Gravidez e maternidade
Gravidez e maternidade são bênçãos celebradas na Bíblia. Deus forma cada criança no ventre, cuida da mãe e da família, e abençoa a geração dos justos.
Filhos são herança do Senhor
Deus abençoa a fertilidade e o crescimento das famílias. Cada criança é obra de suas mãos, conhecida e amada antes mesmo de nascer.
14 Thou shalt be blessed above all the peoples; there shall not be male or female barren with thee, or with thy cattle;
7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and swarmed and multiplied, and became exceeding strong; and the land was full of them.
2 His seed shall be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright shall be blessed.
13 For thou hast possessed my reins; thou didst cover me in my mother's womb.14 I will praise thee, for I am fearfully, wonderfully made. Marvellous are thy works; and {that} my soul knoweth right well.15 My bones were not hidden from thee when I was made in secret, curiously wrought in the lower parts of the earth.16 Thine eyes did see my unformed substance, and in thy book all {my members} were written; {during many} days were they fashioned, when {as yet} there was none of them.
3 Lo, children are an inheritance from Jehovah, {and} the fruit of the womb a reward.
9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith Jehovah; I who cause to bring forth, shall I shut {the womb}? saith thy God.
Força e cuidado na gravidez
Deus dá forças à mulher grávida e a sustenta em cada etapa. Sua graça é suficiente e seu poder se aperfeiçoa na fraqueza.
13 I have strength for all things in him that gives me power.
9 And he said to me, My grace suffices thee; for {my} power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of the Christ may dwell upon me.
2 Incline thine ear to me, deliver me speedily; be a strong rock to me, a house of defence to save me.
2 From the end of the earth will I call unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: thou wilt lead me on to a rock which is too high for me.
11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd: he will gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom; he will gently lead those that give suck.
3 Hearken unto me, house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, ye who have been borne from the belly, who have been carried from the womb:4 Even to old age, I {am} HE, and unto hoary hairs I will carry {you}: It is I that have made, and I will bear, and I will carry, and will deliver.
A bênção da maternidade
A Bíblia honra a maternidade como ministério sagrado. As mães são instrumentos de Deus para formar vidas e transmitir a fé.
15 But she shall be preserved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and love and holiness with discretion.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband {also}, and he praiseth her:
1 And Man knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bore Cain, and said, I have acquired a man with Jehovah.
1 And Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said, and Jehovah did to Sarah as he had spoken.2 And Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.
21 And Isaac entreated Jehovah for his wife, because she was barren; and Jehovah was entreated of him, and Rebecca his wife conceived.
20 And it came to pass when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bore a son, and called his name Samuel, {saying,} Because I have asked him of Jehovah.
Proteção divina
Deus protege a mãe e o bebê, guardando-os de todo mal. Ele acompanha cada momento com ternura e fidelidade.
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.2 I say of Jehovah, My refuge and my fortress; my God, I will confide in him.
7 Jehovah will keep thee from all evil; he will keep thy soul.8 Jehovah will keep thy going out and thy coming in, from henceforth and for evermore.
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I hallowed thee, I appointed thee a prophet unto the nations.
22 And if men strive together, and strike a woman with child, so that she be delivered, and no mischief happen, he shall in any case be fined, according as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and shall give it as the judges estimate.23 But if mischief happen, then thou shalt give life for life,
15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Even these forget, but I will not forget thee.
Esperança e promessa
A maternidade é caminho de esperança. Como Sara, Ana e Isabel, as mães encontram na fé a força para aguardar as promessas de Deus.
11 By faith also Sarah herself received strength for {the} conception of seed, and {that} beyond a seasonable age; since she counted him faithful who promised.
45 And blessed {is} she that has believed, for there shall be a fulfilment of the things spoken to her from {the} Lord.
46 And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord,47 and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.48 For he has looked upon the low estate of his bondmaid; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.49 For the Mighty One has done to me great things, and holy {is} his name;
9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, {as} a joyful mother of sons. Hallelujah!
16 And I will bless her, and I will give thee a son also of her; and I will bless her, and she shall become nations: kings of peoples shall be of her.
3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine in the inner part of thy house; thy children like olive-plants round about thy table.