One of the most challenging issues to deal with in a marriage is infertility. Wanting to have a baby and being unable is heartbreaking and can destroy a relationship. One of the hardest things about not being able to conceive is that so many other people can. People who we think shouldn’t 

It’s frustrating to lead a godly life as a Christian, or even in the world, thinking you’re a “good” person, yet you cannot have children. Perhaps even worse is when you get pregnant and you lose the child. All of that hope and fear mingled together makes a nasty brew. 

Sometimes the doctors tell us why and sometimes we don’t know why. When we understand why it’s hard not to “blame” the person responsible. Even when we don’t know why, if we’re not careful, we entertain thoughts that lie to us about why. 

As I was reading Exodus today, I encountered these two verses.

Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.

Exodus 23:25-26 (NIV)

These verses reveal the tie between sin, specifically idolatry, and physical well-being. Here, the Lord told the Israelites if they worshipped him alone, their food and water would be blessed, and there’d be no more sickness, miscarriages, and infertility. Furthermore, everyone would live their whole lives. Thus, we can conclude that things like infertility are because of sin. Sin in the world. Not necessarily the sin of the couple. 

These two verses from Romans reveal that when sin entered the world, so did sickness, infertility, and death. 

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

Romans 5:12 (NIV)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23 (NIV)

When I read Exodus 23:25-26, what stood out was what I’ve been talking about. Infertility. I thought about the barren women in the Bible. Each of them had to have gone through the same things couples today go through as they contemplate their infertility. 

While researching the barren women in the Bible, I noticed something surprising. There’s a lack of consensus regarding the number of infertile women in the Bible. Some say there were six and others seven, which surprised me. However, considering that some of the sources that said six were Jewish, it’s not that surprising, considering one of the barren women is from the New Testament. I’m not sure why some Christian sources reported fewer than seven. 

Seven women in the Bible were barren. 

1. Sarah (Genesis 11:30).

2. Isaac’s wife, Rebekah (Genesis 25:21).

3. Rachel, Jacob’s second wife (Genesis 29:31).

4. Samson’s mother; Manoah’s unnamed wife (Judges 13:2).

5. Hannah, Samuel’s mother (1 Samuel 1:5).

6. The Shunammite women (2 Kings 4:14).

7. Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist (Luke 1:7).

Some people forget the Shunammite woman, while others don’t recognize Elizabeth. Some have forgotten both the Shunammite woman and Elizabeth. I’m sure all these women faced the same doubts and fears couples face today. 

The world hasn’t changed. We still live in a sin-sick world where lives are cut short daily. Where faithful men and women walk hand-in-hand through the pain of infertility. While sin is to blame for all of it, don’t prescribe to the destructive notion that it’s because of your sin that you’re not conceiving. As if you could take the place of Adam. Instead, remember that you are saved, and you’ve been forgiven of your sin. All of it. 

Consider this, if God no longer holds your sin against you, why should you hold your sin against you? We hope for a lot in this life, and some of it doesn’t come to pass. We make plans, and those plans fall through. However, we must take comfort in knowing that God holds the keys to our lives. He directs our steps. I will leave you with these verses today.

The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;

Psalm 34:19 (NIV)

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)

Do you know God? God knows you, and he loves you. He sees you as significant because you are. No one is insignificant to Him. He’s with you today, and he wants you to know him. Jesus died for your sins and mine so we could be free of guilt, freed from death, and live eternally with him. Eternal salvation is just a prayer away.

Pray this prayer with me to accept the gift of salvation:

Lord Jesus, forgive me for all my sins. I repent from my ways. Wash me in your blood and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I believe that you died on the cross, were buried, and on the third day, God the Father raised you from the dead. Right now, Lord Jesus, I open the door to my heart and receive you into my heart as my Lord and personal Savior. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, then congratulations! You are on the first step of a brand new life. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to my family, the family of God. There are abundant resources available online for new Christians. You can visit here for more information on what to do next. You can also leave me a comment, and I’ll do my best to help you on the next step of this incredible journey.

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