Barren, Broken and Blessed by Joy Inyamu

photo source:restlessmoods.blogspot.com

Sometimes we find ourselves in barren situations. Not necessarily when a child has not been born, but in the area of accomplishing goals. Becoming something for ourselves, wanting to be more than what we are but still stuck in the place that we are, because we just can’t seem to get it right, to conceive that dream or the means to facilitate it. 

Barrenness is portrayed as an image of destruction, rejection, shame, despair and a joy killer in the bible.

But have you noticed that the barren women in the bible were the ones who bore children that became blessings to the nations when their wombs were eventually opened? Mighty prophets. People God used to show His glory.
Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Samson, Samuel and John the Baptist were sons of Sarah (Gen 21), Rebekah (Gen 25), Rachel (Gen 30), Manoah’s unnamed wife (Judges 13), Hannah (1 Samuel 1) and Elizabeth (Luke 1). All six women had something in common, they and their husbands were devout and they cried out to God.

Our afflictions are what births our blessings; our biggest mess turns out to be our biggest and best message we have. For when we eventually birth our dreams, after the long frustrating months/years of brokenness and being unproductive,the outcome isn’t just a blessing for ourselves but to the world around us.

So be of good cheer buddy. I’ve learned that the area of life that seems barren, that keeps us up at night, that makes us break out in sweat and keeps our spirits low, that thing that gets people pointing and talking….at the right time, as long as we keep trusting, the heavens will open our wombs, and we’ll birth success in that area, and it will be not just a blessing to us but to all those around us.

And people will be shocked “isn’t the M? the barren woman? S the failure? R the Mr. Can’t get it right?” Well you got it right and you’re writing the cheques while they stand wondering. Sometimes we’re broken to make us whole again, blessings are held back to teach us to trust.

“Sing, barren woman, who has never had a baby.
Fill the air with song, you who never experienced childbirth! 
You’re ending up with far more children
than all those childbearing women.” God say so!
“Clear lots of ground for your tents!
Make your tent large. Spread out! Think big!
Use plenty of rope, 
drive the tent pegs deep.
You’re going to need lots of elbow room
for your growing family.
You’re going to take over whole nations;
you’re going to resettle abandoned cities.
Don’t be afraid – you’re not going to be embarrassed. 
Don’t hold back – you’re not going to come up short…” Isaiah 54:1-3 (the msg)

Your Redeemer God says: “I left you, but only for a moment.
Now, with enormous compassion, I’m bringing you back.
In an outburst of anger I turned my back on you – 
but only for a moment.
It’s with lasting love
that I am tenderly caring for you.” Isaiah 54: 7-8 (the msg)

Maybe you’ve had that dream forever, and it feels like it’ll never be anything more than a dream. Just keep crying out to God who is fruitful and keep trusting Him, and the right seed will be planted in you, to develop that dream and birth it at the right time. It really doesn’t matter how old you are. Sarah and Elizabeth were old when their day came, but it came eventually and their fruits fulfilled the purpose to which they were birthed.

“….my purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in his grace.” 1 Peter 5:12

Follow the author of this article Joy Inyamu at www.inyamuakut.com