Transformed Life Church
Clermont FL
Mothers’ Day May 13, 2018, 11:30am
The Greatest thing a Mother can do
1 Samuel1: 24-28
24 Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young.
25 Then they slaughtered a bull, and brought the child to Eli.
26 And she said, “O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the Lord.
27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him.
28 Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.” So they worshiped the Lord there.
There are 79,400,000 websites under the google search titles about being a good mother. They range from What Makes a Good Mom? to What good moms do that makes them special. Some Other titles are:
i. Characteristics of a Good Mother
ii. 3 Ways to Be a Good Mother,
iii. 8 Ways to Be a Good Mother Instead of a Perfect One
iv. How You Can Be a Perfect Mother with 9 Simple Tips
v. 10 Tips on Being a Good Mother
vi. 11 Traits that Make You a Good Mother
vii. 15 Signs of Being a good mother
viii. 21 Ways to Enjoy Being a mother
ix. Remember that being a good mother also means being a strict mother
x. Being a good mom has nothing to do with getting the kids to eat their vegetables or having them sleep ...
Amazon.com list over 50,000 books about Mothers. Barnes and Noble carry almost 20,000 books about motherhood. Facebook has 113,000,000 pages about mothers. There have been 41,900,000 tweets about motherhood. And of course, Instagram, Myspace and Snap-chat have been bombarded with mother messages. EBay sells dozens of plates that are inscribed with the words, “A Good Mother Makes a Happy Home.” JC Penney boasts of selling the perfect Mothers’ Day gift. Macy’s encourages their customers to celebrate Mom with the perfect heart-warming gift. While Walmart says, “Show her you care” with a gift that says, “thank you.”
Mothers believe in their children, and often behave as though their children can do no wrong. This reminds me of the story of the mother who went to her son’s graduation from a military college. As the graduates marched by with machine like precision, one cadet was out of step. That mother was heard to say, “Oh isn’t that a shame, after all that training for four years, everyone except my Johnny got it wrong, way to go Johnny.” As she jumped up and down and waved her brightly colored hat in the air. Mothers are our greatest supporters.
Mothers are a blessing and they deserve to be cherished and honored, not just on Mothers’ Day but every day. Mothers do amazing things every day. In the first case, to carry a child in your body for nine months then give birth in excruciating pain, is beyond comprehension. Every time a mother gives birth, she puts her life on the line for that child. Mothers are like glue, they hold the family together. They are sunshine, they light up the home. They are like music they fill the air with happy sounds. They are flowers, they fill the home with beauty. They are like perfume, they make the home fragrant. They are like sugar, they make life sweet for their children. They are like water, they bring refreshment to the family. Mothers are doctors, when we are sick, lawyers when we are in trouble, bankers when we are broke, preachers when we need a sermon, teachers when we need to learn, police officers when we need to be stopped.
They cook and clean, bake and barbecue. They paint and decorate, they provide security at home and they are bodyguards for their kids in the neighborhood. They have boundless energy and are up before anyone, though they went to bed after everyone. They are industrious and frugal, diligent and careful. They have the wisdom of a philosopher, the grit of a triathlon winner, the grace of a ballerina, the compassion of a priest, the strength of a wrestler, the diligence of a concert pianist and the patience of Job. They are, hopeful, noble, encouraging, caring, selfless, self-effacing and self-sacrificing.
In Smyrna, Georgia, on September 19, 2014, 33-year-old mother, Jessica Arrendale, dropped her baby in a toilet bowl when she was shot by her baby’s abusive, drunken father, who had burst into the bathroom and shot Jessica with an assault rifle. Jessica died from the gunshots. When the police arrived, they found the baby’s father, Ex-Marine Antoine Davis, who was suffering from depression, dead in the baby’s room, no doubt searching for the baby then shooting himself. They found the six-month old girl, Cobie, under her Mom’s body in the toilet bowl. The baby was safe because her mother, Jessica, gave her life for Cobie. Mothers are incredible, they do amazing things everyday.
When asked Why do you want to be a mother? One young single mother answered “I want to share my vision of the world with my child; that life is expansive, not restrictive. That life is joyful and involves down time and bad times but is exhilarating more often than it is draining or exhausting. ”
Allison Hurtado, a young reporter, wrote “When my husband and I first told our family that I was pregnant, a mostly-kidding brother-in-law’s response was, “Why?” It’s a fair question. If I listened to all I’ve been told over the past eight months, raising a child is all about nine months of discomfort, then hours of extreme pain, followed by months of no sleep, and then 18 years of unbearable attitude. Yet, everyone who has these tales to tell does it with a smile that says, “You just can’t understand until you’ve experienced it. ”
The word "mother" is found 321 times in 293 verses in the King James Version of the Bible. Throughout the Bible we see mothers performing heroic feats. There is Eve, the mother of all living. Sarah, Abraham’s wife who gave birth to Isaac at 90 years old. Then there is Jochebed, who hid her son Moses, the deliverer of Israel, in the river Nile to protect him from Pharaoh. There is Ruth, the great-grandmother of David, who demonstrated true love and respect for her mother-in-law, Naomi. There is Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist who was a woman of great faith and spiritual discernment. Then there is Mary the Mother of Jesus, the teenage girl who gave birth to the Messiah. All these women did great things, and their feats have earned them places in the annals of sacred history.
Hannah was a mother whose act of faith, earned her a place in the Mothers’ Hall of Fame of the Bible. She should be emulated by every mother, because she did the Greatest Thing that every God-fearing mother needs to do. Hannah said to Eli the high Priest, in 1 Samuel chapter 1 verses 27 and 28, “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.” And the Bible says, “So they worshiped the Lord there.”
Hannah appears in the Holy Bible somewhere around the year 1100 BC, in the times of the Judges. The era of the Judges lasted a total of 365 years from 1244 BC to 879 BC. Famous judges like Deborah, Barak, Gideon, Samson and Jephthah ruled Israel. The events of Hannah’s story are recorded in the first Book of Samuel. Samuel a Judge and Prophet, was the son of Hannah and Elkanah (el KAY nah). Elkanah was from the hill country of Ephraim, in central Israel, and he had two wives; one was Peninnah (puh nine nah) and the other was called Hannah. Peninnah (puh nine nah) had children, but Hannah had none. Each year Elkanah (el KAY nah) and his wives and children went up to worship and sacrifice to the Lord in Shiloh. Whenever the day came for Elkanah (el KAY nah) to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat from the sacrifice to his wife Peninnah (puh nine nah) and to all her sons and daughters. But he gave a double portion to Hannah because he loved her (she had favor). However, the bible says that the Lord had closed her womb. How many of you know that sometimes you have to go through trials and difficulty even though you have the favor of God on your life. You may be asking yourself “What did I do wrong?” You did nothing wrong, God may be putting you through a test for His glory! You see, He gets glory from your story!
The story goes on “because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, Peninnah (puh nine nah), her rival kept on provoking her in order to irritate her.” Sometimes when you are going through your test, the devil will send somebody to mock you and laugh at you and trouble you.
Peninnah (puh nine nah) tormented Hannah and called her names. “This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her… Listen to me: Peninnah (puh nine nah) was provoking Hannah in church. It is one thing for people in the world to trouble you but when church people trouble you it hurts even more. It hurts because these are the people you trust. It hurts because these are the people you love. It hurts because you expect them to be kind to you and to be compassionate to you, because they are seeing you going through trouble. But they hurt you even more than somebody in the world who does not even know God. The Bible tells us that Peninnah (puh nine nah) provoked Hannah until she cried. Peninnah provoked Hannah until she could not eat. Her husband Elkanah (el KAY nah) would ask her, “Hannah, why are you crying? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” But she would not be comforted.
Then when they went up to Shiloh again she prayed earnestly. Hannah wanted a child so much that she was in deep anguish in her prayer. Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. She had prayed before, but this time, her prayer went further. She had prayed before, but this time, she poured out her heart. She had prayed before, but this time, she emptied her grief and her pain. She had prayed before, but this time, she released her fear and worry. She had prayed before, but this time, the prayer was deeper. She had prayed before but this time… say “this time.” This time, she made a vow. Sometimes to get what we want from God, we need to make a vow. She made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your child’s misery and remember me, and not forget your daughter but give me a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
It was not easy to make that vow, but she made it because she wanted to be a mother so badly. God remembered her, and she became pregnant. Then the day came, and the child was born, and she called him Samuel. Soon he was weaned, and she got ready to take him to the House of the Lord in Shiloh. When she got there, she found Eli the High Priest and said the words of our text today: found in 1Samuel 1:27,28, “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore, I also have lent him (given him, dedicated him, he will belong) to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.”
She was saying, I know I suffered long, and I know that you gave me a child, I want to hold on to him but as hard as it will be, I give him back to You. Yes, I know it is my child, but I am giving him back to you. Yes, he has the cutest dimples, the most sparkling eyes and the brightest smile, but I’m giving him back to You. I know I could keep him for myself to enjoy him for the rest of my life, but I’m giving him back to You. Yes, I am aware that I carried him for nine months, I gave birth to him in horrifying agony, and I feel like I deserve to have him, but I’m giving him back to You. Yes, I know that people think I’m crazy and they laugh at me behind my back, but I’m giving him back to You. I love my son, but I love You more. I need my son, but I need You more. I want my son. But I want You more. He belongs to me, but he belongs to You more. I gave birth to him, but You gave life to him. My son wants me. But he will want You more. Yes, my son needs me, but he needs You more. My son loves me, but he will love you more. So I am giving him back to You.
Mothers today, can I tell you that Hannah made the best choice, Hannah made the right choice? Hannah made the wise choice, Hannah made the godly choice. And you should do like Hannah. Her choice was for her good and for her son’s benefit. I know that you try to do your best for your children, and no one is better for your children than you. Whatever you plan to do, or even have already done with your child, be sure to do like Hannah and give your child back to the Lord. This is the greatest thing a mother can do for her child.
Hannah was so intentional that she even named the child, Samuel, which transliterated from Hebrew, is a combination of Shama and El. Shaw-ma means to hear and El means God. In other words, Samuel means, “God heard.” “For this child have I prayed,” and God heard, so I am giving him back to God. People are giving their children to prosperity; but Hannah gave Samuel back to God. People are giving their children to fame, but Hannah gave Samuel back to God.
Because, when you give them to the Lord, they will be like Joseph who said, “how can I do this evil and sin against my God?” When you give them to the Lord, they will be like Moses, who preferred to suffer with the children of Israel, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
Because, when you give them to the Lord, they will be like Joshua who said, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” When you give them to the Lord, they will be like Esther who said, “if I perish, I perish but I’m going to see the king.” When you give them to the Lord, they will be like Isaiah who said, “I saw .... also the Lord, He was high and lifted up and His train filled the temple… and the angels cried Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord, the whole earth is filled with His glory.”
When you give them to the Lord, they will be like Jeremiah who said, “But His word was like fire shut up in my bones.” When you give them to the Lord, they will be like Nehemiah who said, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.”
Let your child know, “You may not be the smartest kid, but I am giving you to the Lord, you may have messed up already, but I am giving you to the Lord. You may not be the best child, but I am giving you to the Lord.” Hannah, used her God-given authority to designate her child, hand over her child, give her child, and dedicate her child to the Lord.
To every mother here today, let the devil know that you are not half-stepping. Let the devil know that you did not give birth to a child for him to use, misuse and abuse. Use your God-given right, use your veto-powers, like Moses’ mother when Pharaoh ordered all baby boys thrown into the River Nile. Say to satan, “not my child.” Use your veto-powers and block satan from having control over your child. Give your child to the Lord.”
Hannah said in the words of our text today, found in 1 Samuel 1:27, 28, “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.” And tucked away at the end of verse 28, there are some very telling words of the text; “So they worshiped the Lord there.” I really do not have the time to properly exegete this sentence but let me just say this, after you designate, dedicate, give, hand-over your child to the Lord, can I tell you, that you have done all you could, and your job now is to WORSHIP THE LORD. The Hebrew word there is so strong, it is transliterated (shacach) shaw-khaw. It means to prostrate, bow down, fall down in reflexive homage to God.
Like Job in 1:20 “Then Job …. fell on the ground and worshiped.”
Like Ezekiel in chapter 1:28, who saw the glory of the Lord all-around said, “when I saw it, I fell on my face, …”
Like the Samaritan man of Luke 17:16 who “fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks.”
Like Simon Peter in Luke 5:8, the text says “he fell down at Jesus' knees”
Like the Syrophoenician woman of Matthew 15:25, that “came and knelt before him…”
Like John on the Island of Patmos: according to Revelation 1:10-17 (NKJV) “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” …. Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. …. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead.”
Mothers and Fathers, when you give your child to the Lord, don’t live in constant worry, fear and misery, but Worship! When they are facing a crisis, go to the Lord like Hannah and say for this Child I prayed, and worship, worship, worship! The Greatest thing you can do for your children in this lifetime is to give them to the Lord and WORSHIP!
