Greetings prayer partner,
Thank you again for praying with us on the National Day of Prayer last week! We continue to, “Lift Up the Word and Light Up the World” as we pray for our neighbors and nation every day. We would be delighted to receive your stories and pictures of your National Day of Prayer! Please email them to glory.story@nationaldayofprayer.org. We will be sharing glory stories and our reports with you in the upcoming weeks but this week we pause to praise the life and love of moms everywhere.
Proverbs 31:10-31 ESV An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil All the days of her life. She looks for wool and flax And works with her hands in delight. She is like merchant ships; She brings her food from afar. She rises also while it is still night And gives food to her household And portions to her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength And makes her arms strong. She senses that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out at night. She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle. She extends her hand to the poor, And she stretches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household, For all her household are clothed with scarlet. She makes coverings for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies belts to the tradesmen. Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying: "Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all." Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her the product of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates.
The woman described in Proverbs 31:10- 31, can evoke several emotions depending on the season of life you are in and the lens you are looking through. She is not someone women compete with or even compare themselves to. Her days, like yours, are full and fruitful. She is an example of what it looks like to walk in the wisdom and ways of God, obediently relying on God for daily opportunities to complete the good works He prepared. It is not that she did all these things every day, but throughout her years just like with you and me, she stores up treasure in heaven, and she goes about her daily duties. An excellent life, like an excellent wife, concentrates on the glory of the Lord through discipleship, relationships, leadership, stewardship, and fellowship.
While the list of her accomplishments seems astounding to us as she bought and sold land, exquisite fabrics, planted vineyards, fed her family with foods that were delicious, her hands were diligent, and her attitude was delightful I believe the sum of all the days of your life is astonishing as well. If you are married, you tend to your husband, and your family name is honored in your community largely due to the integrity, stewardship, generosity, kindness, and diligence that marks your life as it did the Proverbs 31 woman.
As we step into Mother’s Day weekend, we invite you to pause and ponder all the days of the life of your mom, and we challenge you to, “rise up and bless her.” Reflect on all of your days if you are a mom, not comparing yourself to this woman or any other, but recounting all the hours of prayer, tears, cheers, coaching, volunteering, homework-helper, late night advice, accomplishments, appointments, disasters averted, answered prayers, and loads of laundry God has seen you through. I know this can be a very tender day for those who are praying to be a mom, know that we are praying for you. It is also a tender day for those of us that have moms in heaven, we are praying for you look back on all the things you learned and lived as her child. Though no one is perfect, “a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.” Thank you, Moms, for all you are and all you do!
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Mothers! Thank You for the wonderful women who birthed us or chose to bring us into their lives and brought us up. Thank you for all that they sacrificed and the many ways they served through our stages of growing up. Thank you for the lessons they taught us, their patience, grace, and love. In this tender time of Mother’s Day please comfort those who are missing their mom or who long to be a mom. We thank you for women in our lives who are like a mom to us, and we thank You that we are Your children and forever a part of your family. In the precious name of Jesus we pray, Amen!
Serving Him with gladness,
Kathy Branzell
President