THE TRAGEDY OF AN ABORTED LIFE -- Devotional for December 5, from "Good Seeds"

“Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance, and in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.” (Psalm 139:18)

What is the tragedy of abortion? Just this: a human soul is dispatched straight to eternal life without the benefit of an earthly life. In Psalm 139:13-16 we read of God not only creating but communing with the tiny human being, following conception but preceding birth. His ultrasound vision sees our miniature grasping fingers and beating heart, but more than that, His MRI eyes take pictures of the slices of our lives yet to be lived. Scientists call it a fetus, but God knows – and in their heart of hearts men know, too – that this is not just a living organism, but a complete human being. A developing baby lives in its mama’s womb until it is ready to enter the world of earth and air. But when death occurs before the capacity for decision-making has developed (either before or after birth), a human being goes to heaven’s paradise (see II Samuel 12:23). “Well, what’s so bad about that?” you ask. “Such a one is the lucky one, skipping this ugly world and going straight to the perfect world, that beautiful life with God in heaven!” But it IS bad – it spells loss on two levels: 1) Personal loss – Human life is defined as an eternal soul residing in a corporal body: spirit plus body. And our life is not complete, not fulfilled, when these two parts are separated. Indeed the very definition of death is “separation of the soul from the body.” We instinctively know that we’re “not good if detached!” The Bible also indicates that it is God’s plan for us to dwell on earth, for a time, and afterwards in heaven, for eternity, where our temporary body is replaced with a permanent one. So when unborn children are dispatched to the bosom of the Father, skipping life lived out in a corporal body, they miss the life God intended for them to live in the temporal kingdom. It’s a tough life, starting with struggle, but He is not willing that any should perish: He desires salvation for all. But not only does the individual lose out on this significant part of the purpose for which they were created. So does the world around him. Yes abortion is also 2) Humanity’s loss, Every individual created by God has a contribution to make to the family and community he was born into. Although the believing thief on the cross next to Jesus was promised a life in Paradise in exchange for his faith, there was no opportunity for him to live out that faith on earth. It is clearly evident that to die young, even as young as when still in the womb, is a tragedy. Not so obvious is another scenario: to be dead even while alive (spiritually dead in sin, see Ephesians 2:1), or, like the thief, to not come to life until life has come to an end.