[Theme music]
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[Theme music]
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>>John: This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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There's a special day that
comes around once every year:
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Mother's Day.
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None of us would be
here without our mother.
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It's not a stretch at all to
say that every person on Earth
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owes his or her
existence to his or her mother.
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Obviously, the same could
be said about your father,
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but we'll say
that on another day.
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I think I can say
with absolute certainty
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that I have the
world's best mother
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with the possible exception
of your mother, of course.
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Any woman who could have endured
raising my four brothers and I,
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and our two sisters,
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who I'm sure were angels
and were never a problem,
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is obviously a special person
on the strength of that alone.
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But the fact
that I'm able to say
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that I have a wonderful
mother is a blessing in itself.
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Thankfully, most
people can say that.
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Not all, but certainly most.
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Childbirth and child-raising
and nurture and a mother's love
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are not accidents,
despite what some may say about
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Darwinian evolution
and the randomness of life.
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God specifically
designed that we have mothers.
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And part of that is because
a mother, and a mother's love,
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show us an important
part of the character of God.
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Now, the Bible
presents God as decidedly male;
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I'm not suggesting otherwise.
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But in God we see a father's
love and a mother's love.
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The Bible says in Isaiah 49:15:
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“Can a woman
forget her nursing child,
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And not have compassion
on the son of her womb?
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Surely they may forget,
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Yet I will not forget you.
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The love of God is compared
to the love of a mother, except,
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of course, God says his
love exceeds a mother's love.
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Which is quite a thing.
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In Matthew 23:37, Jesus said:
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“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
the one who kills the prophets
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and stones those
who are sent to her!
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How often I wanted to
gather your children together,
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as a hen gathers her
chicks under her wings,
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but you were not willing!
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What the Bible is making clear
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is that a mother's love
reveals something powerful
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about the love of God,
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and that makes the role of
a mother incredibly important.
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Now, when you think
of mothers in the Bible,
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who comes to mind?
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I would guess the obvious
candidates would be Mary,
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the mother of
Jesus, and then, well, who?
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You might say Elizabeth,
the mother of John the Baptist.
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You could think about
Jochebed, the mother of Moses;
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now, there's a story.
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Timothy's mother, Eunice,
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and his grandmother Lois
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are both mentioned by
name by Paul in the Bible
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because of their great faith.
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Sarah was the mother of
Isaac, so she was special.
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Rebekah was told she'd be the
mother of thousands of millions,
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which is a great honor.
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And then, think
about the Shunammite woman,
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the one
promised a son by Elisha.
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The boy spends a day in
the field helping his father,
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and ends up with
something that would most likely
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be a heat stroke, and
he dies. The child dies!
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So what does Mom do?
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Mom gets a
servant; they grab a donkey.
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She tells him to ride as fast as
he can to Elisha at Mt. Carmel.
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When she gets there,
she dismisses Gehazi,
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Elisha's servant.
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She charges into
Elisha's presence,
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basically rebukes him
for promising her a son
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in the first
place, and says to him,
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"Didn't I say,
'Don't deceive me'?"
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When Elisha tells the servant
to go and check on the boy,
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the mother says
she's not having any of it.
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She says to Elisha, "I'm
not going anywhere without you."
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What could Elisha do?
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When Gehazi gets back,
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Elisha goes himself
to the woman's house.
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And the boy?
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Well, the boy is
brought back to life.
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The mother
receives her son again.
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There could simply
have been a funeral.
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But this mother
wouldn't take no for an answer.
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This was her child.
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What she did for
her little boy was,
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was responsible for the
little boy coming back to life.
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She saved his life.
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Mothers are heroes, really.
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The modern idea of a
hero is usually pretty hollow;
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but mothers truly are heroes.
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Heroines, if you'd rather.
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Most of the time, the
heroism goes unnoticed.
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Up all night with sick children,
and who ever knows about it?
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Not even the child in question
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will even
remember what was done.
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Mothers of young
children are up all night,
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every night often, and
often for months and months,
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feeding their children.
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I remember when our
children were young;
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they'd cry in the night,
and we knew what it meant.
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It meant Melissa was
going to get out of bed
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and feed the child.
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Now, you say, "What about you,
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John?" Me? Me? I slept.
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There was no point both of
us being exhausted the next day,
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was there?
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At two a.m. I had
nothing those kids wanted.
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Or at 4:30 a.m.
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Or whenever it might have been.
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Now, with one of them it was
midnight, then two, then 4:30.
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And today, who would even know?
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The children don't remember.
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But, you know,
that's a selfless,
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heroic fact that's performed
every day by millions of women,
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usually without
anyone knowing anywhere.
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Kids skin their knees;
they come running to mother.
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They're tired at the mall;
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who picks them up and carries
them around all afternoon long?
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Now, I'm not trying to
stereotype the situation.
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I know that dads aren't entirely
useless for these things.
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But we know, both of us,
most of the time it's Mom
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who does the heavy lifting,
the really important stuff,
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dealing with the physical needs
and the emotional needs of kids.
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Shaping children into
what they'll be later in life
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in many cases, shaping
children into followers of God
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who will spend
eternity in an Earth made new.
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It's simply impossible
to overstate the importance
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of what a mother does.
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Mothers are called to give
of themselves, and they do,
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virtually every
single one of them.
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Starts with pregnancy.
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I'll be honest with you;
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I am not sorry that
that's women's work.
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If men had to carry
babies for 280 days,
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the human race
probably would have died out
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thousands of years ago.
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But mothers do what they do,
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well, because,
because that's what they do.
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It's because it's
what needs to be done.
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When it comes to being a mother,
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a mother does what
a mother needs to do.
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I'm going to give you an
example of this from the Bible.
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Now, if you're expecting it
to be a neat and tidy example,
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you're going to be disappointed.
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What we're going to
look at is the gritty reality
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of life a mother
doing what has to be done
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simply because she's a mother.
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And, well,
that's what mothers do.
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Back with more in just a moment.
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[Music]
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>>John: This is It Is Written.
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Thanks for joining me.
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When you think about
mothers in the Bible,
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there's a list of remarkable
women you might think of.
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Mary, the mother of Jesus.
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Elizabeth. Hannah. We
could talk about Sarah, Rebekah.
00:10:01.83\00:10:06.23
There's another mother
who hardly ever makes it onto
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any of the lists of the
great mothers in the Bible.
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What she did isn't remembered
by many people at all,
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but she was a
truly heroic mother.
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Let's talk about
her for a moment.
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The story takes
place in the Bible
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in Second Samuel, chapter 20.
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Israel is in a mess.
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David, the king, is
being forced out of Jerusalem
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by his rebellious son Absalom.
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And after a messy war,
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Absalom is killed and David
returns to reclaim his kingdom.
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Except it wasn't
going to be that simple.
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A man named
Sheba, the son of Bichri,
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from the tribe of Benjamin,
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and therefore someone who
was sympathetic to King Saul,
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who lost the
kingdom to David, rebelled.
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Second Samuel,
chapter 20 and verse 1
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sees Sheba saying this:
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“We have no part in David,
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Neither do we have
inheritance in the son of Jesse;
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Every man to his
tents, O Israel!”
00:11:01.92\00:11:05.46
This wasn't looking good.
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In fact, it was an
absolute crisis in the making.
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David feared Sheba
would do more damage
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to Israel than Absalom did,
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and he ordered his
men to pursue Sheba
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and put down the insurrection.
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He said to Abishai in verse 6:
00:11:17.84\00:11:20.81
“Now Sheba the son of Bichri
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will do us more
harm than Absalom.
00:11:22.31\00:11:24.75
Take your lord's
servants and pursue him,
00:11:24.78\00:11:27.08
lest he find for
himself fortified cities,
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and escape us.”
00:11:30.95\00:11:32.45
But Abishai, along with
his ruthless brother, Joab,
00:11:32.49\00:11:35.46
wasn't able to capture Sheba.
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They cornered him, but
they weren't able to take him.
00:11:37.59\00:11:41.60
So what would happen?
00:11:41.63\00:11:43.40
They pursued Sheba to a
city called Abel in Beth Maakah.
00:11:43.43\00:11:47.74
Sheba hid himself there.
00:11:47.77\00:11:49.47
And so Joab's men intended
to force their way into the city
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and destroy
everything in their path
00:11:53.48\00:11:55.88
on their way to killing Sheba.
00:11:55.91\00:11:58.38
Now, it says this in verse 15:
00:11:58.41\00:12:02.45
Then they came and besieged
him in Abel of Beth Maachah;
00:12:02.48\00:12:05.62
and they cast up a
siege mound against the city,
00:12:05.65\00:12:09.12
and it stood by the rampart.
00:12:09.16\00:12:11.09
And all the
people who were with Joab
00:12:11.13\00:12:12.69
battered the
wall to throw it down.
00:12:12.73\00:12:15.56
Which is when a wise woman:
00:12:15.60\00:12:17.67
and it's interesting
that the Bible calls her wise,
00:12:17.70\00:12:20.77
called out to Joab. She said:
00:12:20.80\00:12:22.34
"Please say to Joab,
00:12:22.37\00:12:24.81
'Come nearby, that I may speak
with you'" [2 Samuel 20:16].
00:12:24.84\00:12:27.34
Now, that was bold.
00:12:27.38\00:12:29.18
This woman was engaging Joab,
and he had proven time and again
00:12:29.21\00:12:32.58
that he wasn't anybody
you would want to mess with.
00:12:32.61\00:12:36.15
So she said this to Joab:
00:12:36.18\00:12:39.05
"I am among the peaceable
and faithful in Israel.
00:12:39.09\00:12:42.42
You seek to destroy a
city and a mother in Israel.
00:12:42.46\00:12:46.46
Why would you swallow up
the inheritance of the Lord?"
00:12:46.49\00:12:50.17
Joab protested. He said:
00:12:50.20\00:12:52.20
"That is not so. But a man
from the mountains of Ephraim,
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Sheba the son of Bichri by name,
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has raised his hand
against the king, against David.
00:12:57.97\00:13:01.78
Deliver him only and I
will depart from the city."
00:13:01.81\00:13:06.65
All I want is Sheba.
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If I get him, I
will leave in peace.
00:13:08.08\00:13:10.62
Now, the inference is clear.
00:13:10.65\00:13:13.72
If I don't get this
guy, one way or another,
00:13:13.76\00:13:17.76
I will bulldoze my way into
the city and destroy whatever
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and whoever gets in my way until
I find Sheba and end his life.
00:13:23.00\00:13:28.44
So here's a mother in Israel.
00:13:28.47\00:13:30.61
Wise, according to the Bible.
00:13:30.64\00:13:33.38
Now, we need to
keep this in mind.
00:13:33.41\00:13:35.38
Remember, this was a
different time, a different era.
00:13:35.41\00:13:38.91
But this mother
in Israel realized
00:13:38.95\00:13:40.65
that her life was in danger.
00:13:40.68\00:13:43.45
Her city was in jeopardy.
00:13:43.49\00:13:45.32
And therefore, her own children
were facing an uncertain future.
00:13:45.35\00:13:51.13
So what do you do
when you're a mother
00:13:51.16\00:13:54.10
and your children are in danger?
00:13:54.13\00:13:57.63
This mother, like
most mothers would,
00:13:57.67\00:14:00.60
decided that she would
do whatever she had to do.
00:14:00.64\00:14:03.84
And so she said this:
00:14:03.87\00:14:05.21
"Watch, his head will be
thrown to you over the wall."
00:14:05.24\00:14:11.08
Now, that's grim, I know.
00:14:11.11\00:14:12.28
But think about what had
to have gone through her mind.
00:14:12.31\00:14:15.95
This Sheba is a scoundrel.
He's endangering us all.
00:14:15.98\00:14:19.22
The only way we're going
to turn this thing around
00:14:19.25\00:14:20.79
is by convincing
Joab that the man is dead.
00:14:20.82\00:14:23.36
And we won't be able to convince
Joab of that, without proof.
00:14:23.39\00:14:26.16
And so that means...
00:14:26.19\00:14:29.70
And imagine her
thinking this through,
00:14:29.73\00:14:31.00
and she realized how awful
this was going to have to be.
00:14:31.03\00:14:34.54
Mothers give life.
They don't take it.
00:14:34.57\00:14:37.07
For anyone to take a life,
00:14:37.11\00:14:38.47
you've got to cross some
pretty significant mental
00:14:38.51\00:14:41.11
and emotional bridges.
00:14:41.14\00:14:43.35
This wasn't a warrior in Israel,
00:14:43.38\00:14:45.31
or a soldier in Israel.
She was a mother in Israel.
00:14:45.35\00:14:49.22
But her people were in danger.
Her children were in danger.
00:14:49.25\00:14:52.42
So what did she do?
00:14:52.45\00:14:54.82
She did what she had to,
because she was a mother.
00:14:54.86\00:14:58.56
Now, notice how Second Samuel,
chapter 20, verse 22 puts this:
00:14:58.59\00:15:02.33
Then the woman in her
wisdom went to all the people.
00:15:04.63\00:15:08.74
So as hard as this
might be to really understand,
00:15:08.77\00:15:11.61
what she did is
described by God as wise.
00:15:11.64\00:15:16.34
The details aren't
recorded in the Bible,
00:15:16.38\00:15:18.08
but the end result is.
00:15:18.11\00:15:21.05
And they cut off the head
of Sheba the son of Bichri,
00:15:22.42\00:15:26.92
and threw it out to Joab.
00:15:26.96\00:15:30.19
We're not told how she
communicated this to the people
00:15:30.23\00:15:32.39
and convinced them
about what they had to do.
00:15:32.43\00:15:34.86
It might not have taken
too much convincing, actually.
00:15:34.93\00:15:37.03
I don't know.
00:15:37.07\00:15:38.47
But what we do know is that by
the time this episode was over,
00:15:38.50\00:15:41.97
Sheba had met with a
very unfortunate end.
00:15:42.00\00:15:45.11
And after all this,
Abel Meth Maakah was safe.
00:15:45.14\00:15:49.51
Joab never came
inside, and the people there,
00:15:49.54\00:15:51.28
including the
children, were left in peace.
00:15:51.31\00:15:54.22
Now, that was a tough call.
00:15:54.25\00:15:56.12
And very obviously I'm
not recommending that anybody
00:15:56.15\00:15:58.72
think about
imitating what this woman did.
00:15:58.75\00:16:01.19
But this was a desperate time,
00:16:01.22\00:16:02.46
and it called for
desperate measures.
00:16:02.49\00:16:04.43
And it was a mother in
Israel who was wise enough
00:16:04.46\00:16:07.13
to step forward and say,
"We have to preserve our people.
00:16:07.20\00:16:10.13
We have to save our children.
00:16:10.17\00:16:11.90
And I'll do
whatever needs to be done
00:16:11.93\00:16:13.94
in order to make that
happen." That's what mothers do.
00:16:13.97\00:16:17.21
They nurture their children
in a thousand different ways.
00:16:17.24\00:16:20.41
They give and give
and give of themselves.
00:16:20.44\00:16:23.58
They aren't paid for what they
do as mothers, and they work,
00:16:23.61\00:16:26.95
more often than
not, unrecognized.
00:16:26.98\00:16:30.02
They're the glue that keeps
thousands of school committees
00:16:30.05\00:16:32.32
and volunteer organizations
and children's groups
00:16:32.35\00:16:34.72
and sports clubs, and who
knows what else, held together.
00:16:34.76\00:16:38.96
And often they don't have
the time and they could be doing
00:16:38.99\00:16:41.53
other things or
pursuing other interests.
00:16:41.56\00:16:44.17
Mothers do what they do because,
well, because they're mothers.
00:16:44.20\00:16:47.70
That's what God has
placed in their heart.
00:16:47.74\00:16:50.81
And so we recognize
mothers, a day a year.
00:16:50.84\00:16:54.78
Come on, kids and dads,
can't we do better than that?
00:16:54.81\00:16:58.65
Surely we can.
00:16:58.68\00:17:00.18
Along with buying
flowers or cooking breakfast
00:17:00.22\00:17:02.15
or taking Mom out to dinner,
00:17:02.18\00:17:03.75
or whatever it
might be on Mother's Day,
00:17:03.79\00:17:06.09
make sure that's not the only
time you do something like that.
00:17:06.12\00:17:10.09
And you do it for them,
why? Well, tell them why.
00:17:10.13\00:17:14.60
Because we love you,
and we appreciate you,
00:17:14.63\00:17:18.33
and because we don't
say thank you often enough.
00:17:18.37\00:17:21.07
¤[Music]¤
00:17:21.10\00:17:27.14
>>Announcer: In Matthew
4:4, the Word of God says...
00:17:27.18\00:17:30.65
“It is written, ‘Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:17:30.68\00:17:33.52
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'”
00:17:33.55\00:17:37.69
"Every Word" is a one-minute,
Bible-based daily devotional
00:17:37.72\00:17:40.92
presented by
Pastor John Bradshaw,
00:17:40.96\00:17:42.62
and designed especially
for busy people like you.
00:17:42.66\00:17:45.76
Look for Every Word
on selected networks,
00:17:45.79\00:17:48.50
or watch it online
every day on our website,
00:17:48.53\00:17:50.97
ItIsWritten.com.
00:17:51.00\00:17:53.40
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:17:53.44\00:17:55.47
Watch "Every Word."
You'll be glad you did.
00:17:55.50\00:17:58.41
Here's a sample.
00:17:58.44\00:18:00.44
¤[Theme music]¤
00:18:00.48\00:18:05.75
An Indian businessman wanted to
buy his wife something special
00:18:05.78\00:18:09.02
for her 44th birthday.
00:18:09.05\00:18:10.75
So he bought her a
$60 million luxury jet.
00:18:10.79\00:18:14.46
Not to be outdone,
00:18:14.49\00:18:15.66
his brother bought his
wife an $80 million luxury boat.
00:18:15.69\00:18:18.89
So much for flowers or perfume.
00:18:18.93\00:18:20.96
Mother's Day
shouldn't be all about gifts,
00:18:21.00\00:18:22.73
but it's
appropriate that mothers know
00:18:22.76\00:18:24.23
how much they're appreciated.
00:18:24.27\00:18:26.03
There's no higher calling in
this world than to be a mother
00:18:26.07\00:18:29.34
no greater responsibility.
00:18:29.37\00:18:31.21
Mothers should be
appreciated, and not just today,
00:18:31.24\00:18:34.18
but every day.
00:18:34.21\00:18:35.31
Remember what Paul
wrote in Ephesians 6:2 and 3:
00:18:35.34\00:18:38.31
“Honor your father and mother,”
00:18:38.35\00:18:39.71
which is the first
commandment with promise:
00:18:39.75\00:18:41.32
“that it may be well with you
00:18:41.35\00:18:42.88
and you may live
long on the earth.”
00:18:42.92\00:18:44.95
While we
celebrate mothers today,
00:18:44.99\00:18:46.96
let your demonstration
of appreciation be more than
00:18:46.99\00:18:49.46
a one-time event, but a
matter of ongoing appreciation.
00:18:49.49\00:18:53.16
And Happy Mother's Day.
00:18:53.19\00:18:54.83
I'm John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
00:18:54.83\00:18:56.67
Let's live today by every word.
00:18:56.70\00:18:58.07
¤[Theme music]¤
00:18:58.10\00:19:04.71
>>John: Which mother in the
Bible do you aspire to be like?
00:19:05.31\00:19:09.48
Or which Bible mother
do you most identify with?
00:19:09.51\00:19:12.01
What a question.
00:19:12.05\00:19:13.48
Now, that's one that will
put on the pressure, isn't it?
00:19:13.52\00:19:15.85
If there's one you'd like to be
like, maybe that would be Mary,
00:19:15.88\00:19:19.89
or Hannah, or who do you think?
00:19:19.92\00:19:22.52
Do you know what I think?
00:19:22.56\00:19:24.89
I think that, honestly,
most mothers probably don't see
00:19:24.93\00:19:28.30
themselves as Mary,
00:19:28.33\00:19:30.20
the nearest thing we
have to a perfect mother.
00:19:30.23\00:19:31.87
Although we'll come back
to that in just a moment.
00:19:31.90\00:19:34.70
Most mothers most likely don't
see themselves as being like
00:19:34.74\00:19:38.54
Elizabeth or Hannah, these model
mothers who seem to have all the
00:19:38.57\00:19:42.14
answers and an endless supply of
spiritual wisdom and obedience
00:19:42.18\00:19:47.05
and faithfulness.
And that's okay, I think.
00:19:47.08\00:19:50.49
Because when you
look into the Bible,
00:19:50.52\00:19:51.82
you see a lot of
mothers who blew it.
00:19:51.85\00:19:55.39
Let's look at some of them.
00:19:55.42\00:19:56.59
Followers of Jesus
strive for Christlike-ness.
00:19:56.62\00:19:59.86
Or at least they
should. That's the aim.
00:19:59.89\00:20:02.40
Our experience as
Christians ought to see more
00:20:02.43\00:20:04.90
and more of Jesus
being seen in us, and less
00:20:04.93\00:20:07.40
and less about
selfish selves seen in us.
00:20:07.44\00:20:11.47
But there's not a single
redwood tree in the forest
00:20:11.51\00:20:13.68
that didn't start
out as a tiny seedling.
00:20:13.71\00:20:16.04
And on the way
from this to this,
00:20:16.08\00:20:18.91
there were a lot of tough days:
hot days, freezing cold days,
00:20:18.95\00:20:22.85
strong winds that blew
the tree this way and that.
00:20:22.88\00:20:26.12
And maybe, maybe even
almost blew the tree over.
00:20:26.15\00:20:29.42
I've seen
magnificent Sequoias up close,
00:20:29.46\00:20:31.56
and some of them
have been ravaged by fire,
00:20:31.59\00:20:33.96
and they're
scarred, and they're damaged.
00:20:34.00\00:20:36.67
But they're resilient.
00:20:36.70\00:20:38.67
And the experts will tell you
that those fires are actually
00:20:38.70\00:20:40.90
good for the forest.
00:20:40.94\00:20:43.57
It sounds to me a
little bit more like
00:20:43.61\00:20:45.44
the reality of
motherhood: rough days,
00:20:45.47\00:20:48.48
good days but rough days,
stormy days, scars, damage.
00:20:48.51\00:20:55.05
But motherhood;
parenthood, for that matter,
00:20:55.08\00:20:56.89
isn't only about the moment.
00:20:56.92\00:20:59.02
It's more about the
journey, the destination.
00:20:59.05\00:21:02.86
And that's what I
believe we see in the Bible.
00:21:02.89\00:21:05.33
So let's take a look at a couple
of case studies of mothers
00:21:05.36\00:21:08.83
and mothering in the Bible.
00:21:08.86\00:21:11.07
Did mothers in the
Bible always get it right?
00:21:11.10\00:21:15.70
Well, first
let's consider Sarah.
00:21:15.74\00:21:18.04
Ahh, now there's a great mother.
00:21:18.07\00:21:20.44
The mother of Isaac. The wife of
Abraham, the great man of faith.
00:21:20.48\00:21:24.81
Wonderful Sarah, who lacked
faith, didn't believe God,
00:21:24.85\00:21:29.48
and actually recommended to her
husband that he father a child
00:21:29.52\00:21:32.89
by another woman.
00:21:32.92\00:21:34.72
And we know how that turned out.
00:21:34.76\00:21:36.42
She was then cruel to
the woman in question,
00:21:36.46\00:21:38.63
and that union
between her husband
00:21:38.66\00:21:40.26
and the other woman; the
union she put her husband up to,
00:21:40.30\00:21:42.93
has had historically
catastrophic consequences.
00:21:42.96\00:21:46.94
And Sarah lied.
00:21:46.97\00:21:48.37
You remember that? Not only did
she lie, but Sarah lied to God.
00:21:48.40\00:21:53.27
She's 90 or so years old when
God stops by to visit Abraham.
00:21:53.31\00:21:57.31
They prepare a meal, and
the Lord says in Genesis,
00:21:57.35\00:22:00.25
chapter 18, verse 10:
00:22:00.28\00:22:01.48
"Sarah your wife
shall have a son."
00:22:01.52\00:22:04.95
That's what God told Abraham.
00:22:04.99\00:22:06.32
And Sarah hears this, because
she's at the door of the tent,
00:22:06.35\00:22:10.29
and she laughed to herself.
00:22:10.33\00:22:11.73
And she said to herself, am I
going to have a child at my age?
00:22:11.76\00:22:15.90
And the Lord said to
Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh?"
00:22:15.93\00:22:19.90
In Genesis, chapter 18 and
verse 15, the Bible says this:
00:22:19.93\00:22:24.04
But Sarah denied it, saying I
did not laugh for she was afraid
00:22:24.07\00:22:28.88
"And He said [now, that's God],
00:22:28.91\00:22:30.75
"No, but you did laugh!"
00:22:30.78\00:22:32.65
God told her off!
00:22:32.68\00:22:34.48
Sarah, this great
mother, was far from perfect.
00:22:34.52\00:22:39.82
And then you've got
Rebekah, encouraging Jacob
00:22:39.85\00:22:42.12
to lie to Isaac, which
caused all kinds of strife,
00:22:42.16\00:22:44.83
including that she never
saw her son again after he fled.
00:22:44.86\00:22:48.33
How hard must that have been?
00:22:48.36\00:22:50.17
But in spite of this failing,
00:22:50.20\00:22:51.87
in spite of these not
insignificant failings,
00:22:51.90\00:22:54.10
how did it turn out?
00:22:54.14\00:22:55.24
How did it turn out for Sarah?
00:22:55.27\00:22:57.41
Sarah's one of only two women
00:22:57.44\00:22:58.97
to mentioned by name in
the faith chapter, Hebrews 11.
00:22:59.01\00:23:02.81
In spite of her, her
not trivial failings,
00:23:02.84\00:23:05.91
Sarah is named by God as a giant
of faith. Isn't that something?
00:23:05.95\00:23:10.75
Mothers can't
always get it right.
00:23:10.79\00:23:13.12
It's the toughest job
in the world to master
00:23:13.15\00:23:15.39
at least that's what I think.
00:23:15.42\00:23:16.86
Mothers are nurses, doctors,
counselors, psychologists.
00:23:16.89\00:23:20.93
A mother is a chef, and
a tailor, and a decorator,
00:23:20.96\00:23:23.16
and an event
planner, and a teacher,
00:23:23.20\00:23:24.53
and an emergency room
physician, and a negotiator,
00:23:24.57\00:23:28.44
and a provider.
00:23:28.47\00:23:29.70
And you've got to balance all of
that with the demands of work,
00:23:29.74\00:23:32.17
the demands of being a
wife and daughter and a friend,
00:23:32.21\00:23:34.28
and a thousand other things.
00:23:34.31\00:23:36.28
And God understands that.
00:23:36.31\00:23:37.95
Sarah is in the
faith hall of fame.
00:23:37.98\00:23:40.32
And she did some things
that I hope you would never do.
00:23:40.35\00:23:43.42
It's a journey, isn't it?
00:23:43.45\00:23:44.92
And the question isn't how many
potholes you hit along the way,
00:23:44.95\00:23:47.92
or whether or not you've had
the occasional fender bender.
00:23:47.96\00:23:50.96
The question is, who do you
lean on when you need support?
00:23:50.99\00:23:54.30
Who do you trust your heart to?
00:23:54.30\00:23:56.30
Who's in control of you,
00:23:56.33\00:23:58.63
even if you don't always
feel as if you're in control?
00:23:58.67\00:24:01.97
You see, God is gracious,
00:24:02.00\00:24:04.01
and if anyone needs
grace and help for the journey,
00:24:04.04\00:24:06.17
it's a mother,
00:24:06.21\00:24:07.28
because there's no more
important job in the world.
00:24:07.31\00:24:10.25
And God knows that.
00:24:10.28\00:24:11.75
And if you're a
mother, he's with you in this.
00:24:11.78\00:24:14.55
Wouldn't it be nice if
all mothers were perfect
00:24:14.58\00:24:16.99
all the time? Well, they're not.
00:24:17.02\00:24:18.99
Let me give you another example,
00:24:19.02\00:24:20.92
maybe one that
you're not expecting.
00:24:20.96\00:24:22.79
Let's talk about Mary, shall we?
00:24:22.82\00:24:26.29
Yes, Mary, the mother of Jesus.
00:24:26.33\00:24:28.86
I think it's fair
that we bring this up.
00:24:28.90\00:24:31.43
Jesus was 12 years old.
00:24:31.47\00:24:34.00
They go to Jerusalem
to observe the Passover.
00:24:34.04\00:24:37.07
Look at this with me.
00:24:37.11\00:24:38.31
It's in the gospel of Luke,
in chapter 2, verses 43 and 44:
00:24:38.34\00:24:42.91
When they had finished the days,
as they returned, the Boy Jesus
00:24:42.94\00:24:47.08
lingered behind in Jerusalem.
00:24:47.12\00:24:49.28
And Joseph and His
mother did not know it;
00:24:49.32\00:24:51.82
but supposing Him to
have been in the company,
00:24:51.85\00:24:54.46
they went a day's journey,
00:24:54.49\00:24:56.69
and sought Him among their
relatives and acquaintances.
00:24:56.73\00:24:59.46
Walk through this.
00:25:01.50\00:25:03.03
Somehow, Jesus is
allowed to linger in Jerusalem.
00:25:03.06\00:25:07.67
He's 12 years old.
00:25:07.70\00:25:09.30
Now, sure, it might
have been a safer society
00:25:09.34\00:25:11.34
then than now--might have been.
00:25:11.37\00:25:13.84
I had a whole lot
more freedom at 12
00:25:13.88\00:25:15.38
than either of my children had.
00:25:15.41\00:25:17.55
Times have changed.
00:25:17.58\00:25:18.65
But even so, the
Bible says Joseph
00:25:18.68\00:25:22.05
and Jesus'
mother did not know it.
00:25:22.08\00:25:25.25
They didn't know Jesus had
remained behind in Jerusalem.
00:25:25.29\00:25:29.06
How do you not know?
00:25:29.09\00:25:30.96
They supposed he
was in the company,
00:25:30.99\00:25:32.29
the group of
people traveling together.
00:25:32.33\00:25:34.46
They supposed?
00:25:34.46\00:25:35.80
A mother supposes that
her mother is in the group,
00:25:35.83\00:25:38.60
but she doesn't know?
00:25:38.63\00:25:40.54
They traveled for a whole
day, and they didn't know Jesus
00:25:40.57\00:25:43.71
was not with them.
00:25:43.74\00:25:45.14
And they didn't
find him for three days.
00:25:45.17\00:25:47.61
Who had been taking
care of him? Who fed him?
00:25:47.64\00:25:50.81
Who tucked him in at night?
00:25:50.85\00:25:52.91
Who prayed with him
before he went to sleep?
00:25:52.95\00:25:55.35
Not his parents.
Not his mother, Mary.
00:25:55.38\00:25:58.35
Instead, Mary supposed
that Jesus was in the group.
00:25:58.39\00:26:03.56
And she supposed wrong.
00:26:03.59\00:26:07.36
Now, I don't want you to
stone me for saying this,
00:26:07.40\00:26:09.00
but you could easily
say that Mary was negligent.
00:26:09.03\00:26:13.07
If this happened in
a modern-day society,
00:26:13.10\00:26:15.34
she and Joseph would
most likely get a visit
00:26:15.37\00:26:18.37
from Child Protective
Services. She lost her son.
00:26:18.41\00:26:22.14
You could say
that she was careless.
00:26:22.18\00:26:24.28
It's not like he snuck off.
00:26:24.31\00:26:26.21
Mary and Joseph left Jerusalem
without making sure they knew
00:26:26.25\00:26:29.02
where their boy was.
00:26:29.05\00:26:30.22
So, I say this to say this:
If you're not perfect, well,
00:26:30.25\00:26:35.69
the truth is, not even
Mary was always perfect.
00:26:35.72\00:26:38.49
I hate to put it like that,
00:26:38.53\00:26:40.36
as she was obviously
an incredible mother.
00:26:40.40\00:26:42.36
Don't get me wrong.
00:26:42.40\00:26:43.33
She was blessed
among women, chosen by God,
00:26:43.37\00:26:45.90
raised her son in Nazareth, and
he still turned out perfectly.
00:26:45.93\00:26:49.17
But, you know, mistakes happen.
00:26:49.20\00:26:51.91
That's not to say they're okay,
00:26:51.94\00:26:53.84
but it is to say
that we are human.
00:26:53.88\00:26:57.05
Mothers are human too.
00:26:57.08\00:26:58.15
In spite of Sarah lying
to God, in spite of Rebekah
00:26:58.18\00:27:01.25
messing up her family,
00:27:01.28\00:27:02.55
in spite of Mary
losing Jesus for three days,
00:27:02.58\00:27:05.09
it turned out well enough. You
see, love makes the difference.
00:27:05.12\00:27:09.56
And love is what
affects a child most.
00:27:09.59\00:27:11.76
If you can love your
child and lean on God,
00:27:11.79\00:27:13.80
then that's what you need
to be a truly great mother.
00:27:13.83\00:27:16.50
God's grace
makes the difference.
00:27:16.53\00:27:18.77
And if you're a mother
who's ever make a mistake,
00:27:18.80\00:27:21.27
I want you to remember
today that God is gracious,
00:27:21.30\00:27:23.57
and God cares,
and God loves mothers.
00:27:23.61\00:27:27.18
And God's with you, and
God knows a mother's heart.
00:27:27.21\00:27:31.48
There are hundreds,
00:27:34.05\00:27:34.95
even thousands of
promises in the Bible,
00:27:34.98\00:27:37.79
all made by God to be a blessing
and an encouragement for you.
00:27:37.82\00:27:41.42
Receive today's free offer.
00:27:41.46\00:27:43.79
It's "Promises of Peace."
00:27:43.83\00:27:46.13
Be blessed by
the promises of God.
00:27:46.16\00:27:48.80
To receive "Promises
of Peace," call us at
00:27:48.83\00:27:51.03
800-253-3000,
00:27:51.07\00:27:53.44
or visit us online at
00:27:53.47\00:27:55.10
ItIsWritten.com.
00:27:55.14\00:27:56.91
Also, you can write to us
at the address on your screen,
00:27:56.94\00:27:59.77
and receive our free offer,
00:27:59.81\00:28:02.61
"Promises of Peace."
00:28:02.64\00:28:04.88
Thanks for
remembering that It Is Written
00:28:04.91\00:28:07.15
is a faith-based ministry.
00:28:07.18\00:28:08.62
And your support makes
it possible for us to share
00:28:08.65\00:28:11.72
God's good news
with the entire world.
00:28:11.75\00:28:15.09
Your tax-deductible gift
00:28:15.12\00:28:16.42
can be sent to the
address on your screen,
00:28:16.46\00:28:18.06
or through our website at
00:28:18.09\00:28:20.03
ItIsWritten.com.
00:28:20.06\00:28:22.43
Thank you for your
continued prayerful support.
00:28:22.46\00:28:25.03
Again, our toll-free number is
00:28:25.07\00:28:27.20
800-253-3000,
00:28:27.24\00:28:30.34
and our web address is
00:28:30.37\00:28:31.91
www.ItIsWritten.com
00:28:31.94\00:28:35.68
>>John: Let's take a
moment to pray together.
00:28:36.14\00:28:39.01
Our Father in Heaven,
00:28:39.05\00:28:40.95
I thank you that in
your infinite wisdom
00:28:40.98\00:28:42.75
you gave all of us a mother.
00:28:42.78\00:28:44.85
I not only thank you,
00:28:44.89\00:28:45.75
but I praise you
for your perfect plan.
00:28:45.79\00:28:48.89
I want to pray
especially for mothers,
00:28:48.92\00:28:51.56
that they would
know your presence,
00:28:51.59\00:28:53.86
that they would know how
much you appreciate them.
00:28:53.90\00:28:56.46
I pray that they
would be appreciated,
00:28:56.50\00:28:58.47
and that they be given great
grace for that most important
00:28:58.50\00:29:02.47
job in the whole world,
00:29:02.50\00:29:04.67
that blessed role
of being a mother.
00:29:04.71\00:29:07.68
It's a role full of joys,
but it has its challenges, Lord.
00:29:07.71\00:29:10.25
You know that.
00:29:10.28\00:29:11.65
But with you, the
challenge of even motherhood
00:29:11.68\00:29:14.52
is not too great.
00:29:14.55\00:29:15.42
Bless and keep us all, I pray.
00:29:15.45\00:29:19.79
And we thank you in Jesus' name.
00:29:19.82\00:29:23.93
Amen.
00:29:23.96\00:29:25.33
Thank you so much
for joining us today.
00:29:25.36\00:29:27.10
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:29:27.13\00:29:29.50
Until then, remember:
00:29:29.53\00:29:31.13
"It is written, man
shall not live by bread alone
00:29:31.17\00:29:35.57
but by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God."
00:29:35.60\00:29:41.38
¤[Theme music]¤
00:29:41.41\00:29:56.42