Is Your Quiver Full?

Is Your Quiver Full?

I must admit this is one of the hardest messages that I have ever brought because I have struggled with this over the years. In fact, as a grandfather of five, I have had second thoughts about what I taught for years about birth control. I even offered to pay for my son-in-law’s vasectomy. I have questioned my daughter’s sanity for wanting another child and now the Lord brings me back to my first thoughts on the issue to rebuke me for my carnal thinking and acquiescence to the world’s view.

Christianity suffers from birth problems. We are not birthing and raising our own children in the faith nor are we bringing people to spiritual birth into God’s family and we wonder why we are surrounded by evil. We are twice missing His inheritance. We need to reassess to be blessed.

Ps 127:3-5

3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

I do not believe that we see children as God’s inheritance anymore. It is obvious that the non-believers do not value children as they see them as polyps or growths that can be ripped and torn out at will. They can be assassinated while only partly within the birth canal and still be considered non-humans. What else can we expect from folks who think that we are only hi-tech apes? So, it is no surprise when a child is tossed into a Dumpster to die by its mother. It was an inconvenience to her, not a gift to her.

We cannot expect godly reasoning from unbelievers. It is irrational to do so, but what about believers? We do not see them as a reward either because no one can plan their inheritance. When one inherits something from someone the one leaving the inheritance determines the amount, the timing and the type of inheritance. Yet, we dictate to God what He will give us and the time He will give it to us. We say, after we are married five years we will have a child and then two years later we will have our second and last child.

Ever try doing that to a rich uncle or a parent? “Uncle, I need five thousand dollars of the fifty thousand you are going to leave me. Please send a check by Tuesday.” You may be shocked to find out you were only going to get five thousand, but now since you have ticked him off you can kiss that good-bye as well.

If children are God’s inheritance to us, should He not then be the one that determines how much of an inheritance we receive and when we receive it? If we believe the Word as we say we do then why do we hedge or renege on this passage? Planned parenthood once meant that if you planned on marriage you planned on parenthood.

4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

How many arrows would a mighty man want? Enough to win the battle, at least. Since he does not know how many soldiers he will face, he is going to take all he can carry. A mighty man also knows how to use those arrows to hit his target.

So the children of our youth are given to us to aim correctly into the path of victory. How many struggles will we face, we do not know. How many children will we need to fulfill our mission? We do not know, but God does.

5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. (KJV)

Blessed is the man that has his quiver full of arrows. You can be the fastest and most accurate archer in the battle, but if there are fifteen soldiers coming at you and you only have fourteen arrows you are still dead unless you get two men with one of those arrows.

In time that this Scripture was written, families stuck pretty close together. If an enemy came to you house in your old age would it not be nice to have 12 sons, at least 60 grandsons and maybe 300 great-grandsons to stand between you and the enemy? Sure beats 2 sons, 4 grandsons, and 8 great-grandsons at the most because half of your children and grandchildren could be daughters who do not feel compelled to be G. I. Janes. How many folks do you want to speak with the enemies at your gate? Churches, we do not have enough children either biological or spiritual to meet our enemies. We need more of both types! Be fruitful and fill the earth!

I already hear the arguments and I know many have tuned me out as insane. Consider these other verses. There are many passages that speak to children and the womb, but here are two.