Sermon Central
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This Time I'll Praise The Lord
Contributed by Kenneth Squires on Jun 17, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: Just as it was with Leah, we find the same story today. There are mothers today trying to get their husbands to love them. Trying to win the approval of others. Trying to find their identity in their children. The problem is—our husbands and children were
This message was delivered on Mother’s Day by Pastor Squires wife, Danice.
Welcome 2 Groups
1. I want to welcome home our military families! If there is anyone here from the Abraham Lincoln, would you please stand?
2. I also want to welcome our new Moms! If this is your first Mother’s Day, please stand.
Bathroom Door
Happy Mother’s Day! I want to read something to you this Mother’s Day. This is a sign posted on the door of a mother’s bathroom.
Attention Everyone: The Bathroom Door is Closed!
Please do not stand there and talk, whine or ask questions.
Wait until I get out.
Yes, it is locked. I want it that way.
No, it is not broken; I am not trapped.
I know I have left it unlocked and even open at times since you were born,
Because I was afraid some horrible tragedy might occur while I was in there.
But it’s been ten years, and I want some privacy.
Do not ask me how long I will be.
I will come out when I am done.
Do not bring the phone to the bathroom door.
Do not go running back to the phone yelling, “She’s in the bathroom!”
Do not begin to fight as soon as I go in.
Do not stick your little fingers under the door and wiggle them.
This was funny only when you were two.
Do not slide pennies, Legos, or notes under the door,
Even when you were two this got a little tiresome.
If you have followed me down the hall talking,
And are still talking as you face this closed door,
Please turn around, walk away and wait for me in another room.
I will be glad to listen to you when I am done.
Oh…and yes, I still love you. Mom
(Espresso for a Woman’s Spirit by Pam Vredevelt)
How many of you mothers know what this is talking about? How many of you want this sign on your bathroom door? I need one.
Genesis!
Genesis 29 introduces one of my favorite mothers in the Bible - Leah. She is an interesting woman. Her life is laid out in Scripture for all to read, with all her imperfections and attempts to find her place and her purpose.
“Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful. 18Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.” (Genesis 29:16-18)
The Bible says Leah’s eyes were weak, which could mean poor eyesight or no sparkle in her eyes, no real attractiveness.
Her sister, Rachel, on the other hand is beautiful.
Jacob falls in love with Rachel. He works seven years to earn her hand in marriage. They have a wonderful wedding ceremony and a wonderful honeymoon night. But he wakes up in the morning and surprise! Who’s in bed with him? It’s true! Look at verse 25—it’s so funny!
Ladies, you don’t need to watch soap operas. Just read Genesis! Here you have one man, two wives, two maids, and all together they have 12 sons. (This is where the 12 tribes of Israel came from).
You don’t need to buy any of those ridiculous romance novels. Just read Genesis!
So here is Jacob, the deceiver. Remember he’s the one who sowed seeds of deception when he tricked his brother out of his birthright. Now he reaps this harvest of deception by his new father-in-law.
Laban says, “Well, next week you can have Rachel too. But you will have to work another seven years for me.” And he does.
So here is Leah. Her father tricked Jacob into marrying her. She knows that he loves Rachel. But she is caught in this marriage.
Verse 30 – “Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah.” In fact, he dislikes Leah.
Verse 31 – this word implies hatred. It should read, “When the Lord saw that Leah was hated…”
The Crush
Have you ever loved someone who did not love you back? I loved a guy in high school more than anything. He was so cute; SO cute. I watched him all the time. I memorized everything about him. I would even call his house and hang up just to hear his voice. (We didn’t have *69 back then).
I loved him. But did he ever love me back? No way. Did he even now I was alive?
Day and day, week after week my love for him went unnoticed and unreturned.
Thank goodness. At my 20-year reunion a few years ago I found out he was in jail!
Married to Jacob
In Genesis 29, we find a woman who loved someone but was not loved in return. We find a mother in an unfair situation, trapped in a marriage without love. She looks for purpose and affirmation in her children. She desperately seeks love and praise from her husband. We see this in the way she named her children.
