Thinking about God, Jesus and The Big Questions

Psalm 23 is a well-known psalm that is often quoted for giving comfort to those who are dying. Here it is: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. Psalm 23 This psalm was written by King David at the time when he was beset by many enemies. He did not write this to comfort him in case he died. Instead he wrote this psalm as a prayer for guidance during difficult military campaigns. In other words, this psalm is very much for the living, not the dying. It...

In Biblical times, it was considered by society to be a very negative thing to not have children. Back then, a couple who did not have children was most likely due to infertility than out of a choice not to have children. In those days it made a lot of practical sense to have kids since children could help with some of the tasks of the family business.  So there was a societal stigma to not having children. Even in modern times today, some people view not having kids as a negative thing, although it's seen as less of an issue now than back in Biblical times. Certainly it is more emotionally difficult for the couple who want to have kids but have not yet been able to have them, than for a couple who is childless by choice. I realize this is an emotionally charged topic. The good news is that you do not need to have kids to be a fully functional human being according to God . Your ability to be with God is independent of whether or not you have children. There is a verse in the Bible...