Large Families and Jacob's God

The Rev. Moses Browne had twelve children. On one remarking to him, "Sir, you have just as many children as Jacob," he replied, "Yes, and I have Jacob's God to provide for them."

~G. S. Bowes, in Spurgeon's Treasury of David

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My Mountain Man received notice that unless there's an end to this government shutdown, he'll be without work after next Friday. I've cried a lot of tears since then, and I've borrowed a bit of trouble, too, as I imagined living without his paycheck. What can we sell? What expenses can we cut? How is God calling me to repentance? How can I keep my eyes fixed on Christ and just do the next thing? How can I be a cheerful mother and an encouraging wife? Where can I get a job?

Facing a period of no income with a large family is trying in its own way. The amount of food we consume in a week, many families consume in a month. With lots of Blessings, there is usually someone who needs something right now--a new pair of shoes or a visit to the dentist or a new toothbrush.

Some large families, homeschooling families at that, are wealthy and can afford educational trips to Scotland or can build mega-sized homes debt free, but many of us struggle each month to figure out how to make the food budget stretch just a bit more.

And then there are those prejudices inherent to a child-hating society. "What?! You have all of those children, but you don't ________________." (Fill in any of the expectations our culture has of what makes for a worthy childhood.)

We think child abuse is depriving a child of extra-curricular activities or having her own designer bedroom. We equate "good parent" with one who has a college fund for each child and massive amounts of cash set aside for a rainy day.

We often expect large families to look into the future in ways we'd never ask smaller families to do--"Yes, you may have this many children as long as you can easily pay for and anticipate every need and emergency that will happen over the next 20 years. Otherwise, you are completely irresponsible."

And Christians can be the worst, for they spout about trusting in the Lord and walking by faith and not by sight, and they cry for His daily bread, but they don't really mean daily, as in having to rely on God to provide for this week's groceries or even today's car repairs. That would be foolish. What they really mean is, "The wise man has at least six months' income set aside to cover every possible emergency," and they say this as they raise their eyebrows and wonder why you have all of those children and are worrying about medical bills and how far you can make a tank of gas last.

And it's hard not to feel a bit of the shame.

Am I saying that we should all live paycheck to paycheck, that there's some greater holiness in doing so? Of course not, and there certainly isn't anything romantic about it. It can be a blessing to not have to worry each day about having "enough, " and it's a blessing to be able to give to those in need, right when they need it.

Yet, it is true that God uses both abundance and need to teach contentment and make us more like Christ. Need doesn't know what it's like to just take a trip on a whim or buy brand new living room furniture or give a thousand dollars to the visiting missionary or see in advance that the year's bills are paid, and Abundance might not know what it's like to whisper a prayer of thanks over "just enough" and rejoice over God's miraculous provision.

Yes, Jacob's God is the God of large families, too, and we can trust in His provision, whether it comes in the form of a large bank account or a small one. Whether His provision comes in knowing there's enough money for many days ahead or simply for the next couple of weeks.

And when you are tempted to despair and you hear, pounding in your head, our culture's accusations that you are irresponsible for having so many children when you don't have the next 20 years perfectly provided for (because they really do, you know), remember this:

"He gives children, not as a penalty nor as a burden, but as a favour. They are a token for good if men know how to receive them and educate them. They are 'doubtful' blessings only because we are doubtful persons. Where society is rightly ordered children are regarded, not as an incumbrance, but as an inheritance; and they are received, not with regret, but as a reward."
~Spurgeon

"...a large number of children means a large number of trials; but when these are met by faith in the Lord, it also means a mass of love, and a multitude of joys."
~Spurgeon

With love,
Trisha