Mothers of the Bible: A Devotional by Ann Spangler & Jean E. Syswerda

Author:Ann Spangler & Jean E. Syswerda
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Mothers
ISBN: 9780310272397
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 2006-03-13T22:00:00+00:00

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners . . .

and provide for those who grieve in Zion —

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness

instead of mourning,

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and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair.

— Isaiah 61:1, 3

I will turn their mourning into gladness;

I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.

— Jeremiah 31:13

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Friday

Her Legacy of Prayer

When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her

womb, but Rachel was barren. Leah became pregnant and gave

birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me

now.”

— Genesis 29:31 – 32

Reflect On:

Genesis 29:16 – 31.

Praise God:

That though human beings often judge by

outward appearances, God always sees the

heart and judges accordingly.

Offer Thanks: That God is moved by our sorrow.

Confess:

Your tendency to compare yourself with

other women, judging them and yourself

merely by appearances.

Ask God:

To enable you to base your identity on your

relationship with him rather than on what

you see in the mirror.

Lift Your Heart

Take five minutes a day this week to pay yourself a com-

pliment by thanking God for making you the woman you

are. Call to mind everything you like about yourself — your

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quirky sense of humor, your love of great literature, your

compassion for other people, your curly hair, even the shape

of your toes. Resist the temptation to think about what you

don’t like. (Imagine for a moment how God must feel when

he hears us complaining about how he has made us!) Instead,

decide now to honor him by your gratitude. At the end of the

week, treat yourself to lunch with a friend or a leisurely latte

at your favorite café in celebration of all the natural gifts with

which God has blessed you.

Lord, I don’t want to be critical of how you’ve put me together,

relying on what others think of me for my sense of well-being.

Make me a woman who is confident that I am lovable, not be-

cause of my outward beauty but because you have loved me from

the moment you called me into being.

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The Mothers of Moses

Jochebed: Her Name Means The Lord Is Glory

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Her Character: Her fierce love for her son, coupled with her faith, enabled her to act heroically in the

midst of great oppression.

Her Sorrow:

To live in bondage as a slave.

Her Joy:

That God not only preserved the son she

surrendered to him but that he restored her

child to her.

Key Scriptures: Exodus 2:1 – 10; Hebrews 11:23

Pharaoh’s Daughter

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Her Character: The Jewish people honor men and women

whom they designate as “righ

teous Gen-

tiles.” These are people who, though nonbe-

lievers, have assisted God’s people in some

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significant way. Surely, Pharaoh’s daughter

should top the list of righ

teous Gentiles,

courageously and compassionately deliver-

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