A Mother's Gift

"A Mother’s Gift"

1 Samuel 1

A teacher gave her class of second graders a lesson on the magnet

and what it does. The next day in a written test, she included

this question: "My full name has six letters. The first one is

M. I pick up things. What am I?" When the test papers were

turned in, the teacher was astonished to find that almost 50

percent of the students answered the question with the word

Mother.

- A four-year-old and a six-year-old presented their Mom with a houseplant. They had used their own money and she was thrilled. The older of them said with a sad face, "There was a bouquet that we wanted to give you at the flower shop. It was real pretty, but it was too expensive. It had a ribbon on it that said, ’Rest In Peace,’ and we thought it would be just perfect since you are always asking for a little peace so that you can rest."

- Today we come together to honor our mothers. Since Eve gave birth to Cain, the role of the mother has taken a central place in our world. A mother’s influence on her children, her husband, and her world is often miscalculated. Bill Cosby laments that even though it is the dad who takes his small son and builds him up to be the tough, mean football hero of his young adulthood, when the son is in the big game playing before 100,000 fans and a national television audience, and the television camera after scoring big play he always says "HI, MOM!" You see, though a father may try to build a good relationship with his children and be a terrific dad, it is mom who is there during the child’s early years to answer the never-ending string of questions and shape the child’s interpretation of life. It is mom who has changed the diapers, held him when he had colic, helped him take his first step. It was mom who chose to make his first grade art project the centerpiece of the refrigerator door.

Note: A teacher asked a boy this question: "Suppose your mother baked a pie and there were seven of you--your parents and five children. What part of the pie would you get?" "A sixth," replied the boy. "I’m afraid you don’t know your fractions," said the teacher. "Remember, there are seven of you." "Yes, teacher," said the boy, "but you don’t know my mother. Mother would say she didn’t want any pie."Bits and Pieces, June, 1990, p. 10 Because it is in a mother’s heart to give with no thought of return.

So it is mothers that we have come to honor mothers this morning.

As we look at the story of Hannah, the mother of Samuel, we find many qualities of motherhood that are great examples to us.

I. A MOTHER’S DESIRE - TO LOVE HER CHILDREN (1-9)

Note: Girls begin to show that innate need to be a mother even at an early age.

A. She had no children

B. This was a great source of shame in that society

1. Could not continue the lineage of the father

2. Could not contribute to society

3. Often needed children to help her in her older years.

4. Generally considered punishment from God.

Note: This is illustrated by how Peninnah treated her.

C. For Hannah, nothing could satisfy that God-given need to hold and nurture her own child.

Note: Elkanah’s plea of “Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

Note: How difficult it is when a mother does NOT have that desire, but is abusive. Mother’s day is a hard time for many, especially when their mother failed in the foundational task of love.

II. A MOTHER’S FAITH - TO PRAY - 10

A. "greatly distressed" = "bitter of soul"

Note: God best answers those prayers made in desperation. Part of Hanna’s willingness to give Samuel to the Lord was the pain of years asking for his birth.

B. "prayed and wept"

I cannot tell how much I owe to the prayers of my good mother..I remember her once praying, "Now Lord, if my children go on in sin it will not be from ignorance that they perish, and my soul must bear swift witness against them at the day of judgment if they lay not hold on Christ and claim Him as their personal Savior."

Charles Spurgeon

Note: TRUE STORY:

This past Sunday, a dead man joined the church.

About two months ago the 18-year-old son of a single mother (who had only recently become a Christian), OD’ed on drugs. His mother, was called to the hospital, "to make some difficult ethical decisions". But she requested that the church pray that her son would regain enough mental facilities before he died to accept Christ.