Motherhood by Faith

10 “He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. 11 Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions, 12 the Lord alone guided him, no foreign god was with him.

God cares for his people no matter the wilderness:

Isaiah 66:13 ESV

13 As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

In the same way, mothers who live by faith show compassion.

Story of George Webber - 6’10” man crying on his mother’s lap

You never really get out of that role of bringing comfort to the hurting soul. Every time you fill that role, you are radiating the love of God!

Motherhood by Faith Reverberates Truth to Future Generations

The Example of Eunice

Acts 16:1 ESV

1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.

2 Timothy 1:5 ESV

5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.

2 Timothy 3:15 ESV

15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

In spite of not having a husband who believed in Christ, Eunice still inculcates the faith into young Timothy: she taught him the Scriptures and demonstrated genuine faith that he caught. Motherhood by faith is motherhood by conviction - it does not hide truth to “make things easier.” It boldly shares truth with love that brings the presence and blessing of God into the home. Just as God does not lie or hide what is true, neither does the mother of faith. She has conviction in the faith and in her need to pass it on to the next generation.

Motherhood by Faith Redresses Injustice by Doing What Is Right

The Example of Jochabed

Exodus 2:1–2 ESV

1 Now 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.

Hebrews 11:23 ESV

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

Pharaoh’s command was clear: every Hebrew baby boy was to be slaughtered at birth. But the fear of God must be greater in his people than the fear of man. It was for the two midwives that dared break Pharaoh’s command. They told him, “the women have their babies before we can even get there!”

Then Pharaoh commanded his people to execute all Hebrew newborn sons. Imagine if you’re a few months pregnant when that command goes out? What could you do? What does a mother, or a father for that matter, do when injustice is proclaimed as the law of the land? They didn’t have a legal means to fight the decree in the Egyptian courts. They didn’t have elections to just vote out this Pharaoh and replace him. They didn’t have the freedoms we have. What could they do?

Just because they had no freedom did not mean they could not still fight terrible injustices. They simply did what was right. Jochabed (and Amram, her husband) had the baby and did what they could do. They hid him. When hiding was no longer an option, they put little Moses in his own, customized ark in the bulrushes and big sis kept an eye out. Pharaoh’s daughter heard the cry, found the ark, saw the child, and her heart melted. He really was a beautiful child! Then big sis played her role, and lo and behold! guess who got to nurse the child on Pharaoh’s dime? Momma!

That was a risky strategy, but faith isn’t afraid of risk. Faith is only afraid of God’s disapproval, and motherhood by faith sometimes means putting it all on the line to do what is right. Motherhood by faith refuses to cave in to pressure to do things that are wrong, no matter how convenient, how in-demand, or how good it might sound to do them. Motherhood by faith, rather, redresses injustices by doing what pleases God rather than other people.

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