Mother’s Day – The Woman God Blesses

One of the most famous verses in the Bible about a mom is Proverbs 31:25 which tells us that “She is clothed in Strength & Dignity”.

There are many types of MOTHERS. There are biological, spiritual, adoptive, foster, grieving, single, step, hopeful, grand and I am sure many more other types of mothers.

We are all thankful for the mother’s in our lives, the women in our lives. If it wasn’t for my mother, I wouldn’t be here. If it wasn’t for my mother-in-law, Sis. Kerri wouldn’t be here. If I don’t act right, Sis. Kerri will take me out of here!

But for a few moments, I want to talk about the BLESSED mothers.

Samuel’s mother’s name is Hannah and Hannah was a blessed woman of God, a godly woman. However, Hannah had all the cards stacked against her, but God blessed her anyway. What made Hannah special and why did God bless her? You can read 1 Samuel 1:1-2:2 and find out more, but let’s look at the highlights this morning.

1 Samuel 1:7 ~ “So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.”

• God blesses a woman of endurance. Hannah suffered for years:

• the anguish of not having a child
• the wrath of a terrible woman
• this suffering was for years and many other things she suffered
• Hannah may have suffered, but she also endured and she continued to go to the house of the Lord.
• She endured by drawing her strength from the Lord
• the communion she had with the Lord helped her endure year after year

• We need women of endurance. Endurance is can be defined as “patience and waiting even while suffering trials”. Hannah was patient and waited on the Lord, even while suffering tremendous trials. This definition gives us the elements that compose endurance: trials, patience and waiting:

• We can’t have endurance unless we have trials.

• Trials are a part of every woman’s life.

• Trials give us the opportunity to find out who we are really trusting in.

• Hannah’s situation was out of her hands.

• She couldn’t do anything on her own so she had to trust in God and wait.

• She patiently waited on her Lord to bring her through.

• Endurance means suffering through trials waiting on the only One who can help.

1 Samuel 1:10 ~ “She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.”

• God blesses a woman of prayer. Hannah was pro-active in her endurance.

• Even while patiently waiting, Hannah didn’t stop seeking the Lord.

• Hannah didn’t approach prayer lightly or mechanically, she prayed with tears and deep sincerity.

• She knew who she was talking to and this was a serious matter for her.

• Eli, the priest, must have never seen a woman praying like her before, because he thought she was drunk.

• We need women of prayer:

• Hannah spoke with the Lord, Hannah cried to the Lord, Hannah wept before the Lord.

• She didn’t pray some canned prayer but she poured out her heart to the Lord.

• Prayer is more than mere words, it is a heart attitude for the Lord.

• It is not only speaking to the Lord, but opening up your whole being to Him.

• Being a woman of prayer is being a woman who’s strength comes from communion with God.

1 Samuel 1:18 ~ “And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.”

• God blesses a woman of faith. Hannah had faith.

• When Hannah left the house of the Lord she was no longer sad.

• She had cried and prayed and now her face was no longer sad.

• She knew she had been in the presence of the Lord and now her heart was calm.

• She had placed her faith in the Lord and that was as much as she could do.

• And God did not disappoint.

• Within a year, with all her endurance, prayer, and faith, God gave her a little boy.

• We need women of faith.

• The basis for Hannah’s endurance and prayer was her faith in God.

• She endured because she trusted the Lord.

• She prayed because she trusted the Lord.

• Faith is the foundation of a relationship with the Lord.

• We have to believe He is who He says He is and trust Him to do what He says He will do.

1 Samuel 1:24-28 “24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. 27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.”

• God blesses a woman of worship and commitment. Hannah didn’t forget her commitment and worship to the Lord.

• Hannah didn’t forget the One who made all things possible.

• She brought sacrifices to the Lord and she worshipped Him.

• We need women of worship!

• Hannah adored the Lord.

• Hannah couldn’t hold back her love and praise for the One who had see her through everything.

• Hannah worshipped.

• Worship is setting God apart as worthy of our praise, worthy of glory, worthy of honor.

• Worship is acknowledging God as greater than anyone or anything else in the world.

This morning, I have some questions for our CV WOMEN:

• Are you women of endurance?

• Is there trials in your life that are out of your hands?

• Are you suffering something that is not of your own making?

• Are you women of prayer?

• Are you in communion with the God of all creation?

• Do trials automatically send you running to the One who gives you strength?

• Do you feel lonely and by yourself when problems come?

• Are you women of faith?

• Do you have a base, an anchor, for your life?

• Do trails destroy you and you go spinning out of control?

• Are you women of worship?

• Do you see God as high and lifted up, worthy of all we can give to Him?

• Do you forget God as soon as He meets your needs?

In all these questions, REMEMBER HANNAH!