Underappreciated and Overanxious: A Mother’s Day Story About Trust and Faith

 Happy Mother’s Day

Underappreciated and Overanxious: 

A Mother’s Day Story About Trust and Faith

Opening Illustration:

Mom’s, we are thankful for you today. As I was preparing this message, I felt God leading me to break away for a week from my current series and deliver a message to mothers. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that all of us can learn some vital lessons from the life of Jochebed, Moses’ mother. The temptation for everyone else in the room is to check out of today’s sermon, break out your phone and shop on Amazon or think about where you are going to have lunch after church. “Hey, this isn’t for me, this is for Mom’s. He just said so!” No friend, God’s Word is for everyone but today’s message is geared for those of you who are raising kids this morning. I began to wonder why God would give me a message for a specific message for such a targeted audience. After all, we have a lot of people in this room that are not mothers but then it hit me. The answer came to me as clear as a bell. You see friends our families are under attack. There is a battle being waged right now for the lives of our children and the future of our country and God’s church is at stake. Satan is waging a spiritual battle against parents, moms and dad, and the casualties of this battle are families. Recently I have talked to several women in our church, mothers in their own right, who have told me that they are at the end of their rope. They expressed to me that they have never felt more fatigued, more frustrated, more depressed, and more downcast. I believe that our parents, especially our mothers need encouragement this morning. They need to be reminded of their calling to raise up their children to love God’s Word. They need to be exhorted to stay engaged with their children, parenting them even though they are tired. I believe that many mothers feel underappreciated and overanxious. 

Mom’s fill in “Today’s Thought” me this morning. Mom’s, ever feel fearful, frustrated, or forgotten. Have faith, God will not forsake you. 

Mom’s I know what you are going through. I do. How do I know? I know because I live with a mother and we have nearly nightly conversations on the difficulties and troubles of parenting kids. There has never been a more frightening time to raise children than today. It is easy to be frustrated as a mother. You give and you give and you give. You sacrifice so much for your kids and your husbands. Many times your sacrifice comes at your own relationship with God. Some times your giving heart costs you your own physical, mental, and emotional health. It is sad to me that so many men have vacated their role as the spiritual leader of their home, turning that position over to their wives. Wives and mothers have enough plates to spin and in many homes, mothers are now their children’s spiritual mentors. It is a lot to ask of one person. Again, the mom’s that I have spoken with in preparation for this message have told me that they feel forgotten about. They feel forgotten by their spouse, underappreciated by their children and under-recognized for the contributions they make to their families. I believe that God led me to write this message to say “thank you”. Thank you mothers in the crowd this morning for all that you do. Thank you for the children that you raise to love Jesus. Thank you for being such awesome helpmates to your husbands. Thank you for conducting the most worthy responsibility of being a mother. You are making a difference. 

Today’s Thought:

Mom’s, Ever Feel Fearful, Frustrated or Forgotten? 

Have Faith, God Will Not Forsake You!

Point:

Well moms, if that’s you, if you are feeling fearful, frustrated, or forgotten, you are not alone. If you are feeling underappreciated or over anxious, I have some good news for you. The Bible is filled with mom’s just like you. Women who were flesh and blood. Women who lived daily the glorious calling of motherhood. Women who found victory in raising children that would change the world for the better. 

Eve was a mother who endured failure.

Sarah was a mother who endured doubt.

Hagar was a mother who endured scorn.

Rebekah was a mother who endured sibling rivalry. 

Leah was a mother who endured a broken heart.

Rachel was a mother who endured loss. 

Naomi was a mother who endured grief.

Hannah was a mother who endured disappointment. 

Elizabeth was a mother who endured depression. 

Mary, the mother of Jesus, endured fear. 

I think that you are getting the picture. The Bible is filled with women, mothers, who had to endure all sort of difficulties. Their endurance is remembered and it was their faithfulness that was passed down to their children. Mom’s, your faithfulness is also being remembered and it is being seen by God. 

Background and Context:

Speaking of another “mom” who is often not remembered, a women who is often unappreciated, but whose presence is felt through the pages of the Old Testament. I want to introduce you to a very special mother today. Her name is Jochebed. In Hebrew her name means “God’s Glory”. She was the mother of one if not the greatest leaders in all of the Bible. Her son was Moses. We know a few things about this special mother. We know that she was married to a man named Amram. She gave birth to two other children before Moses, their names were Aaron and Miriam. We learn this in Exodus 6:20. She was a member of the tribe of Levi. We find that out in Numbers 26:59. 

She found herself in a terrible time in Israel’s history. For 400 years the Israelites had been slaves in Egypt because of their race. And when the slaves grew great in number the Pharaoh sent out a proclamation for the midwives to kill every baby boy born to the Hebrew women. 

At the risk of losing their own lives, two courageous midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, refused to murder the babies. These women, who were willing to jeopardize their own wellbeing to save the babies, were certainly heroes in their day 

Eventually, the frustrated Pharaoh decreed that all Egyptians were to throw newborn Hebrew boys into the river. Can you imagine the horror these Israelite mothers faced knowing that at any moment an Egyptian might snatch their baby boy from their arms and cast him into the Nile River?  (see Exodus 1:15-17). 

It was at this time in history that Jochebed’s heroic story unfolds. And while the Bible doesn’t specifically outline her character qualities, we can certainly see them lived out in how she responded to her difficult situation. There is much to emulate from Jochebed’s character. So let’s read this morning from Exodus 2:1-10, from the New Living Translation. Join me in reading today’s passage. 

Today’s Scripture:

Exodus 2:1-10 NLT

About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. 2 The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months. 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River. 4 The baby’s sister then stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen to him.

5 Soon Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe in the river, and her attendants walked along the riverbank. When the princess saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it for her. 6 When the princess opened it, she saw the baby. The little boy was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This must be one of the Hebrew children,” she said.

7 Then the baby’s sister approached the princess. “Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” she asked.

8 “Yes, do!” the princess replied. So the girl went and called the baby’s mother.

9 “Take this baby and nurse him for me,” the princess told the baby’s mother. “I will pay you for your help.” So the woman took her baby home and nursed him.

10 Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, “I lifted him out of the water.”

Point:

When I read today’s passage, I’m reminded of a quote from C.S. Lewis, ““Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.” These certainly are words that describe Jochebed. She took serious the role of mother and she was willing to lay down her life to save the life of her son. What we find out at the end of the story is that God blesses her faithfulness and her creativity by allowing her to raise her son. She was living out Proverbs 6:20, “My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching.” We will come back to that point in just a moment. 

So, let’s stop for a moment and ask the question, “what lessons can we learn from Jochebed”. 

Today’s Quote:

“Children are not a distraction from more important work. 

They are the most important work.” 

-C.S. Lewis

My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching.

Proverbs 6:20 ESV

What Can We Learn From Jochebed?

I. Jochebed Was Courageous vs. 2

Exodus 2:2 NLT

2 The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months.

Point:

Moses towers like a titan across the vast reaches of our Bible. He is mentioned in 261 verses in Exodus, 80 verses in Leviticus, 216 verses in Numbers, 35 verses in Deuteronomy, 51 verses in Joshua, and 47 verses in the other historical books. The book of Psalms and the Prophets also refer to him. He is mentioned in 37 verses in the Gospels, 19 verses in Acts, and 22 verses in the Epistles. The book of Revelation also refers to him. Altogether he is mentioned in 784 verses in the Bible: 705 in the Old Testament and 79 in the New Testament. Pity the people whose pastors don’t believe in Moses. By the time such liberals tear him out of their mutilated Bibles, they don’t have much Bible left.

Moses is one of the greatest men God ever made. Known as the emancipator and lawgiver of Israel, he was also a scholar, soldier, statesman, and saint. He was one of the two men who were sent back from the otherworld to confer with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:18). He wrote the first song in Scripture (Exod. 15:119), and in glory, they still sing the song of Moses. Only now it is muted as the great stanzas of that song awake the echoes of the everlasting hills in “The song of the Lamb”(Rev. 15:3). Much of the credit for what he became must be given to his mother, Jochebed.

Point:

Hebrews 11:23 links the faith of Moses to the faith of his mother and father: “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.” The king’s wrath was something to be reckoned with, but they discounted it because they feared the wrath of God far more. They made up their minds not to murder their child in cold blood just to comply with the tyrannical edict of a wicked king. God, in turn, honored their faith.

Point:

As long as they could, Jochebed and Amram shielded baby Moses from the destructive powers of the world. They hid him within the four walls of their humble abode. Nothing in that home could harm a little child. Thank God for homes like theirs!

The great red dragon hates our children and wants to destroy them. As long as possible, we should shelter and shield them from the world’s destructive ways. Think of the violence, immorality, and perversion in many of today’s television shows; the vileness of outright pornography on cable television; the foul lyrics and soul destroying ideas in most popular contemporary music. Are we hiding our little ones from influences like these?

Our homes should be places where goodness and godliness are constantly taught and exemplified, even during a child’s earliest days.

Point:

When Jochebed could hide Moses no longer, she likely prayed for a way to protect him. The plan devised in her heart must have been from God Himself. But, while contemplating sending Moses down the Nile in a basket, I wonder if she questioned God’s plan? I’m pretty sure I would have been like, “Um, Lord, are you sure? I mean there are crocodiles and snakes in that water. And what if the basket capsizes? What if…?” Think about all the “what if’s”. But Jochebed was brave. She courageously trusted a God who had not spoken to His people in decades. 

We will never know if Jochebed had misgivings before she courageously followed God’s plan. But this ordinary woman, a mom just like you and me, simply did the next thing in front of her to protect her child.

We all can learn from Jochebed’s example to seek the Lord and then courageously do the next thing He puts in your heart to do.

Rather than focusing on how things might not work out, what if you focused on God’s sovereignty and refused to worry about the “what if’s” and “if only’s”? Mom’s, Mom’s and Dad’s, be brave in raising your children. Protect your homes. Guard your children’s eyes, hearts, mind, and ears. You are there to protect them. Take the job serious and be the century at the door. 

Psalm 27:14 ESV

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

What Can We Learn From Jochebed?

I. Jochebed Was Courageous vs. 2

II. Jochebed Was Confident vs. 3

Exodus 2:3 NLT

3 But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River.

Point:

I heard a funny Mother’s Day joke the other day. Thought that I would share it with you this morning. 

Two young children on mother’s day presented their mom with a houseplant. The older of the children said with a sad face, “There was a bouquet we wanted to give you at the flower shop. It was really pretty, but it was too expensive. So we decided to get you this bouquet instead. The lady at the desk said that was a funeral bouquet. After looking at it, we actually thought you’d like it. It had a ribbon on it that said, ‘Rest in Peace,’ and we thought you would like it since your always asking for a little peace so you can rest.”

The point is that Mom’s, everyone really, is looking for peace. The good news is that God is always supplying what we need. God supplies our peace but in the case of Jochebed, He also supplies a way out, a basket, an ark big enough for a baby. 

Point:

When baby Moses could no longer be hidden at home, Amram could well have said to Jochebed, “What do we do now?”

Jochebed could have answered by asking a question of her own: “How does God save someone who is condemned to death?”

Then they remembered the ark. When God condemned the wicked in Noah’s day to death, He told Noah to build an ark in order to save his family from the wrath to come. That ark was to be covered inside and out with pitch. When it was finished, Noah and his family went into it. The storms of judgment came, and the rain beat upon the ark – but the people inside were saved. Amram and Jochebed would say to each other, “That is how God saves people who are condemned to death. He puts them in the ark.”

God, they decided, is the same yesterday and today and forever. So they made a little ark and covered it with pitch, just as Noah had done. They put their baby in the ark and placed the ark in the waters of the Nile, where death was everywhere. Amram and Jochebed committed Moses to the ark, and the ark would come between Moses and death. “We cannot save our little boy from the forces of death,”Moses’ parents decided, “but God can.” God always honors such faith as theirs. They were both confident in God’s ability to provide for their son, for their children, and they displayed amazing faith. 

Point:

Eventually, those of us who are parents will experience some of the emotions that Jochebed experienced. All of us will one day have to let go of our children. Allyson and Grant had to let go of Cash. James and Nicole had to let go of Olivia. Tim and Kelly had to let go of Scott as he got on a plane to Japan. Chris and Patti had to let Caleb go as he deployed to Saudi Aribia. The Davidson family experienced a version of this when we let Jay, our newly minted 16 year old, drive away on his own. Two nights ago my wife reminded me that we only have 2 more years with Jay at home and her words hurt. I thought to myself that that was ok because we have Jack and ✈️  but then it hit me, I will have to let them go one day as well. I will have to turn all of my children over to God and believe that God will cover them with His grace and protection. Its a great big scary world out there, much like the Nile River, and I have to believe that God is still in the business of directing the seemingly unstable and untamable waters of life, placing our children where He wants them and where they can be used for His greatest glory. 

There is no question in my mind that Jochebed pray for her little Moses as he floated down that dangerous river. Remember Mom’s, just as the watchful eye of his sister was upon him, the watchful eye of our great and glorious God is on our children. Be courageous, be confident. 

Philippians 4:6 ESV

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

What Can We Learn From Jochebed?

I. Jochebed Was Courageous vs. 2

II. Jochebed Was Confident vs. 3

III. Jochebed Was Conscientious vs. 9-10

Exodus 2:9-10 ESV

9 “Take this baby and nurse him for me,” the princess told the baby’s mother. “I will pay you for your help.” So the woman took her baby home and nursed him.

10 Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, “I lifted him out of the water.”

Point:

As soon as Miriam saw what was happening, she came closer to the water. With commendable presence of mind, she spoke to the princess: “My lady, do you need a nurse for that child?”

The princess had not thought of that. Of course she needed a nurse. The baby was not yet weaned. We can picture her commanding Miriam: “Fetch a Hebrew slave to nurse this child for me. Tell the woman that I will pay her.” So Jochebed received wages for raising her own son! God always rewards His children for doing those things that please Him – if not in this life, in the world to come.

We do not know how long the princess allowed Jochebed to nurse Moses. Often in those days a child was not weaned for several years. (Isaac seems to have been five years of age when he was weaned.) Most scholars believe that Moses was in the daily care of his mother for 4 years. No doubt this godly woman took full advantage of the few years she had. Before he went out into the world, she wanted to drill truth into his plastic mind in a way that he would never forget. What did she teach him? It does not take much thought to answer that question. We just have to look at the book of Genesis.

Later, Moses wrote out of his own experience four books of the Bible: Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. In Genesis he recorded the truths his mother passed down to him – truths that were modified, amplified, and confirmed later and incorporated by the Holy Spirit into the Word of God.

We can surmise what Jochebed said to herself: “I don’t have long but, God helping me, I’m going to get the Word of God into this child before the professors of Egypt try to fill his mind with foolishness.” She taught him the truth about creation, about Cain and Abel, and about Enoch, Noah and the Flood. She would have then taught him about the Tower of Babel, Abraham and the covenant, Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his wife, Ishmael and Isaac, Jacob and Esau, and the twelve patriarchs. Then Jochebed told Moses why the Hebrew people were slaves in Egypt and taught him about the prophecy that after four hundred years they would be delivered.

Above all, she taught him about Joseph, a young man who lived for God in the same royal courts to which Moses would soon be taken. She told him how Joseph was sold as a slave into Egypt; how in spite of his very impressionable, youthful age, he took his stand against the impurity and immorality of Potiphar’s wife; how he suffered for his godliness; how God raised him up at last to a place at the right hand of Pharaoh himself. Jochebed’s emphasis here is almost sure – Moses devoted one fourth of the book of Genesis to the story of Joseph.

The Jesuits used to say, “Give us a child until he’s seven, and you can do what you like with him after that.” We know that Jochebed would have agreed with them because she did a thorough job of training Moses.

Jochebed’s influence seemed to stay with Moses. Her teachings were likely the foundation God used to build Moses’ faith. And when Moses grew older, he chose to suffer with his people rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin in Egypt’s palace.

Although it seems like Moses wandered from his identity before God called him into ministry at the Burning Bush, it's obvious through his life that Moses' roots of faith are deep. If Jochebed could make that kind of impact on Moses in just his first 4 years, imagine what kind of mark you can make on your child's heart over a full lifetime!

Proverbs 22:6 ESV

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Conclusion:

Mom’s, it is my sincere hope that you will consider the life of Jochebed. Consider her bravery, how she guarded her home. Consider her confidence, how she knew that God would protect her children and that God would provide for the needs of her children. Consider her conscientious decision to raise her child in a home that feared the Lord. She actively taught her children the things of God. No, she was not a perfect mother and no-one expects you to be one either. Still, it is obvious that she loved the Lord her God with all of her heart, mind and soul and she let her love of God be passed to her children. May you live and love in a similar manner. Happy Mother’s Day. 

Mother’s We Are Thankful For You Today!