In the Old Testament, the story of Judith shines as a beacon of faith, courage and divine deliverance. Judith, a widowed and childless woman, played a vital role in saving her people from destruction and showed us we can be fruitful wherever God places us.
Society tends to define a woman's fruitfulness by her ability to bear children. This concept of fruitfulness is narrow and can leave those of us walking the path of infertility feeling barren, unworthy or unfulfilled. But Judith’s story offers a different perspective that calls us to rethink what it means to be fruitful.
When we first meet Judith (Judith 8), she has been a widow for three years, in mourning, wearing sackcloth, fasting and living in a tent on the roof of her house. Three years seems like a long time to mourn, even in biblical times. It is possible that Judith was mourning her widowhood and childlessness at the same time. In her society, she would not be desirable to another man as a wife if she didn’t have children. As far as we know, Judith was childless, with no children mentioned in scripture. Before she died, she distributed her property to her husband’s next of kin and her own next of kin (Judith 16:24). Distributing her estate this way supports that Judith is a childless widow. Her story doesn’t stay in mourning, though.
Judith’s story isn’t one of despair or loneliness. Instead, it is one of action, faith and an extraordinary calling. She didn’t retreat into the shadows of her circumstance; instead, she stepped boldly into God’s purpose for her life, delivering her entire nation from the threat of the Assyrian army. Her fruitfulness wasn’t dependent on children she didn’t have but on her courage, wisdom and unwavering trust in God.
Seasons of infertility
Many of us find ourselves in seasons of waiting, longing for a child, or grieving the loss of one. Nothing is wrong with our hopes and dreams for children; this is a God-given desire. However, this desire can consume us to the point where we will only be satisfied once we have children. Judith’s story shows us that our current season need not go to waste.
Sometimes, it feels like the “season of infertility” is more than a season because it never ends. There are many seasons of infertility. There are spring seasons when we remember that God plants seeds of hope even in the most barren places. Summer is a time of growth, but we also have to wait for the planted seeds to grow. Autumn is a time of harvest and an end to growth. Winter is a time of rest as God prepares the soil of our hearts for us to bear fruit again. We see a parallel in Judith’s story. She never remarried, so her season of widowhood never ended. However, she didn’t stay in the sackcloth season.
Grief is an experience that demands to be felt and experienced, but God never wants us to set up a tent and stay there forever. Judith shows us that even when grief is present, we can still be fruitful in the moment where God has placed us. Despite living in a tent on her roof and in mourning, Judith was managing her late husband’s estate and those entrusted to her care (Judith 8:7).
Being fruitful where God places you
While Judith was still in her sackcloth, she heard people murmuring about the leaders of her city. The people were thirsty and without water, and if no rain came, they would surrender to the Assyrians in five days. She sent her maid to bring her the elders of the city. She spoke wisdom to the elders, and they asked for her prayers that God would send rain. Judith didn’t settle for only praying.
Judith immediately took action. She called out to God for His help in prayer. Then she took off her widow’s garments, bathed, anointed herself with oil, put on a tiara, and dressed in festive attire. Judith didn’t wait for ideal circumstances to act. Instead, she used all her resources, including her faith, intellect, bravery, and beauty, to step into the role God had prepared for her. She responded to the needs of her people, trusting God to work through her in that moment.
In every season, God calls us to trust Him, act in faith, and live fruitfully with what He has graciously given us. We are called to look beyond what we lack and embrace fruitfulness in our present circumstances. We are called to be fruitful now in whatever way God leads us, whether through service, prayer, leadership, or helping in our parish and community. This calling isn’t for some distant future but for this very moment.
I’m learning to be fruitful in my own life. I often find myself longing for the future, hoping for the day when I might finally hold a child of my own in my arms. Despite waiting and uncertainty, I trust that God has a purpose for me right now, and I don’t have to wait for it. When I was asked to be a catechist for children in my parish, I stepped outside my comfort zone and trusted that God had heard my prayer to make me fruitful. He has a purpose for me and a plan for my fruitfulness. I only need to trust and follow where He leads.
Judith serves as a role model of faith, strength, and divine purpose for those of us on this journey of infertility. Her childlessness didn’t diminish her worth, and it didn’t limit God’s ability to use her for something greater than she could have imagined. Judith reminds us that our fruitfulness isn’t dependent on having children. It is found in following God’s call in the here and now. Even when life feels barren, even when the waiting seems endless, we can still live a life of purpose, and we can still bear fruit.
Judith’s actions testify that trust in God can lead to unexpected forms of fruitfulness. Many of us worry about leaving a legacy without children. Judith’s fruitfulness wasn’t through children but through a bold, lifesaving act that saved her people. Israel mourned her for seven days when she died. People may not be reading about us thousands of years later, but we can still have an impact on people around us, lead others to Christ, and leave a spiritual legacy.
It is hard to see far ahead, especially when we feel stuck in our current season, so let’s concentrate on today. How is God calling you to be fruitful today? What gifts, talents, or opportunities has He placed in your life that you can use to serve others and honor Him?
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