And it occurred that when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud cry, and then exclaimed, Blessed (favored of God) above all other women are you! And blessed (favored of God) is the Fruit of your womb! And how [have I deserved that this honor should] be granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, the instant the sound of your salutation reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed (happy, to be envied) is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her from the Lord. Luke 1:41-45 [AMP]
In my continued reading of Luke I just love this portion of the story of Jesus’ birth when Mary (while pregnant) visited Elizabeth and John the Baptist in the womb of Elizabeth at the time, leapt within her when he heard the voice of Mary when she arrived. The Holy Spirit had already dwelt within John even before he was born. There is no greater biblical evidence that the occupant of the womb is indeed a living ‘human being’ with an identity and image bearer of God.
There is no doubt in my mind that women who become pregnant unwittingly/unwillingly are under a tremendous amount of stress and emotion about the ultimate weight of giving birth and possibly caring for a new life. When I hear this story and understand life in the womb being just as much having a right to life as the mother, I grieve over the loss of life we have suffered in the pro-abortion culture we live in. Being a dad to 2 biological children and also 2 adopted children has only reinforced my belief that the child’s life must be an equal carrier of rights as the mother.
Lord God in Heaven, help us as a nation have a heart change to embrace a love for the unborn as well as the emotional and physical wellbeing of the mother. In the heart change we pray that the respect for sex being reserved for within the confines of a marriage covenant. The loss of respect for Your best plans for us in relationships and child rearing has played such a huge part in the degradation of these tenants you hold in such high esteem. Have mercy on our nation.