DAY 1 | God Blessed Them
DAY 1 | God Blessed Them
READ
Genesis 1:26–28; Genesis 2:18–25
“God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it.’”
Genesis 1:28
THE TRUTH
Before God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply, Scripture tells us something important:
“God blessed them.”
Don't rush past those words.
God created man and woman in His image.
God established their roles.
God recognized Adam's need for companionship.
God created Eve as his helper and complement.
God brought them together.
God established their one-flesh union.
And then:
God blessed them.
God blessed their roles.
God blessed their uniqueness.
God blessed their union.
God blessed their fertility.
Then He gave them a commission:
“Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth.”
There is an order here that matters.
Marriage wasn't created simply because humanity needed to reproduce.
Before children ever entered the picture, God brought a husband and wife together.
Their union was already a blessing.
Their companionship was already a blessing.
Their intimacy was already a blessing.
Their relationship with God and one another was already a blessing.
Then from that blessed union, God intended another blessing to flow:
Children.
Marriage is a blessing.
Sexual intimacy within marriage is a blessing.
Children are a blessing that can flow from marriage.
But neither sex nor children were intended to become the entire purpose of marriage.
Marriage begins with God bringing a man and woman together in Him, and then He blesses their union and calls them to be fruitful and multiply.
For many couples, that fruitfulness will include biological children. For others, infertility, health, age, or other circumstances may prevent that. An inability to have children does not mean a couple has failed God or is living in disobedience.
And throughout Scripture, we discover that fruitfulness isn't limited to the fruit of the womb.
God desires His people to produce spiritual fruit as well.
So while many marriages can produce the fruit of the womb, every God-centered marriage should increasingly produce the fruit of the Spirit.
Love.
Joy.
Peace.
Patience.
Kindness.
Goodness.
Faithfulness.
Gentleness.
Self-control.
And when a marriage produces both children and increasing devotion to God, something beautiful can happen:
The character of Christ can be multiplied into another generation.
That's fruitfulness.
Not simply producing children.
But building a home where those children can see what it looks like when two imperfect people pursue Jesus together.
REFLECT
- When you hear the words “God blessed them,” do you naturally view God's design for marriage, intimacy, and family as blessings? Why or why not?
- Which fruit of the Spirit is currently most evident in your relationships? Which one needs the most growth?
- Consider this statement: “God doesn't simply want something from our relationships. He wants to produce something through them.” What do you believe God wants to produce through yours?
A HAPPILY MARRIED REMINDER
Don't measure the fruitfulness of your marriage by comparing your family with someone else's.
Family size isn't a scoreboard for faithfulness.
Neither is having children proof that a marriage is spiritually fruitful.
Ask instead: “Is our relationship increasingly producing something that looks like Jesus?”
TOGETHER OR INDIVIDUALLY
IF YOU'RE MARRIED
Before talking about children, parenting, schedules, problems, or responsibilities, take a moment to consider your marriage itself as a blessing.
Tell your spouse: “One way God has blessed my life through you is...”
Then ask each other:
“What kind of fruit do we want our marriage to produce?”
Don't limit your answer to children.
Maybe you want your home to become known for:
Generosity.
Hospitality.
Grace.
Faithfulness.
Service.
Prayer.
Joy.
Forgiveness.
Compassion.
Biblical truth.
A love for Jesus.
Choose one characteristic you want God to increasingly produce through your marriage.
We want our marriage to become increasingly fruitful in:
IF YOU'RE SINGLE
Fruitfulness isn't something that begins when you get married.
Jesus calls every believer to a fruitful life.
Ask: “What is my relationship with Jesus currently producing in me and through me?”
Consider your family.
Friendships.
Church.
Work.
Dating relationships.
People God has given you influence over.
Where could God use your life to multiply His character into someone else?
FROM THE MARRIAGE CREED
“I will be faithful to my spouse by first remaining faithful to Christ. In my pursuit of Him I will be able to strengthen my devotion to my spouse.”
Fruitfulness begins with devotion to Christ.
You cannot consistently produce Christlike fruit while disconnected from Christ.
Jesus said: “The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit.” - John 15:5
Before asking how to become a better husband, wife, father, mother, boyfriend, girlfriend, friend, or future spouse, begin here: Remain in Jesus.
Because what fills your heart will eventually flow into your relationships.
And what continually flows through your relationships will help shape the people around you.
RESPOND
TODAY I WILL...
Identify one fruit of the Spirit you want God to produce more abundantly in you.
The fruit I need God to grow in me is:
Now make it relational.
One way I can practice that fruit toward someone today is:
Don't simply pray for more patience. Practice patience.
Don't simply pray for more kindness. Show kindness.
Don't simply pray for greater faithfulness. Be faithful.
Allow the Spirit to produce something through you that someone else can actually experience.
PRAY
Father, thank You for Your blessings. Thank You for creating us in Your image. Thank You for relationships.
Thank You for marriage. Thank You for intimacy within marriage. Thank You for children and for the privilege of influencing another generation. Help us never turn Your blessings into burdens through our selfishness, sin, or misplaced priorities. For those who are married, make their marriages fruitful. Produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control within their homes. For couples longing for children, give them grace, wisdom, comfort, and trust as they bring that desire before You. For parents, help them remember that their children are gifts entrusted to them and give them wisdom to raise those children toward You. For those who are single, produce spiritual fruit through their lives now. Use their relationships, gifts, influence, and faithfulness to multiply Your character into others. Above everything else, keep us close to Jesus. Because if we want fruitful relationships, we must first remain connected to the One who produces the fruit. Make our lives fruitful. Make our relationships fruitful. And use the fruit You produce in us to bring You glory. Amen.
TOMORROW
Children are intended to be a blessing flowing from marriage. But what happens when that blessing becomes a source of favoritism, division, manipulation, and deception?
Tomorrow we'll meet a family who waited twenty years for children, only to eventually allow those children to come between them.
Day 2: Isaac & Rebekah — When the Blessing Becomes the Divide.