What About the Singles?
(1 Samuel 1:27) For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition which I asked of Him.
(1 Corinthians 7:34) There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world–how she may please her husband.
The First Mother
Another Mother’s day has come and gone. Mothers were honored and extolled and praised as they should be. We couldn’t be here without them. However, not all mothers wanted to be mothers and not all mothers are good mothers. For example, looking at mothers in the Bible we have Eve who was the mother of all living, but she also was the source of death that came into the world. She made one bad decision that has affected all of her children ever since. She wanted to be "as gods knowing good and evil." She not only got that knowledge but she found out what it was to experience good and evil. Cain, her first born son, killed his brother. Cain wanted to worship God his way, Abel wanted to worship God God’s way. So Cain’s murder was the first religious persecution and Abel was the first religious martyr. I am not sure that I would call Eve a "good" mom.
Other Mothers with Problems
Sarah, the wife of Abraham, was the mother of a child born after she was too old to have a child. She had been promised this child but she took things into her own hands in order to see that promise fulfilled. She convinced her husband to produce a child through Hagar, her maid. That lack of faith is the source of tribal problems yet today. She couldn’t wait.
Rebecca, the wife of Isaac, favored Jacob over his twin brother Esau. Esau was the firstborn but she convinced Jacob to deceive Isaac into giving him the blessing that normally belonged to the firstborn son. There have been tribal problems between their descendants down through the years. She showed favoritism.
A brave Mother
Abigail, the wife of Nabal who was a fool, had to take things into her own hands to save her family from destruction under the hand of David. Some say she didn’t disobey her husband but to me it appears that she definitely did and she definitely should have. Her husband was a fool but she was wise. She saved many lives and kept David from doing something that he would later regret. While wives are supposed to submit to the Godly decisions of their husbands, there are times when they have to use some God given common sense. Abigail did this.
Mothers who were a Blessing
Hannah prayed for a man child. She promised the Lord that she would dedicate the child to the service of the Lord all the days of his life if God would answer her prayer. The Lord answered her prayer and she produced Samuel, the last of the judges who ruled and guided the nation of Israel. Samuel was dedicated to the Lord by Hannah and he apparently became an adopted child of Eli the priest at that time. He became a prophet and a priest and was one of the best judges that Israel had in the day of the judges when every man started doing what was right in his own eyes. She was blessed and she was a blessing.
Mary became the mother of the Lord. The Lord called her blessed. But she was there when her Son was crucified. She was blessed and she was a blessing but her blessing came with great sorrow. Simeon had told her in Luke 2:35 that a sword would pierce her own soul also. Obviously he was referring to the sorrow she would feel when the Lord was unjustly crucified.
Those who Are Not Mothers
Then there are those who have not married or who are married but do not have children even though they would like to have them. Are they any less important than the married with children? No, in fact they are free from the “distraction” of trying to please a husband while also wanting to serve the Lord. (See 1 Corinthians 7:35.) The blessing of marriage and motherhood is great; however, the blessing of being single may be greater. We value our single gals who were not given a flower by their natural children on Mother’s day. In many cases they have become nurses, teachers, social workers, day care providers and missionaries who have blessed more children than a married women will ever bless.
We thank and bless our mothers, but we also thank and bless all single women on this Mother’s Day.
Bruce Collins
Meditation for the week of May 8, 2016