“Lo children are an heritage of the Lord: as arrows are in the hand of the mighty man, so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak.”
Psalm 127:3-43Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. (Psalm 127:3‑4)
Mothers, did you ever think of “your” children as your husband’s arrows — destined to be “shot” with a purpose? Have you ever considered that as they watch you, observe what you value, hear what you say, listen to what you sing, and take in the same things that you listen to and watch, you are molding “arrows” which carry your husband’s name? They will carry to far places the lessons that they learned from you — not word-lessons only but observation lessons as well. When you and your husband are old, those arrows that came from your husband’s quiver will still be carrying a message to the next generation. Are you being a faithful helpmeet to that man, helping him to be all that the Lord Jesus called him to be? Are you raising his arrows the way he and his God would want them raised (even if your husband himself is struggling presently)? Ask the Lord Jesus to make Himself real enough to you today so that your actions and words will mold your man’s “arrows” with the message that will change lives for the generations to come. “Arrows in the hand of a mighty man” are powerful weapons accomplishing that for which they were “shot,” and if your man belongs to the Lord, he is strengthened with might by the Spirit in his inner man (Eph. 3:1616That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; (Ephesians 3:16)), even if he still struggles sometimes. Stand behind your man and help strengthen him by the power of the Spirit of God. The Lord Jesus chooses the arrows for your man’s quiver — be willing to commit your life for this cause. Maybe you are afraid of losing your personal identity (or even your figure!) if you bear children. Maybe raising them involves handing up to the Lord your personal fulfillment and your sense of personal accomplishment. You need to consciously offer whatever sacrifice is necessary to accomplish the Lord’s will concerning this mighty man’s arrows. Even if it seems to you, and to those around you, that your sacrifice is a waste, do it anyway. An arrow in flight carries God’s purpose of blessing beyond you and your husband.
We know that the Lord Jesus is sovereign and overrules and is very gracious in our lives and failures. In a human sense, however, without your willingness and sacrifice there would be no “arrows” in your man’s quiver, and it is in your power not only to give him those arrows but to influence them for either good or evil. Happy is the man whose quiver is full and whose wife is cheerfully standing behind him helping him raise his “arrows” for his God that they may be ready to do their Lord’s bidding when the time comes for them to fly.