[PC-USA] Devotional - 99-05-09 - Passages About Mothers

Mother's Day - 1999

For those of you who are missing your mothers, I pray for God's comfort for you. For those of you who have not had the kind of relationship with your mother you had hoped, I pray for God's touch on that relationship and for acceptance for you if needed. For any of you who yearn to become mothers but have not been able to, I pray for God to give you whatever grace you need for that situation, and for you to feel His deep love for you.

A mother who is a stellar example:

1 Sam 1:26-2:1 (NRSV) "And she said, "Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the LORD. For this child I prayed; and the LORD has granted me the petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he lives, he is given to the LORD." She left him there for the LORD. Hannah prayed and said, "My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in my God. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in my victory."

A mother whose heart was not aligned with God's:

Mat 20:20-22 (NRSV) "Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him. And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?'' They said to him, "We are able."

How we as adult children, are to treat our mothers, grandmothers, mothers-in-law and other older females in our lives, whether the family we are born into or our Christian family. We should show them honor, love and respect (which do not however, equate with obedience, once we are adults; we are responsible as adults, to God, not our parents, for our decisions etc.).

John 19:26-27 (NRSV) "When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home."

Lev 19:3 (NRSV) "You shall each revere your mother and father, and you shall keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God."

1 Tim 5:3 (NRSV) "Honor widows who are really widows.If a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn their religious duty to their own family and make some repayment to their parents; for this is pleasing in God's sight."

1 Tim 5:1-2 (NRSV) "Do not speak harshly to an older man, but speak to him as to a father, to younger men as brothers, to older women as mothers, to younger women as sisters--with absolute purity."

Jan

jan@cfdevotionals.org
http://www.cfdevotionals.org