God quickly confirmed this truth when I heard the testimony of women who experienced this, too! My friend, a mother of 6 (who has a restored marriage and whose husband is a doctor), told me that she had her first three children naturally, and the last three she had supernaturally, completely PAIN-FREE!! As soon as I heard that, I ordered books for my three daughters. Then, I met another woman in Kenya, Africa, who had an almost identical testimony to Jackie and my friend.
This woman chose to wait for God to send her a spouse (especially because her closest friends didn't wait for God, and she saw how unhappy they were). After she and her husband married, they were told they could not have children. So they each searched the Bible for the truth, and guess what? They discovered the same truth regarding not suffering pain. She soon conceived, too, and had pain-free childbirth. I even got to meet their son—an adorable and priceless miracle. If you were given the choice to choose, wouldn't you choose the possibility of hours of pain, which produces a blessing, OR endless suffering caused by cancer and cancer treatments? Which is the blessing, and which is the curse?
Designed by our Creator
Our Creator designed a woman's body to have children, to give birth, and to feed our own babies from food we alone can make that is different from anybody else's milk. Like each child is unique, so is the milk a mother makes to feed her baby!!
It's also important to note that there is only a small window of time to conceive a child, and childbearing years are becoming shorter and shorter. When you're young, in your teens and early twenties, you're the most fertile. Also, it's impossible for a man or a machine to do what only God created a woman to do. "Fear is a dangerous trap, but to trust in God means safety," Proverbs 29:25.
Preserved and Saved through the bearing of children. God has an incredible promise for those who trust Him with their fertility. Read what He says, "But women shall be preserved, saved through the bearing of children, assuming they continue to live in faith, love, holiness, and modesty." 1 Timothy 2:15.
Here are just a few examples I personally witnessed: Two of the most contentious women I have ever met are mothers of large families and have been blessed with extremely devoted husbands. Their marriages have been "preserved and saved" because God is faithful to His Word.
We have had women who share how, because of a pregnancy or young baby, they were "spared" from difficult situations. They were "preserved" from outside difficulties.
One woman was spared medically because each time her doctor wanted to perform a medical procedure (now known to be dangerous), she was pregnant. She was "preserved and saved" physically.
Another woman told me that her in-laws continuously harassed her husband to make her go back to work and "earn her keep." Once her fourth child was born, her husband checked into childcare and found that they would actually lose money if his wife worked. His parents stopped pushing. She was "preserved" and able to stay and be a homemaker with a very grateful and affectionate husband.
By the Word of Their Testimony—Older Women Encourage Younger Women
Yvonne vd Hoff in South Africa: When I read this chapter, I could not help to think back on how clueless I was about these principles. When I got married, we had already decided we didn’t want children. This changed after 8 years of marriage, but now, looking back, if we had done it the way that the Lord teaches us in His Word, things would have been so different. YES, I played God, I decided when I wanted children, and how many children I wanted, and then after my divorce, I met the LOVE of my LIFE, my Husband (Isaiah 54:4-6).
Once I knew the truth, I longed for more children but of course, now I am not married anymore, so this feels like an unfulfilled desire. I would love for every woman who comes in to read this to know that if you play God as I did, you will reap the consequences.
My Lovely Husband in His beautiful grace and love still blessed me with two beautiful children so I thank Him every day that I did not get what I wanted back then – not to have children. Even before I shared my regrets with them, my son, Owen, since he was very young expressed his desire to have children. He is very much looking forward to becoming a father.
My daughter, Mia, at first did not want children and it shocked me that she was so much like me, but He showed me that much like me, she said what she did because of the hurt that she was and is still having to face due to our divorce. A few months ago, we were speaking about something totally different (her desire to become a photographer), and she mentioned that she wanted to do this only until she gets married. Once she is married and has children, this will become a hobby for her because she will be looking after her children. She wants a big family because she sees the bond I have with my siblings and she just loves so much that she wants this as well.
I hope that my life can now be a testament to all young women out there. Don’t be stubborn, know His plans for you and know He wants to bless you with His will. I am very thankful that I can teach my children now and encourage younger women.
Adina Jacobs in South Africa. Much like Yvonne’s children, my 10-year-old son wants to get married and have children and be the man of the house, but my 13 daughter said, “I do not want” children, He showed me that she is still carrying a lot of hurt because of what happened through things she said. Then, recently, she started to say, “If I get married,” After I told my children how I felt previously, but how having them changed my heart and that they are my greatest blessings and so will their children one day be their greatest blessing.
I got married in my mid-thirties, this wasn’t planned at all, deep down I wanted to get married, but only when I let go of ever getting married, it actually happened. But while I was single, I was convinced that I did not want children; looking back, I know it was fear. Even after getting married, I did not want children, but I knew my time was running out, so I became pregnant with my daughter. In my mind, I didn’t want more children, but that changed two years later, and I wanted another baby, and my son was born just before I turned 40. Due to my age and complications, I was advised to get sterilized, which I agreed to because of a lack of knowledge and not knowing my First Love. After that, the destruction also started and ended in divorce.
I controlled when I wanted to get pregnant and when not to by using birth control. How foolish I was… But I am grateful that my Beloved led me to the ministry so I could learn all the Biblical principles and how and why a woman was created so I can teach my daughter everything I never knew.
Our daughters are under enormous attack through social media. They are being robbed of everything a woman was created to be, all the blessings that come from being a godly woman. Life isn’t precious anymore; getting an abortion whenever you feel like it is being encouraged and promoted everywhere. We have to teach our daughters and guide them not to follow worldly ways that only lead to destruction.
Janine Saaiman in South Africa. Children are really a huge blessing; my advice is to please wait until you are married and not to limit our Darling Lord because today, I wish I had more children.
Oh, I made so many mistakes, I got pregnant when I was 20 years old and not married, I was so very scared of my parents and did think of getting an abortion, but decided to keep my baby, so my baby boy was born later. He was not born naturally; I had local anesthetic because there, too. I was so scared, and it was terrible because I heard a baby crying when I woke up and didn’t even know if it was my baby crying, and I remember feeling regret.
After my divorce at 29, I became pregnant with my former husband’s child, and again, I was so scared. I remember phoning a pastor and asking for advice and mentioning I had made an appointment at an abortion clinic, whereby he said he didn't know what I must do and kept on saying that it was a mess. I cried and cried but couldn’t go through with the abortion and carried the guilt for very long.
After having a restored marriage, I so much wanted another baby, but I carried the consequences of the after-effects of using the morning-after pills that were more of my mistakes. I know I made so very, very many mistakes that God used for good. I have my own ministry, and both my sons, one who has special needs (because of a stroke before birth), are such a blessing.
Please wait until you are married and not limit our Darling Lord wants to bless you so you don't regret not having more children. Children are really a huge blessing.
In Conclusion
Let's quickly list what God says in His Word. "All Scripture is given by God and used for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching the right way to live." 2 Timothy 3:16.
1. Children are blessings. (Genesis 1:22, Genesis 1:28)
2. Our children are our rewards. (Psalm 127:3)
3. God commanded us to multiply and fill the earth 14 times. (Genesis 1:22, 1:28, 8:17, 9:1, 48:4. Leviticus 26:9, Deuteronomy 7:13, 8:1, 30:16, Jeremiah 30:19, 33:22, and Hebrews 6:14.)
4. There are NO unwanted babies because many women today are unable to conceive and are childless.
5. The earth is not filled; we are not overpopulated, and many nations are dying and will soon cease to exist.
6. When we learn the truth, we can have a supernatural, pain-free childbirth.
7. It's safer and healthier to have children rather than play God and prevent pregnancy.
8. Not everyone will be blessed with a large family. Today, most have one or two without even "helping God" with birth control.
9. Fear is what stops women and leads them into a world of danger by choosing not to have children. (Proverbs 29:25)
Slaves. Don't follow the world's beliefs and become a slave to the enemy whose goal is to steal, kill, and destroy you and your future. Trust God, keep your eyes on Him, and let Him direct your paths to live the abundant life that your Savior died to give you!
May God Bless You and Reward You!
Personal commitment: To trust God. “Based on what I have learned from God's Word, I commit and will trust God with my future. I will study and hide God's Word in my heart to prevent the enemy from stealing, killing, and ultimately destroying my future and robbing me of the Abundant Life my Savior died to give me.”
What are YOUR thoughts on children and His reward? Mothers, can you help encourage the younger women with a POSITIVE testimony? What would your life be like if you had not had children? To our Younger women, has this chapter made you think differently? Do you have any questions or concerns the older wise women can help you understand better? You may begin writing with your mistakes, but be sure you give equal time to the positive. *We may ask permission to use your testimony in our book.
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Take the Advanced Course of this chapter
Chapter 12, "The Fruit of the Womb
Both Tara and Vana studied A Wise Woman before they married. Read Tara's True Life Fairytale love story and also "The Heartbroken Heiress"
