It is called Mother's Day, not wife's or wives' day for the simple
reason that it is the day children honor their mothers, not husbands
honoring wives or fathers honoring mothers. It is a day when children
reexamine what mothers mean to them. It is a day when children reexamine
their relationships to their mothers, what they have done or not done
to honor or dishonor their mothers. It does not mean however that a
husband cannot honor his wife or a father the mother!
Children should be asking themselves am I honoring her only today by a
tiny token or am I honoring her by a lifestyle that warms her heart and
provokes thanks to God rather than tears before Him?
It may also be a day when mothers reexamine their priorities and the
heritage they are leaving to their children. In referring to heritage
not only is the material meant but also and more important the
spiritual. Do your children see Christlike qualities in you? But then we
will have to ask ourselves what we mean by Christlike qualities. Is
there consistency in you? Is there commitment? Is there consecration? A
mother after God’s Heart is a woman who develops nurture and promotes
these qualities, not only in her life but in the lives of her children
by instruction, training and example!
Hannah was an Israelite mother who exhibited
1. Consistency in her prayer.
She would not be sidetracked from her intercession and crying to God
2. Consecration in her purpose
She gave back to the Lord wholeheartedly that which she had longed for.
3. Commitment in her promise!
She swore to her own hurt and would not retreat from her promise to God
It takes a special kind of courage to do what Hannah did!
We need to be consistent in our daily witness for Christ.
We need to consistent in our dealings with our children.
We need to be consistent in our commitment to His cause.
CONSISTENCY:
1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV 58 Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of
the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the
Lord.
The deceitfulness of sin is an enemy of consistency
Hebrews 3:12-15 KJV Take heed, brethren, lest there be in
any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living
God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest
any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are
made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence
stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his
voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
It is called staying the course. It is hard to maintain consistency
when we relegate our Christianity to only an hour or two on Sundays (if
even that). Too often we have been too busy to pursue God and we will
willingly find all sorts of "legitimate" reasons why we are unable to
have fellowship. We may not think it critical or important, but our
children young they may be, are aware of the various reasons why we miss
fellowship, and every moment of interaction is a teaching moment,
mostly by our words, behavior and attitude
A young man was being interviewed for a position in a
small business firm. He had a neat appearance and made a good impression
on the owner. He had also prepared an excellent résumé in which he
listed his pastor, his Sunday school teacher, and a church deacon as
references.
The owner of the business studied the résumé for several minutes then
said, “I appreciate these recommendations from your church friends. But
what I would really like is to hear from someone who knows you on
weekdays.”
Jesus gives the definitive take on being consistent : Luke 9:23
KJV And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Enoch had a consistent walk with God:
Genesis 5:24 KJV And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
Hebrews 11:5 KJV By faith Enoch was translated that he
should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him:
for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
A striking example of consistency is recorded in Daniel:
Daniel 6:3-10 KJV Then this Daniel was preferred above
the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and
the king thought to set him over the whole realm. 4 Then the presidents
and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the
kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as
he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in
him. 5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this
Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his
God. 6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the
king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. 7 All the
presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the
counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a
royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a
petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he
shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the
decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the
law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. 9 Wherefore king
Darius signed the writing and the decree. 10 Now when Daniel knew that
the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being
open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three
times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did
aforetime.
COMMITMENT:
A chicken was talking with a pig about how good their farmer was
to them in the way he provided shelter, food, and protected them from
danger. The chicken thought it would be a nice gesture to show their
gratitude to the farmer by serving him a breakfast of bacon and eggs the
next morning. The pig thought about it for a while and then commented,
"Let me see if I have this right. We are going to provide the good
farmer with a breakfast of bacon and eggs. As I see it, you will be
involved in the project and I will be committed to it!"
Christ expects a commitment that goes beyond lip service. He expects
and challenges us to follow Him as an example of commitment to the
cause.
1 Peter 2:21-24 KJV For even hereunto were ye called:
because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye
should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found
in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he
suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth
righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on
the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness:
by whose stripes ye were healed.
Luke 9:57-62 KJV And it came to pass, that, as they
went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee
whithersoever thou goest. 58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have
holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not
where to lay his head. 59 And he said unto another,Follow me. But he
said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said
unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the
kingdom of God. 61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but
let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and
looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
God is displeased with those who draw back from their commitment
Hebrews 10:38-39 KJV Now the just shall live by faith:
but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39
But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that
believe to the saving of the soul.
CONSECRATION:
“Will you please tell me in a word,” said a Christian woman to a
minister, “what your idea of consecration is?” Holding out a blank sheet
of paper the pastor replied, “It is to sign your name at the bottom of
this blank sheet, and to let God fill it in as He will.”
As consecrated individuals we are set apart for the service of God.
Our bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost. As such it should be
consecrated to His service which means a separation from the allurements
and enticements of the world to Him.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 KJV Be ye not unequally yoked
together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with
unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And
what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that
believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of
God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath
said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them,
and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and
I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall
be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
1. He could have come spectacularly
An ethereal vision of a glory heavenly
But He blessed and honored mothers all
By coming as a man into this world
2 At the age of twelve He was very aware
That with His Father's business none could compare
But yet He went back to Nazareth
And to father and mother He was subject
3. In manhood years again we find
When His mother said "They have no wine"
In spite of His prophetic protest
He produced wine of the very best
4. In darkest day at Calvary
His very core in agony
His mother He still remembered
And said to John 'Behold your mother'
5. Jesus honored His earthly mother
From birth to death He cared for her
And on that glorious Pentecost
Baptized her with the Holy Ghost
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