In the early part of this year, Sandra did a great series called “Rock Your Marriage” with some excellent thoughts to ponder! This is a challenging post that has stuck with me and I often think about it… what does it mean to be a “fruitful vine” in our homes? This post was originally published at Sandra’s blog on Feburary 2, 2011.
Psalm 128:3, “Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house…”
I love the imagery of this verse. But what does it mean, and what does it have to do with building our marriages on the rock of God’s Word? Scholars believe it means that the wife is fruitful by having children. That leads into the next verse, which talks about children being like olive shoots. But becausewomen can be wives and not be mothers, I believe we can apply this verse more broadly.
How can a wife be fruitful, and how can she do it best within her house?
J.R. Miller wrote in his book Home-Making, “…it should be understood that for every wife the first duty is the making and keeping of her own home. Her first and best work should be done there….” (67-68). He wrote those words in 1882, but they are still true today. God gives us many responsibilities and ministries, but our primary calling is to our own homes, our families.We need to see that their needs are met before we meet the needs of others.
Being a fruitful vine within our homes means we give our best to our families. The best of our energy, creativity, and love. Some days this is easier to do than other days. It’s even easier in some seasons of life than in other seasons. We can all evaluate ourselves in light of this verse and find an area of potential improvement.
Rock your marriage today–pray about ways you can be fruitful in your house. Give your home and family more attention than you give anything else. Ask God to bless your obedience to this verse!
Wives will not bear children within Holy Matrimony only if there is a disorder. God who knows all things, will only allow this disorder(evil) to occur, that a greater good May come from it. Those suffering from infertility should remember this, and unite their sufferings to Christ, that they realize that they make up in their bodies the sufferings that are lacking in the Body of Christ, and much good fruit will come from these sufferings if they are offered to Christ with complete trust.
We do not desire the disorder, obviously, but only that God be Glorified in us and through us, especially through our obedience.
From Holy Scripture we know that we as married men and women are to be fruitful and multiply, fill the Earth and subdue it, that children are a blessing from The Lord, and happy the man who’s quiver (12) is full. We also know that God slew Onan because he spilt his seed.
Let the Married man sow his seed with full trust, obedience, and confidence in God, that He who has begun a good work in him will bless it unto the day of redemption, Let the Married woman receive that seed likely as we’ll.
Do not be afraid. Obey God with abandon. Let us live contrary to the culture of death, but rather according to the culture of life. Let us not be stingy with God. Let us pour ourselves out with abandon, as He has done for us.
Children are a blessing from The Lord. Be open to all the children God wishes to send you. Only through prayer may a married couple realizes a serious reason to abstain from marital relations and therefore the conception of another child for a time.
I cannot think of any Scripture that calls us to be stingy with the rightful blessings of children, who are an eternal blessing from God, and vessels from which God may be glorified forevermore. Can you?
Are you spilling or killing your seed? If so, why?