God created men and women equal but different. Our very chromosomes are different. This wasn’t so that there would be a clear ruler over the other but so that there would be balance. God endowed women with a maternal instinct. This instinct isn’t necessarily taught but something we are born with, and we develop and finetune over time. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the attack on this God-given trait in his Mother’s Day message, A Mother’s Instincts.
1Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3 When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. 4 And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. 5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
15 She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. 16 She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. 17 She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. 18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. 19 She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. 20 She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. 21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. ~ Proverbs 31:15-21
So many things can define a mother, but the greatest definition of a mother is a caretaker. Why? A mother puts the needs of the household above the needs of her own. She makes sure her household has what it needs in order to run smoothly. She’ll sacrifice whatever is necessary in order to make sure that she takes care of her family, including sacrificing sleep. One of my favorite songs, as a kid, was The Christmas Shoes by Newsong. I think it depicts a mother perfectly when the little boy says,
Mama made Christmas good at our house Though most years she just did without
Mothers will do without so that their families can have and enjoy. The trait of a caretaker is so important for a mother to embody that God Himself compares His caretaking to that of a mother (Isaiah 66:13).
A mother will sacrifice for her family, unlike anyone else. She’ll go without so that no one else has to. She’ll take the abuse of an angry or hurting child in order to get to the root of the problem and mend a broken heart or wound. There is nothing like the love, comfort, and sacrifice of a mother. They are irreplaceable.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Thank The LORD For Mothers.
Happy Mother’s Day. The role of a mother can become heavy and burdensome. It can become difficult and tiring to remain a strong, faithful mother as your children rebel and fall into the traps of the enemy. Some mothers have burdens that feel too heavy to carry, while others feel so hopeless they don’t even try to pick the burden up. There is nothing like a faithful mother, but how do you remain faithful when you have the whole world weighing on your shoulders? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he encourages each and every mother in his fiery message, A Mother’s Burden.
2 Samuel 21:8-14 2 Samuel 3:7-8 1 Samuel 18:19 Romans 12:12
A Mother’s Burden
Rizpah and Meraba
8 The king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; 9 and he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the Lord, and the seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest. 10 Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell upon them from the heavens. And she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon them by day, or the beasts of the field by night. 11 When David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, 12 David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. 13 And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged. 14 And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. And they did all that the king commanded. And after that God responded to the plea for the land.
In today’s society, we’ve tried to blur the roles of a mother and a father. In fact, we’ve gotten to the point where we’ve begun demeaning the role of a mother. But why? Is this what God had in mind when He created Eve, the mother of all living? What exactly does God expect of mothers? Join ArieRashelle as she searches through Scripture to understand the purpose of mothers in her video, What is the Role of a Mother?
20 My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.
Proverbs 6:20
The Caretaker
18 When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father among the reapers. 19 And he said to his father, “Oh, my head, my head!” The father said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 And when he had lifted him and brought him to his mother, the child sat on her lap till noon, and then he died. 21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God and shut the door behind him and went out. 22 Then she called to her husband and said, “Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may quickly go to the man of God and come back again.”
2 Kings 4:18-22
The Intercessor
25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her coming, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Look, there is the Shunammite. 26 Run at once to meet her and say to her, ‘Is all well with you? Is all well with your husband? Is all well with the child?’” And she answered, “All is well.” 27 And when she came to the mountain to the man of God, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came to push her away. But the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for she is in bitter distress, and the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me.”
Happy Mother’s Day. In today’s society, it’s easy to overlook mothers and their importance in the family when society continuously tells us that to be a mother is an easy and/or pointless job. But what exactly is a mother? And what is the role of a mother? And is a mother important in the family? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the importance of mothers in his Mother’s Day message, Carry Him to His Mother.
Carry Him to His Mother
18 When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father among the reapers. 19 And he said to his father, “Oh, my head, my head!” The father said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.”
2 Kings 4:18-19
During the time of Elisha, there was a Shunammite woman who had no son, and her husband was old, but every time Elisha was in her area, she fed him and even built a room special for him. So, as a thank you, Elisha blessed her with a son. Now, when the child had grown, one day he hurt his head, immediately the father told the servant to carry him to his mother. Why? Because the father knew that mothers had the intuition from God about what to do for their children and how to take care of them. It was because of this that Elisha was able to raise the boy from the dead and give the woman her son back.
18 When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father among the reapers. 19 And he said to his father, “Oh, my head, my head!” The father said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” ~ 2 Kings 4:19
Now, the young boy went out into the field one day during harvest time. That’s like trying to get some dad’s attention during Superbowl. The boy cried out, “Oh my head, my head!” But dad was too busy harvesting his crops, directing his workers, and overseeing the job. He had to provide for his family. So, what is he to do?
Take him to his mother; she will know what to do. Whenever we are feeling sick, who is it that we want? Mom. And once you get married, who is it that you want? Your wife, another motherly figure. It’s just something about a mother’s love.
Her caring
Her nurturing
Her ability to just know what to do
Somehow, mom/wives make everything seem better, more manageable
So, this young boy goes to his father and complains about his head. His father turns to one of the servants and basically says, “I’m too busy right now; take him to his mother.” Dads may be too busy to deal with their children, but mothers are never too busy.
So, especially today, remember to take time out and honor your mother. The woman you honor may not have given birth to you, but she is/was the woman that was always there for you no matter what. Today is her day; honor her for all she’s done for you.
Mothers are irreplaceable women in our lives. They have a unique and special purpose in their child’s life that only they can fulfill. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he explains the insights of being a mother in his touching Mother’s Day message, Mothers.
Genesis 2:18-24 Genesis 3:20
Mothers of the Bible
18 When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father among the reapers. 19 And he said to his father, “Oh, my head, my head!” The father said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 And when he had lifted him and brought him to his mother, the child sat on her lap till noon, and then he died.
25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her coming, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Look, there is the Shunammite. 26 Run at once to meet her and say to her, ‘Is all well with you? Is all well with your husband? Is all well with the child?’” And she answered, “All is well.” 27 And when she came to the mountain to the man of God, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came to push her away. But the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for she is in bitter distress, and the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me.” 28 Then she said, “Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’” 29 He said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And lay my staff on the face of the child.” 30 Then the mother of the child said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he arose and followed her.
2 Kings 4:18-20, 25-30
9 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. 10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
21 The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.”
1 Samuel 1:9-11, 21-22
16 Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. 18 Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were alone. There was no one else with us in the house; only we two were in the house. 19 And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him. 20 And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast. 21 When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I looked at him closely in the morning, behold, he was not the child that I had borne.” 22 But the other woman said, “No, the living child is mine, and the dead child is yours.” The first said, “No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine.” Thus they spoke before the king.
23 Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.’” 24 And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought before the king. 25 And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” 26 Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.” 27 Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother.” 28 And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.
Throughout Scripture, we see a direct connection between blessings and childbirth, but why? Did God intend for women to just be a baby factory, or is there more to the story? What’s so important about giving birth other than making sure humanity doesn’t die out? Join ArieRashelle as she searches through Scripture to find out what the ‘Blessing of Being a Mother’ really is.
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Genesis 1:28
1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.”
Genesis 9:1
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?”
Genesis 18:11-12
25 by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
Genesis 49:25
25 You shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. 26 None shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.
Exodus 23:25-26
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.
Psalms 127:3
Women are the only people on earth who can have children, that is a blessing and a privilege. The LORD has given women the blessing of being a mother, so that she may be redeemed to her rightful place at man’s side as a helpmate. Out of man came woman, but from every woman man is born.
