Mother’s Day Meditation
Read: What is a Mother? (From The Tale of the Tardy Oxcard)
We all have a mother. So...We all have expectations of what a mother should be. Each one of us place (and have placed) certain expectations on our mothers. We expect Mother to be there when we most need her.
We expect her NOT to be there when we don’t want her around.
Mother is the person who knows everything.
And if she doesn’t, you can be sure sooner or later, she’s going to find out.
I love the story about the frazzled mother who sent her little boy to bed, and the little boy was mumbling to himself, “How come every time she gets tired, I’m the one who has to take a nap?”
Or there’s the one about the family that just had their FOURTH child (not mentioning any names), all under the age of five. Some friends sent a playpen over to the family and a couple days later they got a thank you note from the mother of the four kids. It read: “Just what we needed. I sit in it every afternoon and read, and the kids can’t even get near me!”
I heard one just recently about a mother who had spent all day with her kids, and nothing was going right. She was exasperated and tired and frazzled. And in the evening a soul winner from the local church came and knocked on her door, and she invited him in. His first question was, “How would you like to live forever?” And that tired, worn-out mother said, “I don’t think I could handle that!”
There is no other job in the world that is as heart-breaking, or as rewarding, as motherhood. And no other job - (hear me now) - No other job, will have the influence, or the impact on the world, like parenting does. 90% of teenagers, when asked who influences them most, still say their parents. That influence can be a godly one, or a worldly one. The world these days, and the feminist movement, the economic structure, society, places all kinds of expectations on mothers these days. A sign posted in a restaurant says it all: It reads: “Our pies are like the ones your mother used to bake - before she entered the workforce.”
This morning I want to talk about three things - only three that are expected of moms, by God. Moms, if you have these three characteristics, God is pleased with you and you will be a blessing to your children, and that blessing will be visited to their children, and their children’s children. That’s God’s promise.
Men, if you support your wife, the mother of your children, in fact any woman you’re in relationship with, to develop these three attributes. If you support and encourage, these three characteristics, your relationship will be blessed.
Hannah had these three characteristics. And her husband, Elkanah, nurtured them in her - he respected her for them and as a result, their relationship was blessed of God.
#1 Hannah was a woman of prayer - She was a woman of prayer - we’re told in verse 12 Hannah CONTINUED praying before the Lord and Eli observed her mouth.” He watched her. She wasn’t just praying some mundane, repetitive prayer, she prayed passionately. Vs 10 says, in bitterness of soul, she wept and prayed, so much so that Eli thought she was drunk and chastised her for it. Why did Hannah pray so fervently? Because she knew that Elkanah wasn’t the source of children, God was. Every child that is ever conceived in this world is a gift from God. (Let me say that again.) Every child that is ever conceived in this world (yes, no matter how) - every child is a gift from God. Hannah knew that. She knew the scripture. She knew that children are a heritage from the Lord, and she desperately wanted God’s gift to her - so she prayed.
# 2 Hannah was a woman of faith - We’re told she went up to Shiloh with her husband to worship
- Hannah had a believing, worshiping husband and she faithfully went with him
- he made the trip to Shiloh yearly
- that means, by the way, that he went up each year the number of times that were required - and according to Exodus 23, that would have been three times
- so she was faithful in worshiping with her husband
- had that common bond - worshiping the same God
- now Elkanah was not perfect - he was a polygamist - not condoned in the OT, but was culturally accepted
- we’re told Elkanah loved Hannah - most likely she was the first wife and when it was discovered that she was going to be barren, Elkanah married another wife to have children
- but he loved Hannah - the KJV says when he gave them gifts, he couldn’t give gifts to Hannah’s children because she had none, so he gave her, it says, a double portion -
- you see - he felt obligated to Peninnah, but loved Hannah
- can you imagine it? - We all know what they say today about two women in the same house - can you imagine what it would be like to have two women in the same house and have the husband love one of them - the one that didn’t have the children?
- no wonder Peninnah taunted Hannah and carried on so much about her not having children, she knew Hannah was loved
- Hannah didn’t have to go to the temple with her husband, but she made the journey - despite Peninnah - and she worshiped there with her husband
- another area where we see the great faith of Hannah is in vs. 18. After praying, and receiving Eli’s blessing, we’re told Hannah went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. She believed. She had faith that God was going to give her the son she asked for and she want away and ate and was no longer bitter of soul.
- now that’s a great attribute. She came to God, she worshiped, she wept, she prayed, and she believed - and she went away “no longer downcast”
# 3 Hannah was a woman of integrity - She kept her promise. Vs. 24 tells us after he was weaned, she took the boy with her, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh.
Now notice verses 27 and 28: Hannah says: “I prayed for this child and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.”
- best part of this story? - it’s always amazed and encouraged me.
- did you notice? It wasn’t when Hannah HAD Samuel that she rejoiced - we’re just told then that she named him Samuel because she asked the Lord for him. Samuel means, “Heard by God.” - it was when she gave Samuel to the Lord - that’s when we have record of her breaking out in prayerful song to the Lord - when she fulfilled her promise to the Lord, there was great joy.
Can you imagine how painful it must have been for Hannah to turn Samuel over to Eli? She would only see him three times a year, he was only about 3 or 4 years old - and she rejoices that she has fulfilled her promise to the Lord, and he has answered her prayers.
Mom, what kind of expectations are you feeling the pressure of today? What are you trying to live up to?
In just a moment our SS kids are going to make a special presentation to all the moms that are here today. Before they do that, I’d like to have all the moms stand where they are. I want to pray a blessing on your life
- do that? Would you just stand where you are.
Prayer: Lord, these women who are standing before you now are moms. We thank and praise you that you have given them the very best gift you have - a child. A son or a daughter, or many sons and daughters. Lord, we’re reminded that when you gave all of us your very best - you sent your son to us. And so God, we know that the gift of a child is the most beautiful gift of all. Lord as these women bow before you today as somebody’s mom, I pray that each one of them will know that they are YOUR daughters. Father, I ask right now that your Holy Spirit will flow through each one of them, that they will have a new sense of the importance of who they are as mothers. Lord, when the pressures of society seem too much for them to bear. When the heartache of a mother’s love seems too overwhelming because things haven’t worked out in their children’s lives the way they so longed for it to do. Father - let them hear your voice above the din of it all - Peace be still.
Lord, I pray a blessing now on the life of each mother here. May the godly heritage she gives/or has given, her children, visit her children’s children, and their children, for a thousand generations. In the name of the Father, the son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
