"And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, 'Don't despair, for you have another son.'" ~Genesis 35:17, NIV
Jacob was tricked into marrying two wives, and because his heart was impure, God blessed the one he didn't love with many sons. But Rachel, the wife Jacob did love, only ever had two sons, and this verse describes the birth of her second.
She died after giving birth to him.
The hope of people way back in that day was that someday, their name would live on through their children. That was their immortality, their certainty. Jesus hadn't risen from the dead yet; life was their first and only chance. Having a son was more honorable, because the son carried the father's name, and thus the family "lived on" after death, as it were.
With this cultural background, the midwife told Rachel "don't despair". Today, we have an even stronger hope thanks to Jesus, an even more compelling reason to abandon despair.
Our families will not last forever, but those who believe and serve Jesus shall live forever, serving a loving God.
And remember: every valley has a bottom. And once you've hit the bottom, life climbs on the up and up. So don't let despair control your heart as you sink into a valley. We were not called to live our short lives in anguish. There's hope.
Please don't despair.
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