Surviving “Mom”
Soul Survivor Part 5 – Mother’s Day
Text: 1 Samuel 1:8-18
God was looking over His wonderful creation one day and noticed that every creature He had created had a partner, they were frolicking around being “fruitful” and all, - all but Adam. When God caught up with Adam in the cool of the day He said, “you know son, I’ve notice you mopping around all by yourself and you look so lonely. I’ve decided to make a companion for you. We’ll call her ‘woman’. “What’s a woman”, Adam asked. “Oh, she’ll be wonderful. A perfect match for you. She’ll be the most beautiful, glamorous creature you’ve ever seen. She’ll love you with every ounce of her being. She’ll take care of your every need. When you get home from a good day’s work in the garden, she’ll meet you at the door dressed in beautiful garments and scented with exquisite perfume. With a warm embrace and wanting kiss she will welcome you in. She’ll be totally undistracted as she asks about your day and will lead you by the hand to your favorite overstuffed chair with slippers and a cold drink waiting placing the newspaper and the remote control in your hand. She will go into the kitchen and put the finishing touches on her nightly gourmet meal. She’ll call you in to a most romantic candlelight dinner. After dinner she will fluff your pillow and hold you lovingly throughout the night”. And Adam said, “Lord God, how much is that going to cost me?” And God said “It will cost you an arm and a leg” And Adam said, “Lord what do You think I could get for a rib?”
You know, when you think about it, there was no more of a perfect place from which God would take a part of man to create his companion.
• Not from his head lest she would dominate him
• Not from his heel lest she would be under his foot
• But from his side, close to his heart, where she would stay throughout their life’s journey.
I’m keenly aware that this day can be either a joy or a dread for a woman. I heard a woman this week say that she was planning a trip out of town this weekend because she simply could not bear to go to church on Sunday.
It’s interesting to now often the bible speaks of couples who walked through a season of barrenness…
Abraham and Sarah - Isaac
Isaac and Rebecca – Jacob
Jacob and Rachael – Joseph
Manoah and his wife – Sampson
Elkanah and Hannah – Samuel
Zacharias and Elizabeth – John (the Baptist)
It’s as if God, through these Godly men and women, is teaching us that something from the mighty Hand of God is worth the wait.
• Isaac Son of miraculous provision
• Jacob Son of birthright – name changed to Israel
• Joseph Son of Supply – Brought Israel out of famine
• Sampson Son of Justice – fighting Israel’s battles alone
• Samuel Son of Spiritual awakening – Heard God’s voice
• John Son of preparation – forerunner of Jesus Christ
Habakkuk 2:2-3
2 Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.
Still barrenness can be such a dreadful thing. The story of Hannah gives us a glimpse into the absolute heartbreak of barrenness.
Ridicule
Feeling inadequate
Feeling Judged and misunderstood
But if you’ve got right priorities…..
Barrenness can simply be another word for BEFORE!
• Before Hannah bore a son, God had to have all of Hannah
• Before Israel would heed a prophet there had to be some barrenness in the priesthood
• Before Israel had a Saul, it had to have a Samuel
Get ready baby, when God breaks through your barrenness, it’s going to be for a divine purpose.
Tell me the name of one child of Peninnah….. But who knows the name of Hannah’s firstborn? SAMUEL! (His name means – God has heard and answered)
Anyone waiting on a Samuel?
• Hannah did not allow her barrenness to turn to bitterness
• She knew the only true source that would fill her emptiness
• She knew to turn the ridicule into radical faith!!
o She turned the jabs into jubilation!
Isaiah 54:1-3
1 "Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman," says the Lord. 2 "Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes. 3 For you shall expand to the right and to the left, And your descendants will inherit the nations, And make the desolate cities inhabited.
Hannah was a survivor in the midst of scorn. But what makes Hannah a survivor is in her attention to priorities.
Priority 1
Love God with all your heart
1. Hannah could have gotten caught up in blame. “It’s your fault Elkanah”
2. But we see her going to God with her problem first.
a. Hannah had a void only God could fill and she prayed a prayer only God could answer.
b. Hannah undeniably loved God with all her heart
i. Throughout scripture of 37 verses that talk about Hannah, 23 of them are about her praying.
3. Her deep love for God was misunderstood by others (vs.12-13)
4. Mom’s, before you can truly love your children, you must love God with all your heart. Out of that love, your children will experience a deeper sense of love than you could ever imagine.
Priority 2
Love your husband with all your heart
1. There’s no question of the love between Elkanah and Hannah. - - the Bible tells us that Elkanah would give Hannah a double portion offering for the Lord (vs. 4-5)
2. There was no contention between them. The Bible speaks clearly about the dread of marital contention. Consider:
Proverbs 19:13
A foolish son is his father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.
Proverbs 21:9
Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
Proverbs 21:19
Better to dwell in the wilderness, Than with a contentious and angry woman.
Proverbs 27:15
A continual dripping on a very rainy day And a contentious woman are alike;
Now before you get all bent… consider the source of this “wisdom” Solomon the husband of 300 wives. I think he might know something about contention in the house.
What is it I’m trying to say??
Ladies, love your husbands, work on your relationship with him, love him with all your heart because that’s a part of being a good mother, of being a survivor.
3. Hannah’s grief was so strong she could not see the grace of God – She had a husband who loved her (1:8)
1 Samuel 1:8
Then Elkanah her husband said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?"
a. Husbands and wives, the best thing you could ever do for your children is to love one another unconditionally and live out that love in front of them.
b. Divorced moms, the best thing you can do is show respect and Godly meekness to your children’s father (and let me add, “as unto the Lord”)
Ladies, by loving your husband with your whole heart, you will be showing your children how to love God that way, and you’ll show them how to love and be loved by their spouse when they get married.
Priority 3
Give your children to God and Love your children with all your heart.
Can I say, Ladies, firmly know who you are in God and you are to your children.
Our youngest daughter called crying the other day. It seems our granddaughter Jacey was rather perturbed at her mother that afternoon and declared to Brittany “you’re not my friend”. As only a mother can do, Brittany choked down the lump in her throat and said “honey, you’re right, right now I’m not your friend, I’m your mommy” to which Jacey wailed “I don’t want a mommy, I want my daddy”.
Sometimes our possessiveness of our children, paralyzes us as parents. -- “What if I do something that makes them not like me anymore”. -- Honey, you need freedom from that demonic lie!
Something had dramatically changed in Hannah after that day in the Temple. What changed?
She could now look beyond her own needs and see the abundant love of God! In that she could trust that He would provide for Samuel and He had provided for her.
It’s been said “God can always trust His children with gifts they are willing to return to Him”.
And can I say, God will never be in debt to anyone. He will always give you more than you give to Him.
1 Samuel 2:21
And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the LORD.
And did he ever! Samuel is believed to be one of the most significant characters of the Old Testament. Why? He is the transition between the Priesthood and the Prophets. And God used Samuel as the instrument to usher in the Kings of Israel.
Who knows what significance your children will have in the Kingdom of God. Mold them carefully, deliberately and skillfully in the things of God.
Close:
In the story of Hannah we can see clearly the great gift of giving.
God to Hannah
Hannah back to God
God back to Hannah…
What a picture of the Heart of God. That He gave His only Son…
Sent Him to live among us so that we, through Him could live with God.
Let’s Pray.
A note from Pastor Terry,
Thanks so much for looking over this message. I trust that, in some way, you were blessed, encouraged and empowered on your own walk with Christ. Every message I prepare is bathed in prayer that God will draw, inspire, and challenge my listeners (or readers) into a more meaningful and power-filled walk with Him.
Pastors, how we need one another! We need to be encouraged, strengthened and built up in order to encourage, strengthen and build up. It’s my personal prayer that the message you’ve just reviewed has done that for you in a personal way. Use what you can of this message, toss what you can’t and above all, let God’s Spirit inspire it all!
Sometimes I feel like Peter and John at the Temple steps…”Silver and gold; I don’t have but what I do – I give to you”
Grace and peace to you, your family and the Flock you tend.
Pastor Terry
