God's Caring Touch

God’s Caring Touch (Happy Mothers Day!)

Presented at Grand Anse Baptist Church /Sunday 13th May 2007/Tone: Encouragement

1 Kings 17:7-17:24

The Origin of Mothers’ Day

As a western Christian society, a lot of the things we celebrate, has been commercialized and demonized by society. Often time you would have heard mention of pagan festivals or pagan worship that the church is practicing.

The truth of the matter is; most of those celebrations have had very humble beginning only to be twisted by Satan lies and deceits.

Mothers’ Day very idea started in a small Virginia Methodist church back in the early 1900’s.

So the idea of celebrating Mothers’ Day originated from the church!! Nor were it only from the church, but it originated from the heart of a woman by the name of Anna Javis who convinced her church to set aside a Sunday to honor all mothers after her own mother died in 1905. After some years, In 1914 the year of the first world war, American standard pass a resolution and the 28th President of the United States (1913-1921) Thomas Woodrow Wilson, proclaimed that the 2nd Sunday of May to be mothers’ day. He himself was a Presbyterian.

Thus we can celebrate Mothers’ Day on this Sunday the 13th May 2007.

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers: From grand mothers to mother in laws, from step moms to foster mothers. Let us bless the Lord for them.

Mothers Today

Mothers in general are not quite appreciated in our society although they do so much. Someone said the toughest assignment that God has given to anybody is mother ministry.

They describe it like this:

-She must be a helper to her husband, a teacher to the children, a financial manager to the family, a servant to make sure the house is clean b4 her husband is back, and she needs to be a good chief!!

-The worst is if she falls sick, she must get well at the end of the school day, so that she can take care of her children again.

Friends, this morning would you stand up and show some honour to our mothers. Amen

Backdrop: The Scenario

Israel was in Idolatry-they drift away from God and started to do wickedness.

Ahab

Ahab becomes king of Israel; marries Jezebel, restores idolatry, and exceeds his predecessors in wickedness, 1Ki_16:29-33. In other words Israel spiritual decay reached it lowest point. He was even worse than his father, Omri, who was more wicked than all before him (v.25)

Elijah: Tishbite, a Gileadite and prophet

His name means “the Lord is God.” He was sent by God to confront Baalism and to declare to Israel that the Lord was God and there is no other. The autumn and spring rains and summer dew were necessities for the crops of Israel. The Lord had threatened to withhold if His people turned from Him to serve other gods.

(Leviticus 26:18; 19-Deuter 11:16; 17-28:23, 24) Elijah had prayed for the drought. It lasted three years and six months. (James 5:17) The drought proved that Baal, the god of rain and fertility was impotent (not able to stand) before God. But there was a widow in Zarephath that was severely affected. Please turn your Bibles to 1 Kings 17:7-17:24

Encouragement 1

To a mother in side here this morning, you are going through a famine in your life, things are dry and brittle, and you’ve reach this close to giving up-I want to remind you that in the name of Jesus that God, He cares, He knows, so He will provide. Isaiah 43:2 -He promise when you walk through the fire, you will not be burn nor shall the flame scorch you. He promised He will make a way where there is no way-Psalms 37:25-He promised He shall never see the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging bread. PSALM 86. 7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.

But friends I want you to notice something about this mother.

• She was a Virtuous Woman Proverbs 31:10 / Proverbs 12:4

What do I mean? Let us look at some characteristics that made her this way.

She had a fear of God-1 Kings 17:12 -"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 1:7) (Solomon)-"The fear of the Lord that is wisdom" (Job 28:28) (Job)

Mothers, church, do you fear God this morning?

She cared for others-Accepted the prophet 1 Kings 17:11

She looked after her household-She was gathering sticks* 1 Kings 17:10 (*physical provision)

Today mommies God don’t just want you to gather sticks

• Virtuous women by circumstance

Church is there any mothers like this here this morning? Today in the world especially in the Caribbean there is lots of virtuous women-Not by choice but by circumstance. In other word what I am speaking about is the single parent household-(where the mother as head) has to cook-wash-be the breadwinner, the educator and the spiritual leader. But God didn’t ordained it like that, Nor has He approved it-but these families are surviving because of His grace and mercies–for He cares. And if you are a single headed household don’t feel you are surviving because of your wisdom, connections or ingenuity-it is His mercies that are keeping you alive! Amen