Exodus 23:26

This verse is part of a larger set of promises God made to the Israelites — a people He had just rescued from slavery in Egypt — as they prepared to enter a new land called Canaan. God promised them not just political freedom but physical flourishing: no miscarriages, no infertility, and long lives. In the ancient world, high rates of infant mortality and maternal death made these promises extraordinarily meaningful. Fertility and longevity were understood as signs of divine blessing. This verse reflects God's deep desire for His people to thrive — body and soul — in the life He was giving them.

God, I believe You want good things for me — even when the evidence feels thin. Help me hold onto Your desire for my flourishing without demanding You deliver it on my timeline. And where others around me are hurting, make me a small extension of the abundance You intend. Amen.

Some promises in the Bible don't land softly. If you've ever sat in a hospital waiting room after a loss, or had a doctor use the word "infertile," or watched someone you love age too fast, this verse can feel like a wound rather than a salve. We have to sit with that honestly — because God made this promise, and not everyone in history has experienced it. What this verse reveals isn't a guarantee that pain won't come, but a window into what God desires for His people. The intent behind these words is unambiguous: God wants flourishing. He wants your body, your family, your years to be full — not cut short by cruelty or neglect or poverty. Whether you're in a place of abundance right now or in the middle of something God hasn't yet resolved, you can trust that scarcity is not His design for you. The question He invites you into isn't "why didn't this promise reach me?" but "what does it mean to trust a God whose deepest desire is that I thrive?"