Tag: Joy

Mothers for All

This morning I was reminded that it is not just the biological mothers who make an impact on the children of the world. It is those mothers out there that place themselves in the place of caregiver to the children.

“9He gives the barren woman a home,

making her the joyous mother of children.

Praise the Lord!”

— Psalm 113:9 (ESV)

When I read this verse I thought of those little old ladies in the neighborhood who were always entertaining the kids. I also thought of my grandmother, and where she was not barren and did have children of her own, it was later when she was the caregiver of my nephew for the first few years of his life. And I thought of the ladies that taught in Sunday school and made such an impact on the lives of the children there on Sunday mornings and anytime she interacted with those children. I thought of Lori, my wife, as she teaches and interacts with the children in her classes and in the school who later in life bring smiles to her face when they see her and tell her of all they have accomplished.

The LORD’s design was for man to care for the world, as noted in Genesis in the creation. And God created Eve to be the mother of the world. Women are precious to the growth and development of the world. Even when they have not been blessed with biological children, the LORD has blessed them with motherhood of those in need.

We all are in need of mothers. Some of us have biological mothers who were/are the caregivers in our lives. Some of us have biological mothers who were/are not caregivers and may not be the ones to impact us positively. Some of us have those surrogate mothers in our lives who love us and care for us as a mother would/should. In either of these cases, God has provided a mother for us that we can count as our own. There are mothers for all of us and all of them have children they can/will bring joy.

Who is your mother? Are you looking to only the biological mother to bring you joy? What if you recall the one mother who impacted your life in a joyous manner?

Rejoice Over One Sinner

I am working on my learning more about being a sinner. I am a sinner for sure and want to know more about just what that means. This morning I am reading in the book of Luke and the parable of the lost coin. A simple one for sure, but a good one none the less. When has limited things and loses one, there is an all out search for that one and then there is the rejoicing that comes when that one is found.

“8Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’” — Luke 15:8-9 (ESV)

The precious coin is of lots of value to the woman who had few of them. Aren’t we all about the same when it comes to those things that are precious to us. I know that I am for sure. God is no different in those things that are precious to Him. And I am one of those precious things. Not because I am a Christian, but because I am His creation. And not because there are limited numbers of my kind, but because I am limited, there is only but one of me.

“10Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” — Luke 15:10 (ESV)

It is my repenting that give God joy. It is the finding of me, the one unique person that brings joy to Him. My coming to Him and repenting of the sins I have committed and those that I will commit that brightens His face. Me, the ONE sinner. I bring the LORD joy with my repentance.

I have to remember that we are all precious to the LORD. Not just those who have more. Not just those who impact larger groups of people. Not just those who are known more to the masses. It is the one sinner that repents of sin that brings joy to the LORD. God does not look at who the sinner is. God does not consider one over the other. God looks to the repentance of the sin by the sinner and that is the joy.

I need only focus on my own sin and repenting of that sin. I have to remember that it is that which brings joy to the LORD. I have to be right with God and getting there requires my repentance. I have to acknowledge my sin and ask the LORD to forgive me. I have to remember that He is always listening to hear my voice of repentance, and when He hears, he will smile with joy for His precious.

What are your beliefs of that which gives the LORD joy? Are you looking to make a splash with God by doing grand things and expecting Him to leap at you for the massive amount of work done? What if you just looked to Him and repented knowing that the LORD looks at each sinner’s repentance as precious?