His Needs, Her Needs
ICS Daily Devotions
Genesis 1:28a (NKJV) Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply.”
God designed sex for procreation, pleasure, communication, and release within the marriage. Having babies is a commandment from God. Therefore, we can stand on this commandment and believe in God when we are praying for babies.
God has always intended that marriage be between a man and a woman. A man cannot give birth, doesn’t have a womb, nor can a woman play the role of a man. It is the role of the woman to be impregnated and give birth to children. It is designed by God for the woman to have the egg and the man the sperm for procreation.
Sadly, many young couples today are reluctant to have babies because of the high cost of raising children and the priority of developing their careers, and many have decided to have pets as companions instead of carrying out good family planning.
Deuteronomy 7:13-14 (NKJV) And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land of which He swore to your fathers to give you. You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be a male or female barren among you or among your livestock.
Nonetheless, the wife is to be respected and not treated like a baby production machine. Because God instructed us to multiply after ourselves through childbirth, the womb is blessed, and babies are a blessing and not a burden or a curse in the lives of a married couple. Much joy comes to the family when a baby is born.
Besides procreation, sex within marriage is also meant for pleasure, recreation, and release. Lovemaking engages many of our bodily senses. A man bonds with his wife through sex. Therefore, the woman must understand that the husband feels connected through sex. It is his way of expressing love and being emotionally connected with his wife through sex. The couple becomes one in the flesh through making love.
Nonetheless, men and women are made differently. The Bible instructs the husband to nourish and cherish the wife (Ephesians 5:29). It addresses the emotional aspect of the marriage relationship. Although a woman will bond through sex, what matters more to her is affection and emotional engagement before sex. Hence, unconditional love is necessary before the relationship climaxes with Eros or sensual love. A woman feels fulfilled when she is emotionally engaged, being heard, and acknowledged. While the man can have the same kind of fulfilment through various love languages, the ultimate is still sexual satisfaction.
Sermon Series: Before You Say I Do
