-We are told of the woman whose worth is far above rubies. Proverbs 31 is very descriptive of a good mother and wife. Some things laid out in that passage is that she is a caretaker of her house, by that I mean God has given her an instinct to provide for her children, nurture them, and protect them. She honors her husband, and because of her he is blessed.
-There is nothing greater than for a child to rise up and call their mother blessed. She takes pride in that; it wells up inside her when she sees her children’s honor and love for her.
-Don’t let this society rob you of that! It is becoming increasingly more unpopular to be MOM. There has to, by societies standard, be more added to that name. Perhaps Dr, professor, banker, it’s simply not enough these days just to be noted as MOM.
-Now before you think I am going to turn this into a “stay at home mom” sermon, I’m not. But it is time we let you shine more for being mom, honey, and dear, than simply a good employee.
-As I look through the Bible there are shining examples of extraordinary mothers; Mary and Elizabeth, Salome (James and John), Eunice and Lois (Timothy mom and grandmother), Hannah (Samuel), Rachel, Bathsheba, Rebecca, Eve, Jochabed and Sarah. These were amazing mothers and I am sure wives too.
-But I would this morning like to look at a woman whose name is unmentioned, a widow of a prophet, and a mother that by standards of Proverbs 31 is worth far above rubies.
(Read Text)
I. When faced with insurmountable odds she sought the Lord
A. She was faced with insurmountable odds.
1. I am sure it was not the first problem in marriage she had faced but certainly the most problematic, her husband had died.
a. We do not know the amount of time they were married but it was long enough to produce children.
b. We do not know how long he had been deceased but it was long enough the creditors had come calling.
c. We do not know the extent of her debt but it was enough that the ones owed money were about to take her children as slaves to repay the debt which was allowed by the Mosaic Law.
d. Poverty stricken, in danger of losing her children, and nowhere to turn.
e. This morning I am sure mothers can empathize with her, I am sure that there is a gut feeling at just the thought this possibility in your life.
B. As a mother today, even though it is not verbalized every day you are faced with insurmountable odds.
1. Much, if not most, of the social turmoil of our culture is due to a hunger for peace, which is sought for in all the wrong places. According to Ronald Hutchcraft, the Director of Youth for Christ in New York and New Jersey, in the next thirty minutes-
57 kids will run away from home.
29 children will attempt suicide.
22 girls under 19 years of age will receive an abortion.
14 teenage girls will give birth to an illegitimate baby.
685 teens will use some form of narcotic.
2. If it ended just with our children maybe we have a chance, maybe not, but it continues into marriages.
a. With personal debt spiraling out of control, pornography prevelant in 50% of homes today, communication between husband and wife at an all time low, it is no wonder that 48% of all new marriages are ending in divorce.
C. So where do we turn?
1. That is a question you must first ask yourself. Where have you turned in the past?
a. The answer we should find in our lives and that of our family is the one crying out from the beginning of time, God’s word.
b. It is the only book with principles that will never fail no matter the decade in which we live.
c. It was given by God whom does not change.
D. She sought out God’s word.
II. When given direction she employed her children
A. What she would do would affect her children.
1. If she were to do nothing with the word of God they would be given to slavery, if she accepted the word and acted on it she could free her children.
2. To those mothers today the same principle applies, you can ignore and do nothing and take the chance of your children being bound in life due to their ignorance, or you can teach your children and give them the chance to see God do something great with their life.
B. She did 3 things;
1. Received
2. Transferred
3. Instructed
III. When blessed she is fulfilled
A. When she sought God’s word, and then directed her children to help her fulfill that word in their life, she was given all she needed and then some to live on.
1. Imagine what God looked like in her children’s eyes after this miracle.
2. Imagine how important His word was to them after this.
3. If all your children saw of God and His word is what they would see in you, what would God look like to them?
a. Would He be the mighty Savior that demands our fullest of obedience?
b. Would He be the mighty Father that parted the seas?
c. Or would He even exist? Does He even play a role in your life?
d. To this mother He was her all, she had nothing else. Oh that we would see He truly is all we have.
