4TH NOVEMBER
THE LABOUR ROOM
“To the woman God said, I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. ”(Genesis 3:16)
God created Adam and Eve as the first man and woman. Sadly, they disobeyed Him. God punished the woman by multiplying her pain in childbirth. Labour pains may start with persistent back or abdominal pains and increase to extremely painful contractions or tightening, further increasing as the frequency increases. According to the 2017 report of the African Population and Health Research, a Nigerian woman faces a lifetime risk of maternal death of 1 in 13, compared to 1 in 31 in sub-Saharan Africa as a whole. Nigeria’s estimated 40,000 maternal deaths account for about 14 per cent of the global total. One Nigerian woman dies every 13 minutes from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. The path to the labour room is in pain and in danger!
Is there no change as a result of the sacrifice of Christ? There certainly is. Jesus took the punishment for sin in His death, taking away the effects of the fall. In this dispensation of grace, God has revealed solutions through modern medical processes, so the pains at childbirth and the maternal mortality rates have drastically reduced worldwide, especially since 1990. According to the UNICEF, the current lifetime risk of maternal death ranges from 1 in 3,300 in high income countries to 1 in 36 in sub- Saharan Africa. This high maternal mortality rate in Africa is mostly as a result of preventable deaths.
Sometimes God gives man a vision to birth. Every man created has a purpose to fulfil in God’s plan. The process is similar to pregnancy and birthing a child and of course, nurturing to maturity. There are pains and dangers in the process of preparation and delivery of any vision but our confidence is that it shall surely manifest. We do not draw back because of the pains, for we know that He who has called us is faithful and able to see us through. The Lord asks the question in Isaiah 66:9 (NKJV): “Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?…Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” Of course not!
ACTION: Remain steadfast in birthing the vision that God has given you.
PRAYER: Whatever challenges may come, Lord please give me the grace to birth your vision for my life.