When we refuse to receive the gifts that God has planned to give us, we deprive many people. We deprive:
1. GOD. This is the most serious. We deprive Him of the purposes and plans that He has for the children that He destined to be born.
2. ETERNITY. God wants to fill His house. He not only wants to fill the earth, but He wants to fill His eternal kingdom. We fill eternity with those who are born on earth.
3. OURSELVES. We deprive ourselves of being blessed by God. Every child is another blessing. Once we receive the blessing of a child from God, we wonder how we could ever live without that child. When Onan destroyed his sperm he was deprived of being in the lineage of Jesus. Judah then received this privilege in his place.
4. GRANDPARENTS. We deprive our parents of their "glory and honor" which are grandchildren. Read Proverbs 17:6. The Living Bible translation says, "An old man’s grandchildren are his crowning glory." Why should we deprive our parents of their reward and glory in their older age?
5. OUR CHILDREN. We deprive our present children of more brothers and sisters. Children love to have more children in the family. They love to have another baby brother or sister. I often sadly think of the brothers and sisters that I could have had. More brothers and sisters are always a blessing. If my parents had been willing to have more children, not only would I have been more blessed, but also my children would have more uncles and aunts. If my siblings had trusted God for more children my children would be blessed with more cousins, and I would have had more nieces and nephews. Remember, God wants our families to be "like a flock."
6. THE CHURCH. The church today would be 50 to 100 percent stronger if we, the people of God, had not limited the godly seed. There would be more apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelists.
7. THE WORLD. We deprive the world of the blessings of a godly seed. We deprive the world of being illuminated with light. We deprive the world of being 'salted'! We deprive the world of more godly young people and men and women. We deprive the world of more godly mothers and fathers who will build strong families that will build a strong nation.
