Isaiah 54:1-6
“Sing, barren woman,
you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,
you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband,”
says the Lord.
Barren – Unproductive, unfruitful, sterile, infertile, infertile
Fertile – Productive, fruitful
No one wants to be unproductive; everyone wants to be fruitful in every area of life – be it Business/ work, Education, Family etc.
However, it’s common tendency to find ourselves unfruitful. But why are we unfruitful? We can have many quick answers: Because we haven’t been faithful to God, Because we haven’t been obedient to God, Because we haven’t paid tithe, Because we haven’t helped the needy…the list can go on and on…
All these could be true reasons as to why we sometimes find ourselves unfruitful.
But let’s look at
JOB in the Bible: – Job was a very prosperous man, God-fearing, Obedient, Humble, before disaster struck Him. He was rendered unproductive. Many people were quick to make judgement over Job of how he could have disobeyed God and so was suffering for his sin(s).
How about the sick, blind, deaf, barren etc. who are so since their birth? Someone asked whether it was their fault or the fault of their parents. Jesus Christ replied that for that particular case, it was neither their fault nor the fault of their parents; rather it was for the purpose of manifesting God’s Power and Glory.
One of the commonest questions every human being asks and the very question that has tested our faith in God is,
“Why, even when I’ve done my very best?”
Why do we seemingly fail/ look inadequate when we have tried our very best?
To everyone who is barren, not because they haven’t tried hard enough, to everyone who has been faithful and seems not to see fruit”
God says, “Sing, Rejoice, shout, Cry out loud, changamka, amka, imba paza sauti, piga kelele…”
Take your eyes off those who seem to have achieved or have actually achieved; fix them on God – the Enabler who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we ask or think.
God will surely remember you.
“Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.
God in Heaven above has a dwelling big enough to accommodate everyone who will go there. However, for us here on earth, we have limitation of space..
God tells us to enlarge the place of our dwelling. This analogy speaks of much more than our physical habitation. How about if we enlarged our hearts to accommodate a little more of the unlovable, the weak, the timid, the disadvantaged…etc.?
Many more are to be added to the number in the church; are we ready to receive them? They surely will come in all shapes and sizes; we need to enlarge our dwelling place both physically and at heart to cater for the numbers that will be added unto us.
An enlarged tent will surely demand for longer ropes and pegs driven deep into the earth/ ground. Otherwise, the tent will collapse! So,
even as we enlarge our hearts to accommodate more people, we should be ready to be firm in our Christian stand lest our tent collapse with us and them in it.
For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants will dispossess nations
and settle in their desolate cities.
We as Christians need to increase our foot-print. God has given us the ends of the world to conquer and subdue. Recently, the world woke up to the news of a firm Seventh Day Adventist Christian who put his foot to the ground and did the un-imaginable. Nullifying the presidential election results for a sitting president in Africa had never been heard of. What this man did was not rocket-science. He simply chose to defy pressure from all angles and remain true to his Christian belief and conscience and did what he was lawfully supposed to do.
We need true Christians in all domains of work, both in the government and private sector, in all professions – Judiciary, Legislature Banking, Surveying…etc. We don’t just need them there; we need them there to do their Christian duty of bringing life to the desolate cities. We need them to plant Christian seeds in those places so that life again can spring up in those areas.
“Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame.
Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth
and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
Fear not! We are told not to be frightened. Who is telling us not to fear? God. Who can stand against God? Of course no one.
In our country and throughout Africa, a barren woman cannot raise her voice in the midst of married women with children. It’s usually the case that a woman who cannot bear children is forsaken by her lawful husband and disrespected among people despite her level of education or position she holds.
How can such a woman sing out aloud? It’s shameful. But God tells you that is seemingly barren in some area of your life to shout, to sing to rejoice…
For your Maker is your husband—
the Lord Almighty is his name—
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
he is called the God of all the earth.
For your husband is your Maker – His Name is YAHWEH of Hosts – and The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth.
God is your Refuge – when you have no one to run to
He is your Restoration – when you are broken. He will repair and rebuild you. He will make habitable the desolate areas of your life.
Psalms 27:1 says, “The LORD is my Light and my Salvation, whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life, of whom sham I be afraid?”
God will shine His light upon you. He will rescue you from whatever is seemingly devouring you.
The Lord will call you back
as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,
only to be rejected,” says your God.
For the LORD has called you, like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit, a wife of one’s youth when she is rejected” says your God.
The LORD is your Comforter – When you are cast down in spirit. You have no one to talk to you. No one has time for you. No one seems to listen to you. Almost everyone is busy judging you and throwing blame to you for barrenness, God will be your Wonderful Counsellor. He will listen to you. He will make you fruitful and your children will surely surpass those of the married woman.
