The Joys of Motherhood
Notes
Transcript
6,000 Plus Illustrations for Communicating Biblical Truths The Idea for Mother’s Day
Did you know that the idea for Mother’s Day was born in a small Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia?
It was 1876 and the nation still mourned the Civil War dead. While teaching a Memorial Day lesson, Mrs. Anna Reeves Jarvis thought of mothers who had lost their sons. She prayed that one day there could be a “Memorial Day” for mothers. The prayer made a deep impression on one of Mrs. Jarvis’s eleven children. Young Anna had seen her mother’s efforts to hold the war-split community and church together. As she grew into adulthood, the younger woman kept Mrs. Jarvis’s dream in her heart. On the day of her mother’s death, Anna was determined to establish Mother’s Day in her honor.
On May 12, 1907, a local observance was held which later spread to Philadelphia. By 1910, Mother’s Day was celebrated in forty-five states, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Canada, and Mexico. Elated, Miss Jarvis told a friend, “Where it will end must be left for the future to tell. That it will circle the globe now seems certain.”
On May 8, 1914, President Wilson designated the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day “for displaying the American flag and for the public expression of love and reverence for the mothers of the country.”
Today we celebrate “Mom.”
Everyone has a birth mother, but not everyone has a “Mom.”
Many women can have children but choose not to. Many women want children but for one reason or another, are not able to have children. God knows your heart and love of and for kids. Sometimes our bodies do not work the way God designed them to work. The curse of sin affects everyone in different ways.
This message can encourage everyone, no matter if you are able to have kids or not.
Psalm 113-118 are Psalm sung by those observing Passover as part of the Passover celebration. The “Egyptian Halel“, the songs of the Passover.
READ PASSAGE:
Be Exultant (God’s Love Is the Kindest (vv. 7–9))
The ash heap was the gathering place of the outcasts of the city, the unwanted poor, and the diseased (Job 2:8). The sun would warm the ashes during the day and the ashes would keep the people warm at night. It was the one place that people avoided going near, but our God visits rejected people and changes their lives!
Exploring Psalms 89–150, Volume Two: An Expository Commentary B. His Kindness to the Distressed (113:9)
In this psalm we see that God crowns womanhood with motherhood.
Our World is so confused today about priorities, values, and what really matters in life:
Motherhood does not take anything away from being a Woman! Being a mother is an amazing possibility because she is a woman.
In Psalm 113, God lifts up the Poor and Needy, and the Woman and Mother. The Bible, God, and Christianity have always valued women...
CSB Study Bible: Notes Psalm 113
113:8 In a role reversal, the Lord confers royal status to the humble, affirming the equal value of all human beings.
113:9 Barrenness often resulted in shame since the status of a woman was determined by her ability to bear children.
No matter if you can have kids or not, know that God loves you and God still has a plan for your life! You may be sad, but there is no reason for shame.
Psalm 113 is a flashback to the words that Hannah sung when Samuel was born and she praised God for his birth.
Verse 7-8 are quotations from HANNAH.
And Hannah prayed, and said,
My heart rejoiceth in the Lord,
Mine horn is exalted in the Lord:
My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies;
Because I rejoice in thy salvation.
There is none holy as the Lord:
For there is none beside thee:
Neither is there any rock like our God.
Talk no more so exceeding proudly;
Let not arrogancy come out of your mouth:
For the Lord is a God of knowledge,
And by him actions are weighed.
The bows of the mighty men are broken,
And they that stumbled are girded with strength.
They that were full have hired out themselves for bread;
And they that were hungry ceased:
So that the barren hath born seven;
And she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
The Lord killeth, and maketh alive:
He bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich:
He bringeth low, and lifteth up.
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust,
And lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill,
To set them among princes,
And to make them inherit the throne of glory:
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
And he hath set the world upon them.
He will keep the feet of his saints,
And the wicked shall be silent in darkness;
For by strength shall no man prevail.
The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces;
Out of heaven shall he thunder upon them:
The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth;
And he shall give strength unto his king,
And exalt the horn of his anointed.
Several women in the Bible said similar things:
Hannah’s Joyful Pregnancy and Birth Brought Israel Great Joy! Samuel.
Sarah’s Joy, became the Joy of the OT World. Isaac.
Elizabeth's Pregnancy Joy became the Joy of the NT World. John Baptist.
Mary’s Joy became the Joy and Good News of the Entire World. Jesus.
Mary echoes Psalm 113 and Hannah in her pregnancy news.
And Mary said,
My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden:
For, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things;
And holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him
From generation to generation.
He hath shewed strength with his arm;
He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seats,
And exalted them of low degree.
He hath filled the hungry with good things;
And the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath holpen his servant Israel,
In remembrance of his mercy;
As he spake to our fathers,
To Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
After birth (Hannah) and Once pregnant (Mary) both these women thanked God for LIFE and the gift of a child…
Praise the Lord, the Giver of Life.
Praise the Lord, the Giver of Life.
God is Interested in Us. 5-6
God is Interested in Us. 5-6
God is Humble.
The Highly exalted One stoops down to see what is happening in our lives! HE interacts with our lives with answered and unanswered prayers!
Other Deities are Far away and not interested.
The Lord is in his holy temple,
The Lord’s throne is in heaven:
His eyes behold,
His eyelids try, the children of men.
Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly:
But the proud he knoweth afar off.
For thus saith the high and lofty One
That inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy;
I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit,
To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
We Should Be Humble.
God knows your name.
The God Who created everything knows you and loves you!
God is interested in you.
God wants to hear your prayers.
Pray for people like this young woman who has been deceived so much by the money hungry “medical industry” and the abortion advocates in academia to say: “I Wish my Mom aborted me.”
God Values Us. 7-8
God Values Us. 7-8
Raises Up the Poor and Needy.
We are poor and needy without Jesus!
Jesus elevates us as princes and nobles.
EVERY PERSON is IMPORTANT TO GOD!
No matter background, education, finances, last name:
Man or woman, boy or girl. Young old.
Religious or not religious.
Single, married, single parent, parent or not a parent.
Athletic, not athletic, smart, or not so smart.
Black, white, or a combination in between.
Sinful, hateful, greedy, lying, or honest, loving, kind, or “better than some.”
None of us “Measure up” to Christ, yet He loves us anyway!
God picks us up from:
The trash-pile to the throne room.
The rejected to the recieved.
The discarded to the embraced.
The Dump to the Delights or Heaven.
God is Interested in Us.
God Values Us.
God Gives Life to Us. 9
God Gives Life to Us. 9
Motherhood is an incredible thing.
Motherhood requires two. A man’s seed connects with a woman egg. It’s a biological miracle.
Society promotes the Single Parent to the neglect of 2 parent homes today: One person can fly an airplane, but it sure does help when there is a co-pilot.
If you are a single parent, man or woman, we value you just as much. Many circumstances affect life.
God’s ideal are that man and woman act the parts of father and mother.
God causeth or “maketh” the barren woman to conceive, become pregnant, and birth a child.
The empty home is no longer empty.
The home gets messy, and she is now “keeping house” in the house God gives to her.
Notice the Description of Mothers: “Joyful Mother.” With our time remaining, let’s talk about the Joys of Motherhood:
JOYFUL =
Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (שָׂמֵחַ)
שָׂמֵחַ, JOYFUL = adj.verb. glad, joyful, merry;
6,000 Plus Illustrations for Communicating Biblical Truths Frustrations and Challenges
Motherhood is full of frustrations and challenges—but, eventually they move out.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
Conceiving the Baby.
Developing the Baby.
Carrying the Baby.
Delivering the Baby.
Nursing the Baby.
Caring for the Baby.
Training the Baby.
Watching them master new things...seeing their independence increase and their confidence grow. And still looking back at me for reassurance and support
Watching them fall in love with Jesus!! Talking about him, singing, praying, saying verses...and telling others (anyone and everyone- with a boldness I wish I possessed)
Watching them think through decisions using the Bible as their guide, and making wise decisions.
Watching them develop and manage their individual personality traits.
I loved hearing my children say “ this is the best day ever” can’t think of a specific instance right now.
I have a pair of earrings that my daughter gave me in Elementary school. It’s blue and large, not something I would have selected for myself but it's special because she gave it to me. I will be wearing it at her wedding someday.
One of our son’s favorite food is bacon fried rice. It makes me happy to see him enjoy it.
My daughter has grown to be so thoughtful. I am thankful for the flowers that she ordered for me for Mother’s Day.
Watching the adventures of my kids as they travel through life with Jesus and their spiritual growth.
-having your little one pick you a bouquet of dandelions
-being able to make a scratch feel better with a bandaid and a kiss
-hearing your child pray, from the cute little 2 year old prayers to the teenager's prayers
-hearing the words "What can I do to help?" haha :-)
-hugging them and them not wanting to let go
-laughing together
1. Watching them mother their own children
2. Getting to spend one-on-one time with them
3. When they look for me to spend time with me.
4. Getting to know their talents and gifts
5. Watching them use Biblical advice in their own lives and teaching it to others
6. Seeing the joy in their eyes when they get through something hard with Christ
7. Hearing others praise their attitude, actions, work ethic, etc
Our daughter is just so incredible! She's funny, loving, smart, inquisitive... but the word she always brings to my mind is JOY! What I love the most are the changes I've seen her in the past year. Her love for the Lord and joy she has in him amazes me! She has the Holy Spirit in her heart and she's not afraid to show it! She's sings loudly and proudly about him and she just wants to do right and have people around her do right.
I'm proud to be her mom realize more and more every single day that the Lord blessed me BIG TIME with her.
Having your little one hold your face and say I love you mommy
Having them giggle at your antics
Someone to join you on your errands that think everything is so cool or so pretty.
A sweet reminder from the Lord that a smile and a friendly “hi” really does make a difference in your encounter with someone.
The first joy of motherhood, is the miracle of giving birth.
Then another wonderful joy is when the child comes to know the Lord as Savior.
Then it is another special joy when they grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and serve Him. And there are MANY joys in between!
Watching my child grow and develop through each stage, as their own unique person
Observing them build their own relationship with God
The way they make me laugh, the laughter we share together
The unconditional love we have for each other
I had an instant love for each of my girls as soon as I found out I was pregnant.
Some of the nice memories: the first smile was unexpected and performed with every bit of strength in their little bodies, they jumped right at the out of their skin with excitement, the chubby wrists and knuckles, that sweet baby smell, their first word, steps, all the firsts….
It was fun seeing God work in their lives, developing their different personalities and gifts.
The best though is when they’re all grown up. I now have two daughters that are Godly women, very loving, thoughtful, sincere, trustworthy, honest, giving,unselfish, funny, dependable, considerate, tender hearted, caring, and love serving others. God grew them well!
For me, there is no greater joy in motherhood than knowing my child has come into their own intimate relationship with the Lord, fully surrendered to His will, and not their own.
For some, this surrender is peaceful. For others, they wrestle with the Lord as Jacob did in Genesis 32. Either way, it is when “the God of my father” becomes “my God'' for the individual, as with Jacob, a profound shift occurs. As they walk with Him – His good plan unfolds, He never forsakes them, He guides them, and they have all they will ever need.
There us such Joy in forming that little mind and developing that little person into a person who loves the Lord and can become a person independent, yet dependent on God.
Joy is more than Happiness. Joy is not dependent on circumstances.
Not everything is a happy experience, but you can remain joyful, positive, and upbeat, by the Grace of God.
The Joy of Influencing for Good.
Hannah taught Samuel to do good.
Samuel was “ministering to Eli” and serving the Lord at the Tabernacle. 1 Sam 2:18
But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
Knight’s Master Book of New Illustrations (“The Names Have Remained!”)
Once years ago J. Sterling Morton, founder of Arbor Day and one of Nebraska’s two famous sons in Statuary Hall, drove out to the cemetery to visit his wife’s grave. With him he took his three motherless sons. He asked the boys to read the inscription on the newly erected tombstone which consisted of her name, that she was the wife of J. Sterling Morton and the mother of the three sons whose names were chiseled in full. Then the father told the boys that if any of them ever disgraced his mother, he had arranged with a stone-cutter to chisel off his name. Often the sons, who rose to places of eminence, recalled with admiration the warning of their father, but they attributed the real preventive against disgracing their mother to her Christian training and example. The names have remained, but love rather than fear kept them there.
The Joy of Impacting for God.
The little time Hannah had with Samuel helped prepare him for a life with God.
Every child must make their own choice to follow God, but some mothers make that choice easier than others.
And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord.
Knight’s Master Book of New Illustrations Spurgeon’s Tribute
“I cannot tell how much I owe to the solemn words and prayers of my good mother. It was the custom on Sunday evenings, while we were children, for her to stay at home with us. We sat around the table and read verse by verse, while she explained the Scripture to us. After that was done, then came the time of pleading with God. Some of the words of our mother’s prayers we shall never forget, even when our heads are gray. I remember her once praying thus: ‘Now, Lord, if my children go on in sin, it will not be from ignorance that they perish, and my soul must bear a swift witness against them at the day of judgment if they lay not hold of Jesus Christ.’ ”
Knight’s Master Book of New Illustrations “Mother Is at Prayer!”
Billy Sunday tells of a minister who was making calls. He came to a certain home and asked for the mother but the child opening the door answered, “You cannot see mother for she prays from nine to ten.” He waited forty minutes to see that mother, and when she came out of her prayer closet the light of glory was on her face, and he knew why that home was so bright; he knew why her two sons were in the ministry and her daughter a missionary. “All hell cannot tear a boy or girl away from a praying mother,” comments Mr. Sunday.
Susanna Wesley, with seventeen children, spent one hour each day shut up with God alone in her room, praying for them—and her two sons, under God, brought revival to England while France weltered in the blood of a ghastly revolution.
The Joy of Investing in the Future.
Samuel was the next prophet and priest. He becomes the Kingmaker, setting up the Kingdom of Isreal.
A similar young man is Timothy,
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Lois and Eunice invested in the future of Christianity when they taught young Timothy.
Praise the Lord, the Giver of Life.
Praise the Lord, the Giver of Life.
and give Thanks for Joyful Mothers everywhere.
The Joy of Influencing for Good.
The Joy of Impacting for God.
The Joy of Investing in the Future.
RESPONSE:
I praise God that he is interested in us, values us, and gives us LIFE.
I thank God that He gives life through Mothers.
I want to take a moment to thank God for Mom.
May the Lord help me to be a Joyful Mother.
We should probably take some time to pray for our country that is so deceived about LIFE.