Crosswalk the Devotional - Dec. 29, 2008
December 29, 2008
Joy of the Barren
by Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor
Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord. ~ Psalm 113: 5 - 9
I’ve always
thought New Year’s was an inherently bittersweet holiday. Yes, it’s an
opportunity for a fresh start. But New Year’s Day also stands as a mile-marker
on the road of life, reminding you and I that another year is behind us never
to be revisited.
For those
who are waiting on the Lord for an answer to a prayer, this reality can be
especially painful. Perhaps last year you rang in ’08 with hopes that it would
be the year a burden would be lifted or a blessing finally bestowed. But it
wasn’t.
Oh sure,
plenty of other blessings came your way. And you’re thankful for them. But the
one prayer heaviest on your heart hasn’t born fruit.
It’s easy
to lose hope in these situations. Doesn’t God see our pain? Doesn’t He want
what’s best for us? When will He relieve our silent suffering?
When I find
myself asking these questions, my thoughts often turn to the countless men and women of
the Bible who endured a particularly difficult form of unanswered prayer:
childlessness. While studies show that “choosing childlessness” is an increasingly
popular lifestyle in modern cultures, this concept would be utterly foreign in
Biblical times. That’s because children were truly your inheritance and your
family provided your identity, security, and legacy. Adding to the loneliness of
ancient infertility, a barren womb was often viewed within the community as a
sign of sin in the sufferer’s life, and thus a form of divine punishment.
But Scripture
reveals to us that while the barren endured many exterior and interior trials, some
of the most significant men and women in salvation history were born of parents
who suffered from this unique cross.
Abraham, Sarah,
Rebekah, Hannah, and Rachel are just a few of God’s chosen people in the Old
Testament who faced lengthy, difficult waits before their prayers were
answered. But when He answered the desires of their hearts, He answered them in
big ways. Their children -- among them Isaac, Jacob, Samuel, and Joseph -- played
key roles in salvation history and in most cases, brought great joy to their
parents.
Or what about
Whatever
your desire, waiting on the Lord for its fulfillment can come with intense struggles.
But these stories also point to the greater truth that the Lord will not leave
us crying on the church steps or old, bitter, and empty-handed if we continue
to have faith in Him. It’s even possible that God is asking you to wait so He
can bring about even greater joy for you in the future than had your prayers
been answered sooner.
We may not
always know why we are being asked to wait, or for what purpose He will use our
waiting. But just as God filled our barren world on Christmas night with His
presence, He can fill whatever hole exists in your heart in ways better than
you or I can imagine.
Intersecting Faith & Life: Entrust your future to God, and ask Him to show you ways you can grow in faith, hope, and love during the coming year.
Further Reading
