Isaiah 54:1 “Sing, barren woman,
    you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,
    you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
    than of her who has a husband,”
says the Lord.

This chapter is incredibly comforting. As a man, I can’t identify fully, but I have an inkling of what is involved. God is speaking of Israel as His bride, and this motif is repeated many times throughout the Bible, coming to a climax in Revelation. God does desire spiritual children in abundance, and He will have them. Israel, and then the Church, has not always been receptive, so things have not always gone as desired, but nothing is impossible for God. What is required of us, as the Bride of Christ, is humility and obedience. Pride and complaining don’t cut it! We need to recognize that everything God does for us is grace; none of it is actually earned by us. We need to learn to listen and obey, not to “get on God’s good side,” but as the only appropriate response to His grace toward us. Different local bodies are in different places in this process, and some have run away from God completely, but God is patiently calling us back to Himself for the fruitfulness for which we were created.

This passage really hit me this morning, not for myself but for one of the believers here. She was never able to have children, and now has had a hysterectomy, but in the process, she is now fully committed to the Lord. Before her surgery, the Lord had me tell her that He would give her many spiritual children, just as this chapter describes, though I didn’t reference this chapter as I was talking to her. I have the feeling she’s going to be hyped when she comes to church this morning, having read this! I have two biological children, and I’m not sure how many spiritual children. My biological children have given me grandchildren, but it is more important that my spiritual children have also gone on to reproduce, with several going into fulltime ministry. I guess I’ll get to see the size of my spiritual family when I get to heaven! That said, it’s all by the grace of God, and all the honor and glory go to Him. I want to have many more spiritual children, so I need to be increasingly sensitive and obedient to my Lord. Also, I need to be faithful as a father to the children I’ve been given, of every category, so that together we may walk in all that God has planned for us, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all the children You’ve given me. May all of Your plans for us all be fulfilled, on Your schedule and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!