Today’s Devotion
Topic: Against Abortion
Text: Deuteronomy 19:10
“So innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance, and bloodguiltiness be on you. Amen.
PART 4
Intro: Today we bring you the concluding part of our series. Previous expositions have been very enlightening in helping us understand the way abortion looks in the sight of God and the value of a human life. It’s inference establishes in no uncertain terms that each life is unique and any attempt to cut it short is tantamount to murder.
THE QUESTIONS:
Then comes the intellectual arguments; what if the conception is due to a rape incidence or an unintended sexual experiment by the immatured? What if the conception is a threat to the mother or the child or both? What if the conception is by mistake because the couple are not ready for it or have a circumstance that threatens hardship if the fetus is allowed to develop into a child?
Before an attempt of an answer is given, let us digress a little into an analysis of the thinking of man. Did you realise from your observation that man always seeks the most logical means to justify his actions, even when he truly knows those actions are not the best and have serious consequences attached? For instance, a drunkard may be drinking his many problems away. It makes logical sense but is that the best solution? A prostitute may be so, because she’s an orphan and has no one to aid her through life except to sell her body. Sounds so logical, but does that justify why she should trade her body for sex? That is man’s way of looking at things, as biased as can favour them. So lets rather consider these from the bible’s point of view:
Proverbs 6: 16- 17 says, “there are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood. Then in Genesis 9:6-7, Jehovah told Noah and his family that “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in His own image. As for you, be fruitful and increase in number, multiply on the earth and increase upon it.” He also warned the Isrealites in Exodus 23:7, saying, “Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked.” These clearly makes abortion destable before God right? But that’s not all.
Psalm 127:3-5, explains that, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.” Why should such a blessing be cut short. Each life is so important that Job decided never to mistreat any life, asking himself, “Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?”(Job 31: 15). You see, if every pregnant woman would ask these questions, they would think twice about aborting the unborn child.
Jehovah so loves each child such that if only they were born and the parents did not even want the child, He (God considers them His and takes care of them. He said in Isaiah 49:15, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”. That is why David, whom many bible schoolars believed was an illegitimate child once wrote, “From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God” (Ps 22: 10). He also said, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Ps 139: 13, 16).
NOW TO ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS:
Honestly, all the questions in paragraph 3 are very relevant and the issues they address can have serious consequences for the individuals in question if not handled well. However, we have an example like Japhthah (Judges 11) in the bible whose mother was a prostitute and hence could abort him to avoid shame or the untold hardships of bearing a child she was not ready for. But she did not, and her child later grew to be greater than the circumstances surrounding his birth. Also Jabez’s mum conceived him in pain but at least did not abort him but gave him a chance to live, and lo! He became more honorable than his brothers and the Lord was with him (1 Chron 4: 9-10).
THE ANSWER:
So the answer to these questions is very simple. From all the above, God’s position on abortion is very obvious. By eternal law, it is a life cut short and tantamount to murder. The word of God does not change therefore it’s better we obey and live. Any other decision contrary is between the individual and his or her God. Just like a person decides to steal because he/she feels hungry and unemployed. If after meditating on all these a couple is still convicted to go on with an abortion to avoid shame or future hardships, let it be between them and their God. If its for medical risks factors or life threatening situations, it still should be between the couple and her God. None of us will judge them.
TO THE ONE WHO HAS ALREAY CAUSED ABORTION:
Like natural law, eternal laws can be appealed too. Not on grounds that justifies our actions but on grounds of MERCY so that we can be pardoned. This is good news for all of the many who have aborted before. Jehovah, our untimate judge pardons even the vilest offender who truly repents. This means all who have aborted a pregnancy before, also the “fornicator”, the homosexual, the porn addict, the liar, the fraudster, the gossip, the criminal and the theft can be forgiven and restored back to God if they should repent.
CONCLUSION:
Meditate on these and begin to pray for the grace to be God’s ambassador against abortion and all sin in general. Starting with your life, so that you can conform to the image of Christ; and prove to the world that God indeed has a plan for each life and you are not going to be the one to deny another life that opportunity. No! See you at church!
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