1. Things God Wants Moms to Know

With Mother’s Day approaching, everyone’s attention is on moms.  So, for the next three devotions, we’re going to look at four things God wants moms to know.

(1) YOU’RE A REFLECTION OF HIS LOVE

Moms have a nurturing love that you just don’t find anywhere else.  I’m convinced God put it there, so He could come along later in life and say, “You know how your mom loved you?  I love you just like that!”  The Bible makes several comparisons between God’s love and a mother’s love.

a.)  First, a Mom Loves with a Remembering Love

Isa. 49:14 – “Zion has said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me’.”  It wasn’t true, of course, but these people felt completely abandoned by God.  But, what did God appeal to, to assure them of His love?   A mom!

He responds, “Can a woman forget her nursing child?”  Of course not!  Every new father is initially surprised by how consumed his wife is with her new baby.  (Some men even experience jealousy. He was once the center of his wife’s world. Now he feels as though he’s been replaced.)  In this verse, God says, “Just as a child is always on his mother’s mind, you’re always on My mind”.  God never forgets you.

b.)  A Mother loves with a Comforting Love

There’s nothing like a “mom” when you need comfort.   As a young father, I learned quickly that when my kids got hurt, they reached out to their mother for comfort.  Even though I’d offer my assistance, there was no substitute for their mom’s loving hugs and tender care.

c.)  A Mother loves with a Protective Love

Everyone knows to steer clear of bear cubs in the woods.  If “momma bear” thinks her cubs are in danger, you’re in serious trouble!  There’s something in a mother (even an animal mother) that says, “Don’t you mess with my babies!”  God, like a mother, loves His children with a protective love. 

d.)  A Mom loves with an Unconditional Love

In Hosea 13:8-9, God says, “O Israel, you have destroyed yourself; but your help in in Me.”  Even when you disobey His Word and get yourself into trouble, God – like a mother – doesn’t turn His back on you.  He’s always there to help, if you’ll reach out to Him. 

All these are attributes of God’s Love; but we first encounter them in our moms.   Mom, you’re a reflection of God’s love to your entire family.  Thank you.

2. God is Bigger Than Your Mistakes

In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re looking at four things God wants moms to know.  Here’s number two:

2.)  GOD IS BIGGER THAN YOUR MISTAKES

Every mom starts out wanting to be the best mom she can be.  Yet, every mom makes mistakes.  Lots of them.  (Moms are human, right?)  But, here’s what you can’t lose sight of:  When you do make mistakes, God is bigger than your mistakes.

Mother’s Day can be hard for a lot of folks.  Some have recently lost their mom.  Others are estranged from their mom.  Still others desire to be moms, and for biological reasons, they can’t.  But, many moms dislike Mother’s Day for another reason, (and this one is even more painful than the others). Some moms dislike Mother’s Day because it reminds them of their (supposed) failure. Even though these moms did their best, their kids didn’t turn out as they’d hoped.  And, they feel like a failure.  That’s nothing new.

There’s one person in the Bible who was a great parent, yet his children walked away.  He had one boy and one girl, and he loved them both equally.  He was a good provider.  He gave them a good home and a secure environment.  He taught them a good work ethic and spent time with them every day.  They were loved, and they knew it.  Yet both of his children went off into sin.  Can you guess who that parent was?  It was God!

Listen!    The only perfect Parent there is, had both of His kids walk away (Adam and Eve).  It happens!  Even to good parents.  But that doesn’t mean it’s your fault!  And, it doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way forever.

In the Bible, you see good parents and bad parents.  Parents who did things right, and parents who did things wrong.  But the clear message is this:  In spite of their parents’ shortcomings, many of those prodigal children returned home and shook the world for God! 

Behind every imperfect parent there stands the Perfect Parent who can redeem your mistakes and still make things come out right.  And, when all’s said and done, your kids can wind up in right place, at the right time, doing the right thing, with the right group of people, in the very center of God’s will – regardless of any mistakes you may (or may not) have made.  God can bring it about!  He loves your kids more than you do!  Trust Him today.

3. A Mom’s Faith and Sacrifices

For the past two devotions, we’ve been looking at four things God wants moms to know.  Here’s the third thing:

3. YOUR SACRIFICES DON’T GO UNNOTICED

God notices them, whether anybody else does or not!  And, the truth is: Your children may not notice now, but they will eventually. 

Years ago, the New York Times ran an article entitled, “The Twelve Greatest Women in the United States”.  The interesting thing is, not one of those women had been heard of outside of their home.  But, their children were great.

Thomas Edison’s teachers had given up on him.  They said he was mentally “too slow” to learn anything, so they expelled him.  Later in life, Edison wrote: “I did not have my mother long.  But, she cast over me an influence which has lasted all my life. If it had not been for her appreciation and her faith in me at a critical time in my life, I should never likely have become an inventor.  I was always a careless boy, and with a mother of a different caliber, I should have turned out badly.  But for her firmness, her sweetness, her goodness, her potent power to keep me on the right path.  My mother was the making of me.”

4.   YOUR PRAYERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

In Matthew 15 a woman approached Jesus, begging Him to heal her daughter.  The time hadn’t come yet, however, for Jesus to minister to the Gentiles. So, the disciples tried to send her away.  Yet, instead of becoming offended and discouraged, she continued to press in.  Ultimately, her faith and persistence captured Jesus’ attention, and her daughter was healed.

Now, how did this little momma hold it together?   How did she have such great faith, even when it looked impossible?  Sometimes great faith is the result of great persistence that’s birthed out of great love.  No doubt she was thinking, “My baby has a need, and I don’t care how long it takes, or what I have to go through personally to get it!  I’m staying in the face of God until I get my answer.” 

Only eternity will reveal what blessings came to us because of praying moms. 

Ladies, God wants you to know:  You’re a reflection of His love, He’s bigger than your mistakes, your sacrifices don’t go unnoticed, and your prayers really do make a difference.