A Hundred Times As Much

“Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will received a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.”
-Matthew 19:29

I turned to this verse the other day for a different reason, and God blessed me in an unexpected way.

Jesus says that if we have left children for his sake, we will receive a hundred times as much in return. I had always wondered what this could mean. In what situation would God ever call someone to leave their own child for his sake? That seemed to contradict what scripture clearly teaches in other places.

Now I know. We have left behind a child that I will never bear for the sake of his kingdom. We have chosen instead to raise HIS child as our own instead in obedience to him.

Lately I have been grieving the loss of an additional biological child more than I expected to. My heart has been sad as I have thought about what may never be. I have questioned if we are doing the right thing.

Here is the answer: We are doing it for HIS sake, to please and obey HIM. He sees the sacrifice that we are making, and he accepts it as worship to him. And he is pleased. That is enough. Yes, I have no doubt that we are doing the right thing.