Children are a wonderful blessing from the Lord. The Bible speaks of children in good terms, saying they are God's gifts to parents. Although raising kids requires much from parents, it's also true that they're priceless gifts that no amount of money can ever replace.

Psalm 127:3-5 tells us of children,

"Look, children are a gift of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is a reward. As arrows in the hand of a mighty warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; he shall not be ashamed when he speaks with the enemies at the gate."

Are you a married man or woman longing to have kids? Or do you know a Christian couple who don't have children of their own and who are longing to have one? Here are some things you should know about children and how God sees them.

1) God wants you to have children

God wants all married couples to have children, period. In marriage, we are to "multiply." Although there are some who are unable to give birth, the Bible paints a picture of marriage as something that leads naturally to children. Consider this:

"God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves on the earth."" (Genesis 1:28)

2) God is able to give you children

There are some who have lost hope in having a child. Some have experienced miscarriage. Some, on the other hand, are simply unable to conceive. The truth is that your age or fertility is not an issue before the Lord. Consider Sarah, who at a ripe old age gave birth to Abraham's son Isaac (see Genesis 21:1-3); or Rachel, who gave birth to Jacob's son Joseph (see Genesis 30:22-24); or Hannah, who gave birth to Elkanah's son, the soon-to-be prophet Samuel (see 1 Samuel 1:20). God gave them children of their own.  Miracles do happen so we should always have faith in the Lord for children.  Even if we are not able to bear children naturally, God can bless families with children through other ways such as adoption or fostering.

"Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause delivery? says the Lord. Shall I who cause delivery shut the womb? says your God." (Isaiah 66:9)

3) God has a purpose for your child

You might be surprised that I'm telling you this. Couples need to realize that while children are like a crown on their heads, they are also arrows in the hand of God. They weren't ultimately born for our happiness or sense of fulfilment; they are born for God's very purposes. Consider what David declared:

"You brought my inner parts into being; You wove me in my mother's womb ... Your eyes saw me unformed, yet in Your book all my days were written, before any of them came into being." (Psalm 139:13, 16)

Friends, the children God gives to us have a divine destiny that they need to fulfil. He has planned the days of their lives as much as He has planned ours.  We as parents will train them and raise them up so that they would serve the Lord in their own time (see Proverbs 22:6).  That means remembering that they are first and foremost God's children and that while we do our best for them, He takes ultimate responsibility for their lives.