Mother's Day

(5/17) Many of you know that I don’t normally do Mother’s Day sermons but every once in a while I like to return to the text that we have just read. We will return to our series on forgiveness next week with a sermon about Forgiving God. It is fitting that we have such a day as this, whether your mother is living or has passed on as Lev. 19:3 says, "Every one of you shall revere your mother and father…," and the 5th commandment says to, "honor your father and your mother."

George Washington said, "My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her."

John Quincy Adams said, "All that I am my mother made me."

Abraham Lincoln said, "All that I am or hope to be I owe to my angel mother. I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life," and, "No one is poor who had a Godly mother."

William McKinley said, "By the blessings of heaven, I mean to live and die, please God, in the faith of my mother."

Ronald Reagan said, "From my mother I learned the value of prayer, how to have dreams and believe I could make them come true."

I am not sure who said this but I wrote it down, "There is no more influential or powerful role on earth than a mother’s. As significant as political, educational, or religious public figures may be, none can compare to the impact made by mothers. Their words are never forgotten, their touch leaves an indelible impression, and the memory of their presence lasts a lifetime."

If you were blessed with a good mother, you will reap the benefits for a lifetime. If you were not so blessed and I know from my time as a jail chaplain, that not all have been so blessed, you also were left with some lasting memories. I urge you based on what we have been talking about that you forgive her and honor her with the love of Jesus Christ and if possible begin a new relationship. You will find peace and God will be honored.

The text that I have chosen today refers to a time in the future after Israel and the world has gone through a difficult time of trouble that we often refer to as the Great Tribulation. It is a reminder to Israel that God has not nor can not forget His people and that Messiah will come (or come again). The time of tribulation will be severe but God will bring them through and then He will give them peace and comfort, not just Israel but the Gentiles who choose to follow God and he will judge those nations that rejected Him. The passage is a lot like Matthew 24-25 and 2 Thess.1.

Isaiah 66:7-12. The man child is Jesus that was born long before Israel went through the tribulation that she has or will go through. The children are the Jewish people and perhaps the people of the world that will come to faith in Jesus during that horrible time of tribulation.

Vv. 10-12 applies to all of us who find strength and salvation and hope in the promises that God gave through Israel.

Then verse 13 says, "As one whom He mother comforts, so I will comfort you and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem." The Lord God Almighty uses the love of a mother to illustrate the comfort that he will give to His children. Genesis 1-2 reminds us that God created us in His image, in the image of God He created us male and female. Here is an aspect of God that is best described as that of a mother- His Comfort. I believe that it was this consolation that Simeon was looking for in Luke 2 when Jesus was presented in the Temple for circumcision. The text says that he was waiting for the consolation of Israel. (Luke 2:25)

How does a Mother Comfort Her Children?

1. She feeds them at her heart. Whether it is breast milk or a bottle, a mom will hold a child to her chest beside her beating heart and nourish her child. Hungry children are nourished, frightened children are comforted and secured when a mom holds them close to her heart.
2. She attends to their needs with tenderness and soft words. Whether it is changing a diaper, quieting fears, rocking to sleep, a mom will sing, speak, or hum softly and the child feels at peace. The sound of mom’s voice lets him or her know that everything is or will be alright.
3. She holds them when they are sick or hurt, disappointed or discouraged. The word, dandled has the sense of rocking or caressing. Mom’s hugs, kisses, and caresses just seem t make things better, seem less severe, which is why children want their moms in a crises. Even many grown children. They know that mom will love me if I am right or wrong. She will be there to forgive me, love me, and encourage me.
4. Moms are Healers. Whether it is a splinter, a cut, a cold, a fever, the flu, or whatever, a mom will make sure the band-aids are there, and the Neosporin, Tylenol, Pedia-Care, or prescriptions are administered properly. Moms make the trips to the Drs. and Dentists.
5. Moms are Helpers. She helps with the costumes, the cupcakes, the homework and the projects for school. If there is something that her child needs done, its no problem, mom will do it.
6. Moms Comfort by her Provision and Presence. (Pro. 31:15) She makes sure that the cookie jar is full, that there is something for dinner, plenty of tea or lemon aid. When my boys would come home from school, the first thing they would do is yell, "Mom, we’re home," then they would go immediately to the cookie jar or refrigerator. Listen, men may build the house, but usually, mom makes it a home. It’s usually mom that makes holidays special, does the shopping for gifts, picks up the cards, and makes sure the food is there.
7. Moms Comfort with her Counsel (Pro. 1:8) sometimes her words give courage as she expresses confidence in her child’s ability to achieve or accomplish a goal, project or dream. Sometimes her words give comfort when she helps a child see the bright side of a bad experience. Sometimes her words are soothing and kind as when others have been less than kind to her child. Sometimes her words give hope as she makes promises for the future and gives her child something to look forward to. Sometimes her words are wise counsel or advise when her children are faced with tough decisions. Her children know that mom always has their best interests at heart. Even her nagging gives comfort because it says she cares. "Did you brush your teeth, finish your homework, do your chores, put on your jacket, hat and gloves, get enough to eat, have enough money, put on sun screen, etc." Sometimes her comfort is just her ear to talk to or her shoulder to cry on when she doesn’t know what to say.
8. 8. Moms comfort with her intercession. Whether it is at school, with neighbors, at church, other children, moms know that her children couldn’t be the blame. Brat’s are other people’s kids, not hers. She knows the teacher isn’t fair, doesn’t understand her child, and that her child deserves another chance. And moms pray for their children, and their futures, their future spouses, etc.
9. Moms comfort with their discipline. She knows that children want and need discipline. They need to now their boundaries and that their parents care enough to keep them from messing their lives up. Discipline really does say, Love. That’s why the scripture doesn’t say, "Spare the rod and spoil the child," but rather, "he who spares the rod hates his child."
10. Moms comfort their children with the sacrifices they make for their children. A child knows that there is nothing that most moms wouldn’t do for their children. She sacrifices her time, her body, her money, often a career, and more for the welfare of their children. I have given my wife money and told her to get herself something nice and inevitably she will buy the children or grandchildren something instead. She stays up late and gets up early to make sure her children have what they need.

Is it any wonder that an athlete will score a touchdown, and go to the sideline, drink some Gator-aid and then turn to the camera and say, "Hi, Mom?"

Now you may be able to add to this list or maybe you would say, my mother isn’t all that, but deep in your heart you know that this is what your heart longed for in a mother and what a mom is supposed to do. Our point is that God says, this is how I am going to comfort you. Turn in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. Paul says that God is the Father of Mercies and the God of all Comfort who comforts us in all our Tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. How does God comfort His children? Just like Mom.

1. God comforts us with the milk of His Word that comes from His heart. His words, satisfy our hunger and quiets us when we are distressed. Psalm 85:5 says, I will hear what God the Lord will speak for He will speak peace unto His people."
2. God comforts us by attending to our needs with tenderness and kindness. When Elijah was running away, God didn’t yell at him first feed him and then spoke to him in a still small voice (1 Kings 19:12).
3. God is always there to run to no matter what the crisis. He wants you to come to him anytime with anything. Jesus said to, "Come to me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28-30) Peter says to, "Cast all your care on Him for Fe cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7). The author of Hebrews says to, "Come boldly to the throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16). God says no matter what, I will never stop loving you. (Romans 8:35-39).
4. God is a healer. Not always in a physical way, but a healer of broken hearts and broken lives. We come running to Him to have our relationship with Him restored and victory over sin (Luke 4:18; Psalm 34:18). He gave His life to heal our broken relationship with Him.
5. He Comforts us with His help. He sent His Holy Spirit to be with us for that very reason. John 14:16; 26 calls Him the helper or comforter, or encourager, the one who comes along side of to help. He helps us to do His will that we can’t do apart from Him, like loving and forgiving and praying for our enemies and living by faith and not by sight and standing strong when we don’t know how. He also send us help from other believers which is why we should never forsake the assembling of ourselves together. (Heb. 10:24-25; Acts 2, 4)
6. He comforts us by His provision. Like a mom He doesn’t always give us what we want, but he always gives us what we need. (Matt. 6:31-33; Phil. 4:19)
7. He comforts us with His counsel and promises. He gives us hope for our future, assurance for our present, forgiveness for our past, and the wisdom to make right decisions with his word. His ears always attend to our cries (Psalm 34:15; 1 Peter 3:12)
8. He comforts us with His intercession. We know that when we don’t know what to ask the Holy Spirit is interceding for us (Romans 8:26) and when Satan accuses us, Jesus is interceding for us at the throne of the Father. Jesus is in heaven praying that you and I will stay strong until the end. (1 John 2:1-2; Heb. 9:27; Rom. 8:34)
9. He comforts is with His discipline (Heb. 12:5-11). His training is always for our good, He loves us too much to let us do whatever we want. His discipline of his children is always to bring out the best in us.
10. He comforts us with His Sacrifices for us. How comforting to know that God didn’t just say He loved us. He demonstrated that love by sacrificing everything for us. He would rather die than live without us (Michael Card) (Rom. 5:8; John 3:16; 1 John 3:16; 4:9; Rom. 8:31-32)

This Mother’s day, honor your Mother, remember her comfort or the way your wife comfort’s her children, then honor your God. Remember that He is always ready and willing to comfort you in any trouble, if you will just come to Him. Will you do that today? Will You come for salvation? Will you come for comfort, forgiveness, grace, mercy or help? He is waiting with arms wide open and He says simply, "Come."

Read other thoughtful writings by Pastor Gary Buchman