“And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not; but thou shalt conceive and bear a son” (Judges 13:3).
The truth is that you can be unfruitful now but that does not mean you are barren. Now and But are two interesting words in the verse. People call you names because of ‘Now’. They abuse you because of ‘Now’ and you are thrown out of the house because of ‘Now’. Everything happening to you ‘Now’ (the present condition) is the cause. The angel introduces your next phase with another three letter word ‘BUT’. That ‘But’ changes the story for “thou shall conceive” followed the ‘BUT’. The indication of the two words is this: That you do not have a child now is not the end of your story, one can be unfruitful for a time. If you understand this, you will live and be happy until your visitation comes. This truth will liberate you from stress and anxiety.
Because fruitfulness has seasons, it means there are also seasons of fruitlessness. As a child, you lived in a season of fruitlessness in terms of child bearing. Then you came of age and lived in your fruitful season. At old age, you come again into another season of fruitlessness. This is a childish way I can explain seasons to you. But there are those who have come into adulthood without experiencing fruitfulness, you ask. Fruit trees have their seasons, for God has chosen that it should be so. One reason is that at all times we should have fruit but one kind of fruit at a time.
God did not intend that we have all fruits at all times but to have different fruits coming up in their seasons. If all the fruits will yield at one time, we will have times on earth without fruits, which would be contrary to God’s purpose. Because God has times and seasons of fruitfulness, you will only be fruitful in your own season. Have you noticed that the tree planted by the riversides in Psalm one has its leaf evergreen but only has fruits in its season?
“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (Psalm 1:3).
Look at your leaves being green, your health doing fine and your business succeeding. It is evidence that you are not barren. The rivers of God by which you are planted prosper your business and keeps your health, that same river will water your womb in your season and the fruits will show.
Until the time to prepare the way for the Messiah, it will be useless and out of season for Elizabeth to give birth to a John the Baptist. What will Samson do if Manoah’s wife will give birth to him when a deliverer was not needed. God has a reason and a season for your fruitfulness. That explains why you should not give up because your womb will be touched in its season to accomplish its reason.
Everything on earth including your child bearing has a season and when that season comes the Bible says there is a purpose for every time. God can allow you to be fruitful for a season because there is a purpose he has for the time your child will come. Each fruit has a purpose and so does fruitlessness.
Every time God wants to do a new thing. He brings forth a baby, a new fresh person for that purpose. If your child will be born too early, he will be one old man living at the time God purposed a new thing, and by then your child will be disqualified for that purpose (by that time). That might explain the purpose of your delay, God would want a young Samuel at the time Eli will be rejected who will be old enough to anoint David when Saul will also be rejected. That there will be young, unmarried Samson at the time of God’s vengeance upon the Philistines, whose marriage will prove a useful means and reason for the execution of Vengeance (Judges 14:4). Joseph must be a young boy at the time of his dream so that the provoked seniors will be able to send him to Egypt; so Rachel must first be barren. God has a purpose for your barrenness!
By the time you will give birth to a child, all hopes must have been gone, all mouths must have abused you, so much noise must have been made, plenty idols must have been consulted to no avail. When the child comes, God will gain the glory. The glory of God is the purpose of your barrenness. All things, all situations and events are for his pleasures including, your barrenness (Rev.4:11). God will gain glory by you, as a great number will accompany you to praise God.
Another purpose for your barrenness could be that you would give birth to an important personality in history. Search the Scripture and you will discover this, Sarah gave birth to the historical promised child. Rebecca gave birth to the man that gave Israel he name, Hannah produced one of Israel’s greatest judge, priest and first Prophet. Manoah’s wife birthed the judge of Israel and Elizabeth birth the greatest prophet according to Jesus.
Those you thought were barren, were mothers of great historical and spiritual personalities. The reason that they call you barren today is because you are the mother of a prophet, a priest, a king or one of those end time evangelist. Begin to convince yourself that you are the mother of a king!
The third reason why God allows people remain barren is that He is still having a new era to bring about and you will birth that era. The absence of barren people will mean God’s agenda has been exhausted. When I receive prayer requests from people who for years now have struggled with childlessness, I always see in prayer request a cry for a new era, a new generation, a new move of God in the spiritual and political spheres of his created universe. If you are struggling with childlessness today dab your tears, for you carry the next move of God in the making. God is preparing your womb. You may be the next item on God’s agenda.