Many people are all the time thinking of their failures, and by so doing they pave the way for further failure. We are courageous only as we keep God's promises in view -— Watchman Nee
D you ever consider what keeps the universe - the stars, moon, sun, oceans, waters, rocks, and the vast number of creatures - in place. Science tells us that diverse forces hold these systems in place without giving reason for where and how these forces came into existence. The further we go with questions about the fundamentals of our faith the clearer it becomes that an intelligent being with unimaginable wisdom must have made it all (Jeremiah 10:12). This same being holds it all together, inventing laws that keep this universe that humans continue to discover in order. What's more, the grandeur of His works does not detract from His interest in humanity. As the puzzled song writer says, He is mindful of humans (Psalm 8:34). Not even the tiniest details of anyone is missed by His Almighty care (Matthew 10:29-31).
Before each life is formed in the womb, He knows it and He is involved from the very conception of a zygote. By His grand design of the human body, He sets a chain of natural processes in place to prepare a conducive environment for the embryo to develop fully into a baby. Though there may be interferences with this natural process and destructive agents may set their hearts to destroy these lives, He has left us examples in Scriptures that He is able to preserve the lives of children. Through divine inspiration and direction, He partnered with some people to secure these destinies from the attacks of the evil one.
Moses was born in an era when Pharaoh had determined to control the population and strength of the Israelites. He commanded the Hebrew midwives to kill every male child but they did not because they feared God (see Exodus 1). When this plot failed, he ordered every boy child to be cast into the Nile river. But the Levite woman saw that her boy child was a goodly child and hid him for three months. What enabled them to see and hide Moses? The writer of Hebrews supplements the Exodus account. "It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command" (11:23). By faith, they realized that the gift God had given them must not be released to the enemy's scheme and this removed the element of fear. And God honoured their faith and the risk they took by orchestrating events in a way that Pharoah's daughter found and favoured this child (see Exodus 2:1-10).
Our Saviour Jesus was also born under similar circumstances. After the wise men from the East informed Herod, he felt threatened and ordered that all boys, two years old and under, in and around Bethlehem should be killed. But an angel had warned Joseph ahead of time to: "Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him” (Matthew 2:13). Joseph promptly obeyed and that very night their family set off to Egypt. After Herod died, an angel appeared in another dream to instruct him to return to Israel (verse 19). Again, Joseph promptly obeyed and returned to Israel. Fearing that Herod's son, Archelaus, who reigned in Judea might harm them, he received another divine direction on where to stay. "Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth" (verse 22b & 23a).
In the preservation of children's destinies, God partners with us. It is crucial that the stewards whom God entrusts these children to stay in tune with His prompting and respond promptly. What could have happened had Joseph decided to wait for some days to consult others or even pack a little more provisions for their journey? We can't tell but when God directs us to move and we delay or stay, we can undermine His preserving power. After the angelic visitation from Gabriel, Mary moved to her older cousin's house. We're not told that she was specifically asked to go, neither are we told when exactly she left following her encounter. But it is recorded that she moved with a sense of urgency: "A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived." (Luke 1:39-40a). She ended up staying about three months before returning to her home. Again, we do not have a clear indication that she was instructed to do this but it is plausible that she had an impression to stay with this older couple to observe their prophetic word unfold and glean some insights for her journey. I believe, in their company, she found the right influences to preserve the supernatural seed in her womb from unbelieving observers and utterances.
Sometimes, only one parent shoulders this responsibility but it is important that both parents know God's plan and keep in step. For Manoah, it wasn't enough that his wife had received divine instructions about the child God had promised to give them. Some of the instructions were related to his wife only, what she could eat or not eat. Yet, he prayed that God will give him a revelation too. When a couple are both in sync with what God is doing, they support each other in the preservation of their gift.
Then the woman went to her husband and told him, “A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome. I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name. But he said to me, ‘You will become pregnant and have a son. Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.’” Then Manoah prayed to the Lord: “Pardon your servant, Lord. I beg you to let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.”
God heard Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was out in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her. The woman hurried to tell her husband, “He’s here! The man who appeared to me the other day!” Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he said, “Are you the man who talked to my wife?” “I am,” he said. So Manoah asked him, “When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule that governs the boy’s life and work?” Judges 13:6-12, NIV
Two vital elements this account underscores is the role of communication and prayer in accessing God's mind for our children. When one partner gets impressions, negative or positive, it is important that it is shared with the other so that they collectively direct it to God in prayer. In such instances, we see the wisdom of God in recommending marriage between believers because they can agree better on how to proceed. But there are times when we ourselves and our spouses may be clueless on what to do and even what to pray. This is where receiving God's help in areas where our human understanding and strength is limited is crucial. As the Message Bible puts it:
"Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." Romans 8:26-28
Another element relevant for the sustenance of God's gift of children is our words. Hebrews 1:3 teaches us that everything in existence in this world is sustained by the Word: "The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word." We must ensure that the words we speak are in agreement with what God is saying over us and our children. If Zechariah had to be muted because he could utter words of unbelief to interfere with the prophetic process, we must be careful what words we speak in this season as we await the manifestation of God's promise. One of Bishop David Oyedepo's famous testimonies comes to mind. When his wife shared that she had bled and might have had a miscarriage, he responded: "It cannot happen! Can I have my food please?" He recounts that he had already entered into rest in that area, having heard from God in His word. He believed the promise that none of God's covenant people shall be barren or miscarry so he made no further mention of it, not even in prayer. By faith, he refused to side with the enemy's false evidence. If we maintain our conviction and speak only what God had said, our gifts will be preserved too.
I understand that many have scars from failed attempts at conceptions and bad experiences with pregnancy and birth. Without healing from these past incidents, it may be difficult to trust God for another child. I know a couple who excitedly prepared for his first male child like good stewards of God's gift are expected to. Just a week after this baby was born, they lost the child. It was such a tragic incident to see a manifestation of your dream only to lose it. What amount of words could encourage such a couple? It could only take God's grace to recover from such phase and prepare for the next. Maybe you have had similar experience of miscarriages and untimely loss. I want to assure you that your past gifts are not totally lost as the One who knew them before they were formed still keeps them. Moreover, I believe He is granting you healing and preparing you to keep your next gift.
When fears arise on account of past experiences, redirect them in prayer to the Lord. He is the ultimate owner and giver of children and their safety is His concern. Keep His promises in view, set your mind on them, and declare them over your life. Remind yourself that God will not allow past afflictions to arise another time (Nahum 1:9). Commit your upcoming pregnancy to the Lord and trust Him with it. He is more than able to keep what you entrust to Him safe and secure until the day of His return (2 Timothy 1:12, TPT). God Himself will guard you in your going out and coming in; He will protect you now and forevermore (Psalm 121:8). He will deliver you from the fears that beset you. Like King David, you will also say: “Listen to my testimony: I cried to God in my distress and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears!” (Psalm 34:4, TPT). You will conceive, deliver and see your baby grow in Jesus' name.
"
For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory [deliverance]. The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you."
Psalm 32:7-8, NLT, emphasis mine
Scripture Reading: