I want to share my message from a recent Mother’s Day (2022). This is always a special time for our church and I hope this message will encourage all the mothers who read this. In addition, I hope it will encourage everyone to trust God even in difficult times….
One afternoon a man came home from work. As he drove up and parked his truck in the driveway he noticed his 3 kids, ages 6, 4, and 3 were all outside playing in the mud and there were a couple of empty cereal boxes and candy wrappers strewn all over the yard. The front door to the house was open and so were the doors to his wife’s car. Walking into the house the man found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, the TV was blaring out some cartoon show. A pile of sugar was in his recliner and the family dog was foaming at the mouth, running around in circles (obviously it had been licking the sugar). There were dirty clothes scattered all over the living room and his kids toys were as well. In the kitchen dishes filled the sink and a broken pitcher that had probably once contained Kool-Aid was all over the floor. The refrigerator door was wide open and it looked like the dog had also probably drug out several items include at least a dozen eggs. The man was really getting worried now. Had something happened to his wife? He quickly ran up the stairs, stepping over more toys and piles of clothes and opened up the bedroom door. There he saw his wife, curled up in bed, still in her pajamas, reading her favorite book. She looked up and smiled at him and asked him how his day was. He looked at her totally confused and said, “What in the heck happened here today?” She smiled again and answered, “Well, you know how ever day when you come home from work and ask me what in the world I did all day? Well today I didn’t do it.”
I truly believe, with all my heart, that mothers are one of the most important roles in all earth.
Here are some quotes about mothers:
“All I am, I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in this life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.” – George Washington (1stUS President)
“I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” – Abraham Lincoln (16thUS President)
“By the blessings of heaven I mean to live, die and in all things please God, in the faith of my mother.” – William McKinley (25thUS President)
“I cannot begin to tell how much I owe to the solemn word of my good mother. All the books of the world could not contain her godly influence upon me.” – John Calvin
“The noblest calling in the world is that of mother. She who rears a family of God fearing sons and daughters whose immortal souls will be exerting influence throughout the ages… long after paintings have faded and books have worn thin, deserves the highest honor that men can give.” – Charles Spurgeon
Over the last decade or so we’ve heard all the calls for men in this country to return to being fathers to their children. But the need for mothers to be mothers is just as great. I’ve read through the Bible many times and I can tell you that there’s nothing more important to the future of the Church, and there’s nothing more important to the future of this country than godly parents doing what God has called them to do. In Exodus 2 we see a model of motherhood – the mother of Moses.
And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the women took the child, and nursed it. And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water. And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: (Exodus 2:1-11a)
Trust God when life is dangerous.
The people of Israel had been in Egypt for a long time, and they began to multiply and grow in number. As they did that, the Pharaoh began to get a little nervous. He was afraid that they would become too powerful. So he enslaved them. Though slaves they were still having babies and growing in number, so he came up with an idea. He gave an order that every boy that was born to the Hebrews was to be thrown into the Nile River. And so… when Moses was born, his mother hid him away for three months. It’s interesting that it doesn’t say anything about Moses dad doing this. This was his mom. I don’t know why Moses’ dad wasn’t involved in any of this, but there’s no mention of him. When she could hide him no longer, she made a little basket and floated him down the river. And people say, “Why in the world would she do such a thing.” And you’ve got to realize that she’s Hebrew… she’s been taught from the day she was born about how God saved Noah in an ark. So what does she do? She builds an ark, and trusts God to save her son.
Now it’s also interesting to me that we don’t even know Moses’ mothers name until we get to Exodus chapter 6. Her name was Jochobed… and she’s only mentioned by name twice in the entire Bible. I think this is God’s way of saying to us that motherhood isn’t some high profile occupation where your face is always plastered on TV and your day is filled with signing autographs. You don’t get your own line of Nike shoes named after you. But don’t let that cause you to think it’s not an important role. Society has a way of exalting the non-important and diminishing the most important. Think about it… What’s more important to our society: Teachers or Movie Stars? Teachers right! Out of those two, who gets paid the most? Who’s always asked their opinion on things? Whose more important, the soldier or the professional athlete? But who makes the money? Who do we always see on the news or being made much of? Don’t let your lack of celebrity status ever lead you to believe that mother’s aren’t important. NOTHING IN THIS WORLD TODAY is more important than the role of shaping the next generation. And moms have more impact on that than anyone!
Trust God with the future.
Notice something. Jochobed builds an ark for her son, puts him in, and she trusts God. Moms… sometimes things are going to come, and you’ve got to just trust God with what’s next. Things are going to come that are completely out of your control. And so you’ve got to do the best you can, do whatever you can… but ultimately you’ve got to trust God. I read a survey of mothers and in this survey it said that 73% of all mothers feel totally unequipped and inadequate. And that’s true… it’s true for moms and dads. None of us have a perfect contingency plan for every single issue that’s going to come up in the lives of our families. And just when you think you do… something pops up. BAM! Something serious happens. And we have to learn to be thankful in these situations because they force us to rely upon God… they force us to stop thinking we’re the masters of our own universe. These situations drive us to our knees which is exactly where we need to be. So let this story encourage you… you might be going through something… your family might be facing a serious crisis, but God is bigger than that. Pharaoh’s plan was to kill Moses… God had a bigger and better plan! Jochobed had no way of knowing what God was going to do, but she trusted Him. She knew Him and His word, and she trusted Him.
God has a plan beyond your ability. God’s plan is better than your best plan. In verses 4 – 10 we see God’s plan in action. Pharaoh wanted to kill Moses, and God ends up having Moses raised in that very house, right under Pharaoh’s nose. And not only that, God had Moses’ own mother nurse him.
Trust God’s Word.
We don’t know how long Jochobed had with her son Moses but when Moses was grown, he went out and looked upon HIS people. See Acts 7:20 – 23. You know… the Bible never specifically tells us how Moses learned he was Jewish or when he learned, but it does give us some pretty good clues as to how that happened. Just think about it… when he was 3 months old he was taken in by Pharaoh’s daughter. Jewish history and faith in God wasn’t taught there but his mother was called in to nurse him. And at age 40 he sides with his people. Hebrews 11:24 – 25 says, “By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.”
How did Moses know he was one of the Hebrews? How did he hear in order to have the faith to do these amazing things he ended up doing? His mom that’s how! As parents, none of us know how long we’re going to have with our kids… It seems like yesterday that mine were in diapers, now they are all parents. And I can’t slow time down. But Moses’ mom obviously knew how to redeem the time. Like I said, we don’t know how long exactly she had with her son, but she obviously used it very well. Moms, teach your children. Teach them right from wrong, good from bad… teach them how to make decisions that will glorify and honor God. They are your very own little disciples. And so most importantly; teach them about God, and His son Jesus who came to die for our sins. Teach them… not just by saying words, but by living out your life in light of the faith you have.
Mom, this is your calling, and it’s your ministry, and it’s one of the greatest in the world.
Barbara Weiser of Chicago suburb told a conversation she had with her daughter when she was six: “Mom, there are five things I want to be when I grow up.” “Oh, yeah? What are they?” “I’m going to be a model, a movie star, a traveler and travel all around the world, and an artist and a singer.” “What about a mom?” “I don’t know… I think that’s too hard for me.” Later that same day, her daughter remarked, “Mom, it’s too bad you didn’t get to become anybody when you grew up.” “But I am somebody,” she explained. “I’m your mom! If I weren’t a mom then you wouldn’t be here right now dreaming of what you want to be someday!”