Mothers – A Godly Heritage
-Love in Action-
I Samuel 1:1-18, 27
Today we give special honor to our mothers. Children were asked to answer questions and make comments about their mothers.
What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men’s bones. Then they mostly use string. I think.
What kind of little girl was your Mom?
1. My Mom has always been my Mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don’t know because I wasn’t there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.
“I love my mom because she let me get a dog and then she let me sleep with it. I hope she lives forever.” Aden, Age 8
“My mama is the best mama in the world. She lets me share the chocolates in her lamp table drawer. She reads to me, and we sit on the porch swing together.” Brenna Age 6
“I love my mom cause she lets me read my book under the covers with a flashlight and gives me lots of chances to pick up my toys.” Ethan Age 7
“My Mom – Nice, beautiful and pretty as a butterfly. That’s my mom. Clever as a whale warm as a fuzzy bear. That’s my mom. Soft as a pillow. She laughs like an angel. That’s my mom. Caring, cool, and clever. She’s the best! That’s my mom!” Jonathan, Age 8
The Bible has many references to women of faith who contributed to making the world a better place to live.
After passing through the Red Sea, it was Miriam who led the people in their rejoicing, saying, “Sing, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has thrown both horse and rider into the sea.” NLT
Ruth put God first and as a result became part of the family of King David.
Deborah was one of the judges of Israel.
Queen Ester took her life in her hands to plead for her doomed people.
A widow’s obedience to God’s command sustained the prophet Elijah, “For no matter how much they used, there was always enough left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.” (I Kings 17:16)
A young captive maid told the wife of Naaman about the man of God who would cure Naaman of his leprosy.
A woman’s grateful love caused her to break an alabaster box and pour precious ointment on Jesus’ head.
A woman’s thankfulness caused her to wash the Master’s feet with her tears and to wipe His feet with her hair.
Mary, blessed among women, gave birth to the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Mary Magdalene, bringing spice to anoint Jesus, first greeted the risen Lord and received the first commission: “Go tell.” (John 20:17)
I’m drawn to the story of Hannah, a godly mother who became the mother of the prophet Samuel. I like the story of Hannah because Hannah reminds me of my mother. My Mother had some of the same attributes as Hannah. Just as Hannah left a godly heritage for her family, my mother also left a godly heritage. We note several characteristics of Hannah that makes her a good model for other mothers.
I. Hannah was Devoted to the Lord
In her devotion to the Lord Hannah was a woman of prayer. She did not give up on prayer when she did not receive quick answers. For years Hannah had prayed to become pregnant and have a child. When she traveled every year with her husband, Elkanah and his other wife Peninnah to Shiloh to worship the Lord she made it a matter of special prayer to ask God for a child.
Parents may not have all the answers, but they can pray for their children.
# I remember a time when my mother used prayer as discipline. My Dad was gone most of the time so mother had the responsibility of disciplining her son and daughter. On one occasion my sister and I were outside fighting out of control. Mother tried to get us to stop to no avail. Mother went into the house and when my sister and I finally came to our senses and went inside we found mother kneeling at the sofa in prayer. She was praying that God would speak to her children and help her to be a good mother. Her payers got our attention and we made a greater effort to get along.
Hannah remained positive when surrounded by a negative atmosphere. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. Year after year when they traveled to the Tabernacle for prayer Peninnah tormented Hannah and made fun of her because of Hannah’s misfortune to have no children. For a Hebrew mother to have no children was a disgrace. Because of the taunting Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not eat.
But instead of complaining Hannah would go to the Tabernacle and pray.
Some wives by their negative and critical comments keep their husband from communicating on a feeling level. The authors of Safe Haven Marriage, tells of one husband who said: “I trust my wife with my life. She never wavers. She’s home a lot, so she has no problem spending time with me. But when I start to open up, all I get is a critical comment: “That won’t work. Don’t do that! What are you doing that for? Why did you say that?” Of course I just stop right there.
Positive mothers are committed to not give up on prayer. When new ideas come up to positive mothers they don’t say what negative mothers say:
It can’t be done.
We can’t afford it.
I’m too tired.
But the children…
We don’t have time.
It’s impossible.
Positive mothers say:
Sounds great!
How can we swing it?
Let’s see how we can possibly do it.
Let’s find a way to do it.
Let’s think of a solution.
My own mother was positive and took everything to God in prayer. She starved problems and fed solutions.
On one occasion Hannah was in deep anguish of prayer in the Tabernacle. She prayed that if God would give her a son, she would give him back to the Lord to serve Him all his life. (I Samuel 1:11) Eli the priest saw her praying, her lips moving but no sound coming out. He thought she might be drunk and told her she needed to stop drinking. Hannah told him she had not been drinking but she was pouring her heart out to God. Eli told her that God had heard and answered her prayer.
Hannah was devoted to the Lord. She was a woman of prayer. The challenge for every mother here today is to be a woman devoted to the Lord.
II. Hannah trusted the Lord
Hannah took God at His Word and lived by faith. She acted on faith. When Hannah told Eli that she was in deep prayer and devotion to God Eli said, “In that case, cheer up! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.” (I Samuel 1:17) “Oh, thank you, sir!” Hannah exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.” NLT
Hannah trusted the Lord and began to live as if God had indeed answered her prayer.
Trust is a crucial part of a successful home and family. Trust is at work when you have the assurance that your spouse will be dependable, on time, honest, and truthful. Trust is when you do what say you will do and when you say you will do it. In marriage you should be able to trust your spouse with your money, body, future, possessions, dreams, goals, and secrets. Spouses ought to be able to know that their partners will be respectful, dependable, responsible, and reliable. You trust that your spouse will not spend the last penny in your banking account without first checking with you. When your husband calls on the cell phone saying he is stuck in traffic you trust that he is telling the truth.
Trust erodes when truth is sugarcoated or your habitually exaggerate and don’t care about getting the facts straight. When mistrust infiltrates a marriage, both husband and wife begin to question each other in regard to where they were, who they were with, and what they did.
In our marriage Carollyn and I are committed to building a trust relationship. There are some things I refuse to do in ministry. I will not ride alone in the car with another woman unless a third person is along. I will not go out to lunch alone with another woman unless my wife or someone else is along.
Once trust is broken it is a rugged mountain to climb back to the top. By the grace of God it is possible, but it usually takes time and a demonstration of trust over a long time period.
My mother trusted the Lord. Even thought my dad was unfaithful to their marriage relationship, my mother was faithful. Thought married my mother was like a single parent when it came to spiritual life in our family. She went to church alone and took her children with her. Her life was a testimony of God grace and keeping power.
Mothers and Fathers trust in the Lord with all your heart and learn not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge the Lord and He will direct your paths. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do and he will direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) When you have that trust in your heart and home you will leave a Godly Heritage to your children.
Hannah was devoted to the Lord – a woman of prayer. Hannah trusted the Lord.
III. Hannah Gave Sacrificially to the Lord
God gave Hannah a boy, she named him Samuel, in Hebrew the name means, “Asked of God” or “Heard of God.” For three years she cared for the baby until he was old enough for Hannah to take him to the Tabernacle to live with Eli.
For three years Hannah faithfully parented her only son, Samuel. At the end of three years she took her young son to the temple to become an intern Priest with Eli.
Can you imagine how Hannah cared and prayed for her only son. At the end of three years she kept her promise and took him to the Tabernacle. Her mother’s heart probably longed to keep her son and watch him grow up as a teenager and young adult. She would have enjoyed attending his marriage and having grandchildren. She kept her promise and gave sacrificially to the Lord.
Then on a yearly basis Hannah visited her son and took him a small coat she had sewed for him. Hannah gave hear son her most precious gift. She gave herself.
The story is told of a mother of a large family of children who was remarkably successful in her training. Her secret, she gave herself. She said, “When my children were young I thought the very best thing I could do for them was to give them myself. So I spared no pains to talk with them to teach them, and be a loving companion and friend to my children. I had to neglect my house many times. I had no time to indulge myself in many things which I should have liked to do. I was so busy adorning their minds and cultivating their hearts’ best affections, that I could not adorn their bodies in find clothes, through I kept them neat and comfortable at all times.
I have my reward now. My sons are ministers of the gospel, and my grown-up daughter is a lovely Christian woman. I have plenty of time now to rest, plenty of time to keep my house in perfect order, plenty of time to indulge myself in many ways, besides going about my Master’s business, whenever He has need of me. I have a thousand beautiful memories of their childhood to comfort me. Now that they have gone out into the world, I have the sweet consciousness of having done all I could do to make them ready for whatever work God calls them to do. I gave them the best I could, myself.”
My own mother gave sacrificially to her children and to the Lord. My mother watched children in our home and did washings and ironing to help make financial ends meet. She had to put up with no heat in the bedrooms during winter, no hot running water, no indoor bathroom. Yet she seldom complained. Mother was always here when her children needed her.
Being a mother is hard work. # There is a cartoon that pictures a mother with 3 pre-school children. She is answering the phone: “No this is not the sleeply-hollow rest home! You’re not even close.” The dog is howling, the sink is pilled high with dishes, a pan on the stove is boiling over, one child at the table spilled his glass of milk, another child is beating a pan with a wooden spoon, and the third child is pouring milk on the floor.
My mother gave sacrificially to the Lord. With her small income she always gave her tithe-10% of her income to the Lord’s work. At the age of 40 she started to college taking correspondence courses and attending summer school. My mother and I graduated from college the same year – she was 52 and I was 21.
Because Hannah was devoted to the Lord and Hannah put her trust in the Lord and gave sacrificially to the Lord, God blessed her and rewarded her for her faithfulness. (I Samuel 2:21,) “And the Lord gave Hannah three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.”
#A Mother’s Love
Some years ago, on a hot summer day in South Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he sway toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore. His mother, in the house and looking out the window, saw the two as they got closer and closer together.
In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother.
It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug of war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much to passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.
Remarkable, after weeks and weeks in the hospital the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. On his arms, were deep scratches from where his mother’s fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.
The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pants legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, “But, look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms too. I have them because my Mom wouldn’t let go.”
Just like a mother who loves her child, so God loves each of you. Enemies attack from every place. You are in a tug of war. God’s love is holding on to you and your family as the world pulls the other direction.
Mothers follow the example of Hannah.
Be devoted to the Lord in prayer.
Trust in the Lord and
Give Sacrificially to the Lord
When you do God will He will bless and reward you with a Godly Heritage and a great Legacy of Faith for your Family.
