STERILITY AND THE DECLARATION OF GOD

During a recent trip to what is called “La Mosquitia” (the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua) I tried to stay in a place of meditation and learning mode. It seems that wherever I end up The Lord is calling my attention to visible signs that speak of the condition of today’s church, not just in the country I was visiting but concerning my own country as well.
I have found the church particularly in Latin America, because of its traditions in danger of losing an entire generation of youth. At the same time I spent a good deal of time studying and meditating on the life of Abraham and Sarah and the covenant that God made with them.

It seemed that the Lord was calling my attention the problem of the sterility of Abraham and Sarah and it’s relation to the condition of the Church today. As we see their history unfold, we see that Abraham was about seventy years old and Sarah sixty and they had not children. Their hope was running out.

The story gives us reason for this condition, not a hint of punishment for wrongdoing, or a curse or anything like that. Sterility is no stranger to families of the covenant. After Sarah we find Rebecca (Gen.25:21), Rachel (29:31) Hannah (1Sam 1:1-ss) Later in the New Testament  a Elizabeth (Lucas 1) The story which calls us back the narrative of 1Samuel.

In every one of these cases the final outcome was the same. Prayer, faith, patience and finally the result. 

None of them prayed and 

received the answer

“NO” 

to their petition from the eternal one. 

The incarnate word always obtains his victory over sterility. However, the spoken word always comes with his imperative along with his promise, the call together with the divine assurance. The failure in much teaching that comes from the “word of faith” camp is the focus totally on the promise and little or none on the imperatives of God.

The condition of sterility speaks clearly of the promise of resurrection and in the midst of the promise of resurrection the calling to pilgrimage is found. The first thing Yahweh did with Abraham and Sarah was to call them to leave their homeland to an unknown place and to a new life. The symbol of sterility speaks of the more profound condition of unfulfilled spiritual vision. 

 “But Sara was barren; she had no child.. Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, from your kindred and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”                                                          

                                                                 (Gen 11:30, y 12:1-3)

God calls the sterile out of the common and known to a new form of community, an alternative to the coldness and sterility of those who have quit listening and because of this have quit living and hoping. God calls those the ones who have lost hope to a new community with a future and calls the static to pilgrimage. 

The divine word to this sterile family is a calling to abandonment and renunciation. This is a calling to risky exit from the world of presumed security and normality. The command is strong, an “in your face” requirement, that they go with their eyes shut having left home, family and culture they have finally submitted completely to the Holy One. It is difficult to even speak of this type of abandonment in our western culture which is completely focused in self-indulgence, because, “we deserve it.” Note, however, that the requirement is not from the law but out of the promise. The Lord know that this detour away from security is the only way out of sterility. 

The history of Abraham and Sarah is based on what might seem like a contradiction; (to stay in security is to stay in sterility but to leave in risk is to get a hold of hope) but in the echo of this calling we hear the words of Jesus,

"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”

                 (Mark 8:35, 36)

The Living Word requires of the hearer, now as well as then that we respond to the question, “Do we really want out of this state of sterility?” Maybe the answer is only a qualified “yes.” But maybe the required renunciation and abandonment are too great a price to pay. Would God really require us to leave everything known and familiar and obey the Word totally.

The words of Meister Eckhart resound clearly, “There are many who are ready to obey the Lord half-way but not the other half. They are willing to leave possessions, friends and honors but it touches them too close to disown themselves…”

His enablement in your pursuit of Him-

pablo