God commanded Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply.  I can get on board with that.  And yet, I haven’t been given several fruits of my womb, nor have they multiplied  around my table.  Are there other good gifts from God for me?

YES, dear friend, there are many good gifts for you!  We can start by looking at Martin Luther’s meaning of the First Article of the Apostles’ Creed.  I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.   God gives you His love each and every day.  He has designed you and created you. And while you don’t understand why you don’t have childlren, God still cares for you.   He has given you a long list of earthly possessions and takes care of you on a daily basis.  He has given us His very words in the Holy Scriptures.

God has given you more than earthly blessings, though.  He has given you His Son.  Look at Luther’s meaning of the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed.  I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord. Who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.  Sin is every thought, word, and action which goes against God’s will.  I have been been envious and angry at God regarding my barrenness.  I have lashed out at God and tried to dictate to Him how my life should go.  I have tried to be in control.  There is no way I can make myself right with God once again.  Thus, He gave His Son Jesus to be the sacrificial payment for all wrongdoing.  I am forgiven!  This all comes by God’s grace.  It’s FREE – nothing we can do can merit God’s favor.  All our righteous acts are now good because of Jesus.  That’s quite a gift.

We receive even more gifts through the Holy Spirit.  Examine Luther’s meaning of the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed.  I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.  There is no way that I can receive full comfort for my barrenness unless I have faith in the Triune God, who truly knows me and cares for my entire being.  By faith, I can say, with confidence, that God has given me all good gifts.

At times, it’s hard to remember that God gives such goodness.  Go, dear sister, to your pastor and share with him your hurts.  He will, in turn, share Christ’s good gifts with you.  You receive Christ in Holy Baptism.  You receive forgiveness of sins through Christ’s Body and Blood in the Lord’s Supper.  You hear God’s promises for you in the words of Holy Scripture.  You pastor will rejoice with you in your baptism and the promises of God.  Our Lord Jesus Christ has only good gifts to give, and we are blessed to receive them.