Be Fruitful . . . Part 2

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it . . .” Genesis 1: 28, NKJV.

Gracious God, we are always blessed by being in Your presence. We look forward to the day when we will meet You face to face. We thank You for not leaving us to grope in darkness. May the light of Your Word be shed upon our path. In the blessed name of Jesus we humbly pray. Amen.

Yesterday, our study was about being fruitful in child bearing. We looked at woman’s capacity to carry a child in her body, and give birth to that child when the right time arrived (Ecclesiastes 3: 2). While that is the obvious form of “being fruitful” of which the LORD was referring, I dare to look beyond the act of giving birth to children, as the only form of being fruitful. I pray that women will not make their child-bearing capabilities, the basis of their self-worth. In my search, I discovered that there are other deeply significant ways of being fruitful. This is possible, thanks to the ingenuity of women. I will share a few of these ways with you today.

As Nurturers. In the same way a farmer fertilizes the earth in which he plants his seeds, women are given fresh minds with which to work in love and tenderness, to prepare them to respond to the work of the Holy Spirit. It is our privilege, as mothers, to work with the members of the Godhead in preparing souls for the harvest at the end of the age.

As Teachers. Not only with our words, but also with our example, we can help our children, and other members of our community of faith; as well as everyone with whom we come in contact, to grow and excel. We can help to awaken in them an appetite for the pure, the holy, the honest, the just, the virtuous, the lovely, the true. We can help to cultivate in them a love for the beautiful things of life. We can introduce them to good literature, good music, and good conversation. We can teach them how to ask the right questions, and how to make the right decisions. We can teach them not to be held captive by fear, and how to distinguish between genuine faith and presumption. This is preparing a harvest of the highest quality.

As Friends. Women know how to be friends! I believe that we carry the winner’s crown in this category. By this, I am not saying that men cannot be good friends. They can be, and many are! In the same breath, I am not saying that all women make the best friends. What I do believe, very zealously, however, is that no other human being should be a better friend to my child(ren), than I am. Mothers have a privileged  access to their children, from before birth. For nine months, more or less, we have the privilege of carrying these precious little souls beneath our hearts. In the intimacy of our bodies they eat what we eat, we breathe for them, our thoughts, directly, or, indirectly, have an impact on them. Our bodies are their first crib. The beat of our hearts is the first music they hear. Our womb is the fortress against dangers on the outside. There is no other human being on earth, that is naturally,as close to her child(ren) as their mother. I believe that this was God”s original plan, “in the beginning.” I believe it still is.

Therefore, in these ways, and in so many other ways, we can be fruitful! We have the opportunity, and the privilege, to spread seeds of kindness and understanding all over the world. These seeds are capable of producing a harvest of hope, and understanding for all people, in many situations. I believe that this was, and is, the way God intended it to be, “in the beginning.”

NOTE:  I regret the many editing errors that appeared on our devotional this morning. These corrections were made prior to publication, and yet they appeared. These discrepancies, have been reported to our Web Master with the hope that the problem will be taken care of, once and for all. To our faithful web visitors, our deepest regrets!

Mabel