Today is Mothers day and I would like to give honor where honor is due and that’s to all the Godly Mothers and also Grand Mothers.
The Bible says in:
Pr 6:20 My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Pr 6:21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. Pr 6:22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. Pr 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
Bible says that the law of a Mother shall lead you and shall be a light unto you and you will remember what your Mother taught you throughout your life…you young people may not think so but you will remember those acts of love and kindness that your Mom or Grand Mother did when you get older. That’s a love that only comes from our Lord in Heaven.
I want to honor all the Godly Moms out there this morning. it is the unselfish love of a Mother and a concern for her children’s wellbeing that causes prayers to be answered. A Godly Mothers prayer for her children I believe takes priority in Heaven.
Bubble gum. Stuffed olives. Accordions. A classical guitar and disposable diapers. Have you ever wondered how such things are made? Perhaps the prospect of learning how everyday items are put together isn’t all that exciting to you. If that’s the case, then you’ve probably never seen How It’s Made, a simple TV series that prides itself on showing the world how everyday items are assembled. And although it might sound boring, this show is proving to be a big hit. What began as a documentary for Canadian television has gained a worldwide following on cable networks such as Discovery and the Science Channel. After 10 years on the air, How It’s Made is broadcast in more than 30 countries. Each week it teaches people around the globe a very simple lesson: Even the most overlooked of items is intricately and wonderfully made. And when you know how much effort goes into making something, you’re able to appreciate it that much more. Today is Mother’s Day. Proverbs 31 gives us a glimpse of Mom at her finest. She not only has stolen the heart of her husband and earned the respect of her peers, but she’s an entrepreneur, a purveyor of wisdom and, on top of it all, she raises boys and girls who call her “blessed.” Believe it or not, the Bible goes to great lengths to show us just how God has made this incredible, indispensable yet often-overlooked aspect of everyday life known as “Mom.” And if studying that process can prove fruitful for something as silly as stuffed olives, how much more meaningful could it be for someone as amazing as the one we call Mom? In fact, taking a tour in the Bible of how Mom is made teaches us not only a ton about Mom but also some profound things about God. In the first chapter of Genesis, we see God forming all creation, the land, the animals, the sun and the stars. Finally, God turns to hand-crafting what would later be called the crown of creation, humankind. And as this happens, listen to what God says: Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply ….” (Genesis 1:26-28a). In drawing up the design for Adam, Eve and all of humanity, God says something about us that wasn’t said when making the mountains, the stars, the cows or the killer whale. God proclaims that humans are made in the imago Dei, the very image of God. That is, as human beings we reflect, we represent, we give off hints of God in this world that nothing else does. Our abilities to create, emote, think, love, build things, change things and heal things all point back to God. But it goes even further. Wanting to display the full height and the breadth of who he is, God not only created humanity but created humans distinctly male and female as well. God gave us slightly different wiring on the inside and a different shape and texture on the outside. God then gave men and women different hats to wear; different callings and vocations such as husband and wife, father and mother. These unique roles make the most of our different wiring and shapes and allow us as men and women to uniquely bless this world and uniquely proclaim something about “who God is” to this world. What then can we learn about God from what we see in the makeup of moms? First, Mom was made to give comfort in this world as God gives comfort. There’s so much about moms that gifts them for calming, nurturing and comforting the world. They have the softer skin and the smoother voice. Moms have the rounded corners and the more empathetic heart, all of which exude warmth and make us feel at home. Sure, guys can comfort, too. But here’s the secret: Fathers have stolen all their best moves from moms. Perhaps that’s an exaggeration, but seriously, moms are the reason men know it’s better when the little one comes running after getting stung by a bee to hold her tight and slow her breathing than to pat her on the butt like a ballplayer and say, “Walk it off.” Dads, if they didn’t learn it from moms, certainly got a few lessons from moms. That’s how moms are made. And when Mom lives that out in the family, it offers the world a glimpse of God. Listen to what God says about himself, in the book of Isaiah: “As a mother comforts her child, so I [God] will comfort you; you shall be comforted” (66:13). How great is that? God is saying, “Do you remember how Mom made you feel? Remember how her presence meant peace? How when you were an infant her very body gave food and her heartbeat would slow yours? Remember how she would draw you close and then draw you in? Well, she learned it from me, and that, my child, is how I care for you.” Second, Mom is made to mold and shape us as God molds and shapes us. One of the big ideas in the Bible is something called “sanctification.” It’s a term that literally means “the process of becoming holy,” or being trained in the ways of God. The Bible tells us that God places his Spirit inside us and begins a lifelong process of changing us. God’s hands are wrapped around the lives of those who love him, slowly molding and shaping our behaviors and our thoughts. Out of love, God is breaking us down and building us better, jettisoning the messed-up stuff and replacing it with Godly stuff. In the life of the home, Mom is like the Holy Spirit. She’s the sanctifier. Yes, the guys play a big part in this, too, but let’s face it: Moms are the ones who tend to dog the details of human development. They’re the ones who make us holy. Generally speaking, Mom makes sure we sit right, speak right and dress right. Sure, Dad understands that the kid has to wear pants. But Mom understands that the pants need a belt. She molds and shapes us in the finer points of being a functional human being. Just like God, Mom has her hands wrapped around our lives, rounding off the rough edges. This is also why Mom is such a great nurturer of faith. A mom’s power is most often displayed in applying faith to the details of the home, such as prayer before mealtimes and bedtimes. On Mother’s Day, we tend to remember that Mom is a gift from God. But what we often forget is that for many of us, our relationship with God was a gift given by Mom. The molding and shaping of a mom is indispensable. Think about this: Even the Son of God, when he took on flesh and entered our world, needed a “mom of God.” The perfect, sinless God incarnate still needed the care, concern and coercion of a good mom. That’s how important moms are. Think of the strange conversations that must have led to, though. “Jesus, you need to be home before that sundial hits 6. You may have made this world, but I brought you into it.” Moms, like a potter with clay, mold us and shape us. Third, one of the biggest things we learn is that Mom, like God, was made to give life. When God crafted the first woman, Adam took one look and instantly named her “Eve,” a name that means “life giver.” While it takes two of us to make a baby, it takes one to bear it. Moms are given that honor, and that toil belongs wholly to them. They are the bearer of life to whom, once that child arrives, all credit is due. Have you ever noticed that when God wants to talk about how he saves us, over and over in the Scriptures God uses a mother’s ability to give life as the perfect picture for how God grants eternal life. For example: “By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (emphasis added, 1 Peter 1:3). In other words, just as Mom toiled and labored to give you physical life, so has God toiled and labored to bring you to eternal life. Just as Mom gets all the credit on your birthday, God is the one who gets all the credit for your salvation today. It was by grace and mercy alone, through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross for your sins, that you are now a member of God’s family. God loves you, and he birthed a saving faith in you. Mom bore you once, but God — through no effort of your own — bore you again. All of this isn’t to say that Mom is somehow sainted and perfect. Not at all. One of the biggest things we learn when studying the makeup and design of Mom is that while she teaches us much about God, she’s definitely not God. Mothers and fathers both can agree that while parenting brings out some of the best in us, it also brings out all that’s broken in us. As human beings, as moms and dads, we may display God to the world but in the process we’re constantly reminded of our need for God as well. For many mothers, the words of praise lavished in Proverb 31 are simultaneously uplifting and convicting. Any mom will tell you that she has more “un-excellent” days than she cares to admit. That she hasn’t always dressed “herself with strength” or had the “teaching of kindness” on her tongue (Proverbs 31:17, 26). It’s tough to watch your child grow up and to see your sins being replicated in his or her life. It’s difficult to admit that no matter how good of a mom you are, your child will still have a desperate need for the hope, the healing and the forgiveness of Jesus, just as you do. God is saying, “Despite your sins and your struggles, remember that I love you and that I’m watching over you like a nursing mother does her child.” And it’s as if God anticipates a response of, “Well, you know what? Sometimes moms fail, sometimes moms forget.” “And that’s true,” God says. “But I never will. I have engraved you on the palm of my hand.” Those are incredible words. For the guilt-ridden mom and the broken-hearted mom; for the overwhelmed mom and the one who desperately wants to be a mom. God has not forgotten you. God has engraved you on the palm of his hand, and he loves you. When you look at how something is made, you’re able to appreciate it that much more. Given what we know about the makeup of moms, there’s just one thing we should do to show our appreciation for her. We should honor her out of obedience to God. In Leviticus 19, God is giving instructions to Moses as to how the Israelites should live in the promised land as holy, obedient children of God. Listen to what sits at the top of his list: “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. You shall each revere your mother and father, and you shall keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:1-3). One of the best ways we honor who God is is by showing appreciation for what Mom does. As our parents grow older, as our reliance on them fades with their faults and frailties becoming increasingly clear, this is really difficult to do. Yet that’s when they need it the most. That’s when they deserve it the most. This is when we rise up and call Mom “blessed” (Proverbs 31:28, NIV). Moms no doubt feel at times as though they’re far from “excellent.” But we know that moms are intricately and wonderfully made. And knowing how moms are made, we appreciate them that much more. Today is our opportunity to give our mothers praise. Why? It’s because through their comfort, their presence, their labor, their love and even their faults, they have given us a glimpse of God. Amen.
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