ESF, Lord’s Day message (Mother’s Day)
5/11/2025
God’s Love in Motherhood
Text: Isaiah 49:15, Isaiah 66:13, 2Timothy 1:5

Isaiah 49:15 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”

Isaiah 66:13 “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”

2 Timothy 1:5 “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded now lives in you also.”

A little boy found a dead squirrel in front of his house, and for hours he cried over it. His mom asked his dad to do something to comfort him. The dad found out that the squirrel had been hit by a car. He tried to comfort his son and teach his son a gentle lesson. He talked to his son about the mysteries of life and death. Then he mentioned that the same thing could happen to him if he was not careful when he crossed the street.
That evening, his mother came to check on him. She asked, “Honey, what did you learn from your talk with Daddy today?”
The boy answered, “I learned that when you die, you turn into a squirrel.”

Mothering is the most challenging job of all, because while a mother gives birth to a child and takes care of her child, she must face many dangers, obstacles, and trials. But it is also the most rewarding and blessed job in this world, because there are special blessings which God dispenses through mothers. God dispenses His love through diverse ways. But through mothers God dispenses His love better, deeper, wider, and higher than He does through any other way.

God in the Bible is called the Heavenly Father. But when we look at the Bible carefully, we see that God also identifies Himself with earthly mothers, especially when God shows His tender compassion and sacrificial love.

God dispenses love through our mothers’ compassion.
God loves us through our mothers’ compassion. Isaiah 49:15 says: Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!

In the Hebrew language of the Old Testament the word for “compassion” comes from the root word, “womb.” The word is related to giving birth to a baby. It is the picture of a mother giving all she has, to bring the new life of a baby into the world.

When babies wake up in the middle of the night and cry, fathers may take care of crying babies for a while, but it would not be easy for them to show tender compassion for a crying baby as mothers do. Tender compassion of our mothers works in our lives like a powerful healing balm. God brings His comfort and healing grace to us through our mother’s compassion. Isaiah 66:13 says, “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”

During World War I, an American soldier was wounded on the battlefields of France. He was taken to a hospital and finally brought back to America. He was in critical condition when he reached an American hospital-his eyes blinded, his mind beclouded, and his body mangled. His old mother traveled many miles to see him. When she arrived at the hospital she sat at his bedside and silently laid her hand on his brow. Instantly he said: “It is my mother’s hand! I know it anywhere!” The mother had not spoken, but he knew the touch of her hand!

Children! Be thankful to your moms for their tender compassion for you.

Mothers, thank God for His gift of compassion dispensed through your motherhood. While you take care of your children with compassion, you will receive God’s compassionate love for you too.

God dispenses love through our mother’s sacrifice.
Most mothers love their children more than they love themselves. Mothers do not attach any strings to their children while they are taking care of children. They are willing to sacrifice everything on behalf of their children.

Most mothers are willing to sacrifice even their own lives to protect or save their children’s lives. When Moses’ mother gave birth to Moses, she was living in Egypt. At that time, the Egyptian king ordered that every newborn boy of the Hebrews should be killed. Nobody could disobey the king’s order. If anybody disobeyed the order, the person would be executed. But Moses’s mother disobeyed the order and kept Moses for three months. To save her child’s life, she risked her own life. She was ready to sacrifice her life for her son.

When we remember our mothers, we remember their genuine sacrifice for us. In their sacrifice, we have received the unfathomable love of God.

There was a teenager who didn’t want to be seen in public with her mother, because her mother’s arms were terribly disfigured. One day when her mother took her shopping and reached out her hand, a clerk looked horrified. Later, crying, the girl told her how embarrassed she was. Understandably hurt, the mother waited an hour before going to her daughter’s room to tell her, for the first time, what happened. When you were a baby, I woke up in a burning house. Your room was caught by fire. Flames were everywhere. I could have gotten out the front door, but I decided I would rather die with you than leave you to die alone. I ran through the fire and wrapped my arms around you. Then I went back through the flames, my arms on fire. When I got outside on the lawn, the pain was agonizing but when I looked at you, all I could do was rejoice that the flames hadn’t touched you. Stunned, the girl looked at her mother through new eyes. Weeping in shame and gratitude, she kissed her mother’s marred hands and arms.

Such sacrificial love of a mother reflects the essence of Jesus’ love for us. He died so that we might live. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. (I Peter 3:18)

Mothers! Have you ever sacrificed for your children? Praise God for it. Because that is the most blessed privilege that God has given you. Through your sacrifice God is pouring out His love to your children. While you love your child sacrificially, you receive God’s sacrificial love for you. You understand why God sacrificed His Son, Christ to love you.

Your children may not understand your love now. They may not appreciate your sacrifice now. They may be rebellious now. But in the end, they will understand. In the end, they will appreciate it. Your sacrificial love is the essential nutrition for your children’s soul even if they cannot recognize it now. Most of all God knows your heart and He will bring comfort and reward to you for your sacrificial love of your children.

Children! Have you ever recognized the precious value of the sweat and tears of your mothers who have sacrificed so much for you? Nourish your hearts with their sweat and tears. Show your heartfelt appreciation to them for their sacrificial love now. Show your thankfulness for their sacrifice before it’s too late.

God dispenses love through our mothers’ faith and prayer.
God dispenses His love through faith and prayer of our mothers.
Hebrews 11:23 says that God’s blessing in Moses life was formed by his mother’s faith: By faith Moses’ parents (mother) hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. Through the faith of Moses’ mom, God raised Moses to be a great leader for the nation of Israel. God builds children’s faith through their mothers’ faith. Paul reminded Timothy of this truth in 2 Timothy 1:5 “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded now lives in you also.”

God listens to a mother’s prayer for her children with special attention.
President Ronald Reagan once said, “From my mother I learned the value of prayer, how to have dreams and believe I could make them come true.”

There was a woman whose daughter was very sick. The sick daughter was suffering terribly from demon-possession. The mother was a Canaanite, gentile woman, whom the Jewish people thought had no right to receive God’s blessing. But she came to Jesus and earnestly asked Him to heal her daughter. But Jesus tested her faith by saying that He came only for the Israelites. Jesus even said that to listen to her prayer and heal her daughter was like taking the children’s bread and tossing it to the dogs. But she did not give up. She humbled herself before Jesus and kept asking, “Yes. Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then, Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And the daughter was healed from that hour (Matthew 15:21-28).

Mothers! God wants to bless you and your children through your prayers for them. Don’t be discouraged even if you are not rich or don’t have what this world can offer. You may have made mistakes while you have raised your children. You may have many regrets. But don’t give up on your motherhood. Because you still can give your children the best blessing through your prayer. You can be the best mom when you live by faith in God and pray for your children.

There was a girl who got pregnant at the age of 17. She had to give up her baby son for adoption. Then she lost track of the son. However, she kept praying for the son for years. 33 years later she registered to find him and prayed to God to help her connect with the son. Around that time the son also registered a willingness to meet his birth-mom. Soon, the mom was connected to her son through the registrations. He flew out to meet her. While the mom and the son were spending time together, the mom took her son to see “The Passion of the Christ.” She then led him to the Lord. He went home to his wife and three children, and he led them to the Lord.

You may not be able to see the results of your prayers for your children for a long time. When your children are still rebellious against your instructions, although you are constantly praying for them, you may be tempted to stop praying for them. But you should not give up on praying for your children. Pray persistently. Because God will never ignore your persistent prayer for your children just as He did not ignore the persistent request of the Canaanite woman.

Children! If you have moms who are praying for you, be grateful to them for their prayers. Because you receive God’s greatest blessings through their prayers. If your mom is a believer and prays for you, you must know that you have the most wonderful gift through your mom. God directly blesses you through your mom’s prayer. Don’t compare your mother with anything or any person in this world. If she lives by faith and if she prays for you, her faith and prayer is Gods’ greatest blessing for you. Be thankful to your mother for her faith and prayers for you.