Call to Commitment

I have written articles, from time to time, on subjects which mean a great deal to me. A few of these have been published or printed and I’ve been surprised sometimes to see how far they’ve spread. I have on my desk two articles which have been on my heart and mind for months. I considered sending them to a Christian paper for possible printing. Then a thought occurred to me, “Why don’t I print these articles myself and send them out on a regular basis?” So, what you have in your hands is the result of that idea. I couldn’t possibly start with a subject closer to my heart. I trust you will read it prayerfully and that you will be challenged by it. (written in July 1994)


“And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister and said unto Jacob, give me children, or else I die.” Genesis 30:1

Every truly born-again believer wants to see others come to Christ. This single verse of scripture opens to him ample material for spiritual contemplation to help him sharpen and deepen that inherent desire.

It is obvious that we have more before us than a simple petition. Here is a desperate, heart-rending cry from one whose longing has reached its ultimate level. It has touched the very spring of her existence and she is ready to sacrifice her life in order to see it fulfilled. Parenthetically, we might note that Rachel did just that upon the birth of her second son.

This text suggests something more than a common, natural desire among women to bear children. I think it also goes beyond a mid-eastern cultural need of the day. God placed an especially strong child-bearing principle in the heart of Hebrew women towards the preservation and propagation of the race.