May 12, 2013

I found this thought today and wanted to share Mother's Day "by the Book".

 

What does the Bible say about moms? Here are some Bible quotes you can use for inspirational greeting cards, personal devotions, or preparing a Bible study/sermon about Mother’s Day. Each of these scriptures about mothers are quoted from the ESV translation.

 

Motherhood Before the Fall

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.". (Genesis 2:24-25 ESV)

 

Sons Should Follow their Mother’s Teaching

"My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching. Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you." (Proverbs 6:20-22 ESV)

 

Mother’s Must Correct their Children
 

The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. (Proverbs 29:15 ESV)

 

 

Children Must Honor their Mother (and Father)

“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:2-4 ESV)

 

Timothy’s Mother as Faith Example

"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 1:5 ESV)

 

Jesus Provided for His Mother Before He Died

"When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home." (John 19:26-27 ESV)

 

Warning to Provide for Your Aged Mother

"Honor widows who are truly widows. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." (1 Timothy 5:3-7; 1 Timothy 5:8 ESV)

 

Women Who Believer are Like Mothers to Jesus

While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:46-50 ESV)

 

 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

May 11, 2013

“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” Proverbs 31:27

A Proverbs 31 woman makes guarding her family a top priority. She watches over her family like a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings. And, she builds hedges of protection around each family member.

 

Over the past two days we have been examining several of those hedges virtuous women build around their family members. They are:

 

1) Hedges of Prayer

2) Hedges of Personal Relationships

3) Hedges of Principles

4) Hedges of Patterns

5) Hedges of Partnership

6) Hedges of Penalties

7) Hedges of Privileges.

 

Please allow me to share three more.

 

Hedges of Pictures

 

What do I mean by "hedges of pictures"?

 

I am talking about creating memories that will last in the heart and mind of each child raised by a Virtuous woman. If a child grows up with fond memories and many happy mental images he will not only be healthier but harder to tempt with evil.

Memories and mental images are great but it is also good to document every important event with pictures. You just can't have too many pictures!
 

Hedges of Pals
 

A mother who guards her family diligently and closely will be very interested in what sort of people her baby is spending time with. "Watching over the affairs of her household" includes screening the friends of your kids. A virtuous woman will know about the friends of her children.

Looking back on the friends that my mother didn't care for, in retrospect, she was right on every one of them.

Hedges of Pride

I know what you're thinking, but there is a good type of pride!

A friend of mine played football for a high school that had a storied tradition for winning football championships. He recalls that when he first made the team and they gave him his jersey they said something like this, "This the the #5 jersey. And they proceeded to remind him of all the great players in the past who had worn that jersey and what honors they had won."

That is an example of what I am talking about. Build a tradition and a heritage around your family. I remind my children and grandchildren what it means to be a Snyder and what Snyders believe. I want my family to be strong on their identity and embrace it.

So, here are three more hedges that godly mothers build around the hearts and minds and souls of their children.

If you have a mother or wife who is a hedge builder, honor her well!


 

 

May 10, 2013

"She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." Proverbs 31:27

Today I was given the opportunity to have prayer with a man who was getting ready to pull his wife of more than 40 years off life-support. They don't teach you how to do that in school. Only through the Holy Spirit and great empathy can you have a clue how to pray.

 

In those milliseconds while I was trying to gather my thoughts my mind went to the precious women in my life and how much they mean to me. Trying to imagine how hard it would be to lose one of them is all I needed to inspire the prayer.

 

Proverbs 31 lauds the virtues of a godly woman. Verse 27 praises her for the way she guards the spiritual and emotional welfare of her family. She builds a hedge around them and I have been highlighting some of those hedges.

 

There was the prayer hedge and the personal relationship hedge and the principles hedge. In this post I want to share several more hedges a godly mother can build.

 

The Pattern Hedge

 

A godly mother not only teaches good principles but she lives them out daily to demonstrate a pattern for living. Teaching is instructing but it is also illustrating.

 

The Partnership Hedge

 

A woman of virtue understands the importance of partnering with God in shaping the hearts and minds of her children. She also teams with her spouse in building the hedge of safety around their kids.

 

The Penalty Hedge

 

In an era when most are trying to escape responsibility and avoid the consequences of their actions, godly mothers enforce penalties for wrong behavior. People who are loving punish those they love when they do wrong.

 

The Privieges Hedge

 

Equally important as punishing bad behavior is the practice of rewarding good behavior by extending privileges. Reinforce what is right by catching them being good.

 

What hedges are you building around your family?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 9, 2013

"She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." Proverbs 31:27

 

When I think of all the safety devices and equipment available for our infants and children nowadays it amazes me. Cars are much safer than in my day or even in the time my children were small. And in addition to the airbags, shoulder harnesses, and electronic warnings built into cars there are infant seats to add increased protection for our little ones. We do everything we can think of to make our kids safe. That is a good thing every parent understands well.

 

Keeping our children safe has always been a top priority of every culture in every age. I am sure it will be that way as long as people have children.You spend as much as you can afford to assure the safety of your children and so would I. So no wonder the writer of the Proverbs lauds a woman who "builds hedges of thorns" around her children to protect them.

 

What ARE some of those hedges a mother can build to protect their loved ones? I want to share three of those in this post.

 

The Prayer Hedge

 

When you have children your prayer life immediately ratchets up! When those children become teens you get a crash course on intercessory prayer.

 

Forget the lame disclaimer, "All I could do is pray." Prayer is the BEST thing you can do! Through prayer you activate and marshal all the extensive and powerful resources of Heaven! Angels rush to guard them. The Holy Spirit hovers over them. God's blessing and favor comes to rest on them!

 

I remember when my oldest son went off for basic training in the Army. He had been struggling through several difficult years prior to his enlistment, so I had already been praying hard for him. But after he left for Fort Jackson, I began to pray for three specific things; that he would be safe, that he would be successful and that God would surround him with good people.

 

Three months later, when I went to his graduation from basic training, it was obvious he had not only safely survived the training, he had excelled in it. After the ceremony when we met up with me and began to introduce me to his buddies, I remarked to Barbara how impressed I was with each of those young men. Later, as we were driving back to Illinois and discussing the experience it dawned on me that God had answered all three parts of my prayers for him!

 

Pray a hedge around your children!

 

The Personal Relationship Hedge

 

By all means, make sure your children find a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Sing to them about Jesus and show them pictures of Jesus and tell them Bible stories from the moment they are born. Let them never remember a time they weren't aware of Jesus. And as soon as they are old enough to understand the difference between good and evil, point them to a personal relationship with Jesus.

 

I was seven years old when I accepted Jesus and I knew what I was doing. I am very thankful for a watchful mother who made sure I knew about a personal relationship.

 

The Principles Hedge

 

Make sure your children receive a foundation of truth by teaching them the foundational principles of the Word of God. They need to know about all the great Bible characters and their stories. They need to know about the Ten Commandments and the Parables and the Sermon on the Mount, for example.

 

When God brought His people out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses to form them into a great nation, what was one of the first things He did? He gave them the Ten Commandments - the principles He wanted them to build upon.

 

If it was important for God's people, shouldn't it matter to yours?

Of course a mother knows she can't protect her loved ones from everything, but through faith she can put up a strong hedge. And if she can build a hedge of safety, why wouldn't she?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 8, 2013

"She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." Proverbs 31:27

 

The whole nation has been shocked by the unfolding story of the three young ladies held captive in a home in Cleveland. Much is yet to be revealed about how they were kidnapped and the horrible existence they have endured for over a decade.

 

If you didn't want to hold your children tight before, I'm sure you will now!

 

Proverb 31 is one of the Bible's greatest tributes to the extraordinary value of a godly woman. Such a woman is compared to precious jewels.

 

I want to focus on verse 27 which highlights an important and timely role a godly woman is to play. She is to stand watch over the safety and welfare of her family.

 

Usually you think of the man, the husband, the father as the protector of the home and the family. According to the Bible it is his role to provide financially and protect physically for his wife and their children. In a sense, he is to build a wall of security around his family.

 

Keeping with that word picture, the man builds the wall and the woman is to stand watch at the gate. She is to protect her children by standing guard over them spiritually and emotionally. She is to cover them like a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings.

 

One commentator I studied suggested the word construction here paints a picture of building a hedge of thorns around the heart, mind and soul of her children. The way she stands watch would make it that difficult to do them harm.

 

Over the next three days I will be sharing ten ways a woman can build a hedge of thorns around the heart and soul and mind of her children.

 

But tonight, I want to pay tribute to my mother who did a really good job of building a spiritual hedge around my heart. It protected me well through the formative years of my life.

 

And I would like to honor the mothers in the FredWes congregation who are also doing an exceptional job of building a hedge around our children!

 

Standing watch is hard work! You must be constantly attentive as you prayerfully guard the gate to your children! Building a hedge of protection around the hearts and minds of your children is a fulltime effort! Know the Word so you know what to watch for! You must know the Word so you know what to stand guard against!

 

Such a woman is worthy of praise!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 7, 2013

"In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head." As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine." "Not so, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief." Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him." I Samuel 1:10-17
 

The second godly woman we will honor is Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel. Her name means "favored by God".
 

Initially that was not the case, however. She was the favored wife of Elkanah despite the fact she was barren. There was no greater shame for a married woman in that culture than being unable to bear children. It was a burden that nearly crushed her and certainly tested her faith.

 

One day during an annual feast she went to the tabernacle and was crying out to God with such earnestness that she was thought to be drunk by Eli, the priest. He began to chastise her for her totally inappropriate behavior. When she explained herself and her woeful situation, Eli blessed her and assured he that her prayer would be answered.

 

Indeed it was! She became pregnant and had a son she named "Samuel" - which meant "heard by God". Samuel went on to serve Eli and later became one of the great priests and prophets of Israel. He would be the one God used to choose David and later anoint him as king.

 

I want to focus on three things that are admirable about Hannah that modern women can emulate:

 

1) She called upon God in her time of trouble. She turned to prayer rather than despair.

 

2) She promised God to consecrate the son to God if God would honor her with a child. If God would deliver her from her shame she would dedicate the child to Him.

 

3) When God answered her prayer and gave her the long-desired child she kept her word. God delivered on His promise and so did she.

 

Modern mothers would benefit from being women of prayer like Hannah. Peter reminds you to "cast your cares upon Him because He cares for you." Turn to prayer and don't despair.

 

Recognize that your child (children) as gift(s) from God. Like Hannah, you are a mother by virtue of a sacred contract with God. He gives life and you are to nurture and shape it.

 

Dedicate your child(ren) to the Lord. Give back to Him what He has trusted to you.

 

Hannah is a model for modern motherhood. Read the story. Learn the lessons. Live it out!

May 6, 2013

"But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." Genesis 2:20-24

 

This week leading up to Mother's Day I want to focus on the great mothers of the Bible. It's kind of hard to do that without beginning with Eve. None of us would be here without her.

 

God made Eve from Adam and for Adam to be a "helpmate". Life is challenging and even more so when you tackle it alone. I find it a great tribute to women that even though Adam was intricately connected with God, He saw the need to create another "helper" or "soul-mate" for Adam. It almost looks as though God created woman to be a helper for man BUT ALSO as a helper for God!
 

I told my son the other day, "Next to God, a good woman is the best thing that can happen to a man." It has been true in my life. I think God would agree with that.

 

As happy and satisfied as Adam was with God it was God Himself Who recognized Adam needed something else - woman. She was handmade by Him to complete a perfect creation!

 

Eve, the first wife and the first mother was a marvelous gift from God! She was hand-picked and hand-made for Adam by God. She was God's gift to Adam and God's tool to help shape his life, grace his journey and lighten his burden.

 

Of course, we know how it ended. We know that the very same one who completed paradise eventually brought it down by her disobedience. So, she was the first and final perfect woman.

 

Still, women are one of God's great ideas! I am thankful that He created them. Not only have the played a HUGE part in the history of mankind, they have been key contributors in the development of the Christian faith and particulary in the local church.

 

Thank God for women! Thank God for the women in my life - my mother, my wonderful wife, my daughter, my daughter-in-law, my sisters, my grand daughters and the strong women in my church. I honor you. I bless you!

 

This is your week leading up to your day! May you know how much you matter!