Thank you pastor Nathan
It's always a joy to be in the house of the Lord with you guys whether
I'm on stage leading worship or
Here just sharing with you what the Lord's put on my heart for today for his people to hear and um I
John I think the the heat and things that things that you're feeling and all that it it really must be the Spirit of God
Must be the Holy Spirit, you know, I I'm sitting there and I don't normally get to sit in the sanctuary, right?
so it's like a a brand new experience every time I I get to do that and worship as part of the body in the
sanctuary proper and
Let me tell you I
We we got we got two lines into the song first song
Right and and I'm just I'm just starting to cry
right
It's cuz we're speaking about Jesus
And then we got done with first song and I'm like, okay great I'm fine
All right, just see I must have something in my in my eyes
And we get into the second song and it's it's the same thing
You know, that's that this is not what the studies about right?
But it's what life is about and so I want to share it with you because it is happening
Right now and that is when we are in the presence of the Lord when we're gathered together is the body of Christ when we're speaking
the name of Jesus
man
We invited the spirit to come God promises that we're two or more gathered in his name
He's right there. Think think about that that those are not just words. That's his promise
He tells you I will be there. What does it mean to have Jesus?
Here the Spirit of God here in your presence
It means everything and
So when we hear his name and we
Recount and know all the things that he has done to get me to this place today
The washing of my sin away
The putting on of his garment upon me
How can we not just overflow with joy and worship?
overflow with joy and worship the Lord
So that was what it was John right you're fine, it's just the Spirit of God
You know today is
Mother's Day and as pastor Nathan and John have been expressing
Yeah, we we really need to and want to take time to speak directly into the lives of the women who are here
Because as pastor Nathan and again as John were saying you guys you
Don't have to be a mother to fulfill the role or some of the roles of a mother, right?
God has put it within you to have that special place and we're gonna be talking about some of that today
And what God has planned and what he's doing. So when we address
You ladies we are addressing all of you ladies because in some way manner shape form
You are being motherly to
Everyone around you and without that
We're we're lost right?
That's what God has given us and so everything just turns right back to God, but I'm getting ahead of myself
Because that's part of what we're gonna see this morning. So
Before we go any further once you bow your heads with me and just pray and let's commit this time to the Lord father
We thank you for
For you and what you do and what you have done your greatness and your holiness and your goodness towards us
Born out upon the cross your shed blood for us
Redeeming us from hell death in the grave so that we can be here today to sit in your presence being filled with the Holy Spirit
To hear your word to know of you and so that we might be able to turn to you and thanksgiving
Always God we thank you for me, especially Lord. I just asked that
Nothing that I would say nothing that I would do this morning would hinder
The work that you want to do God just let me be a vessel to the people and today
Lord we give thanks to you above all for you are here. Just as you've promised
God fill this time fill our hearts in Jesus name. We pray
Amen
So this morning we're going to be talking about women. We're gonna be talking about mothers, duh, right?
It's like when pastor Nathan asked me to teach I'm like great. What are we gonna talk about?
Right. Well, you're teaching on Mother's Day and I'm like, oh, I guess I'm teaching on mothers
so
That's a whole new experience, right? So and it's kind of funny to me in the back of my head
You know where I'm thinking yeah guy is gonna tell a bunch of women how to live. Yeah, yeah
Yeah, but that's okay, right because it's not me. It's it's me bringing the word to you. So
We'll put that aside
But you know as I consider the world that we're living in and you consider that along with me man
There are a lot of competing ideas today
about women
Right sounds ludicrous
But yeah competing ideas about women
You know we talked about in the in the world sphere, you know, what is a woman worth?
Right in in the business world, especially you know, we talked about pay equity
you know and how much is a woman worth versus a man and his work versus her work and
You know should there be this equity or shouldn't and how does it all come together?
I this discussion just gets consuming the other part that is a conversation that's going on the world right now is
What is the importance of a woman when you reduce everything down to a conversation about equity?
When the main goal is equity, you know, the thing about equity is that?
Nobody means anything right essentially, you know, it's like that line from the Incredibles
You know when everybody is a soup when everybody's a super nobody's a super right?
It's kind of that theology and I call it a theology because it is
Right. It's go. Let's level the playing field
Let's get away with you know
The things that God has ordained the things that the Lord has put into place which make people different and fulfill different roles
Because well, that's not fair right? That's discriminatory
You know, so we're not going to do that and this impacts I think women more than anyone
Because women I'm sorry. Sorry guys. You're special
You are and I will continue saying that this whole morning
You know, so then we have had the most ridiculous thing of all the most ridiculous conversation going on right now is
What is a woman?
right
It's like
Do you not know?
It's I mean
Kind of obvious, right?
But that question is actually being asked
Ready to Matt Walsh Matt Walsh is a famous
Christian political commentator. You actually did a movie based on asking people that question
What is a woman and the answers that people given that film are?
Astounding because they can't define it. That's not true. They actually can define it
They won't
They know the truth that is hidden within their heart, but they deny it
They deny that truth of what a woman is and the fact that yes
There is such a thing as a woman as opposed to a man
It is absolutely ludicrous
That we are asking these questions
What that whole thing does in this world today is all it does is it causes confusion
Right. The world just seems like this totally confused place. It seems like especially the United States of America, right?
It's kind of hard for us because in our in our sphere of the United States, you know our news
Service is much different. I hear from you know, when you go internationally
Internationally they talk a lot more about what's going on in the world, you know in the US we talk about stupid things, right?
We talk about you know, what what is a woman?
We talk about whether a guy who wants to say he's a woman so he can swim on a on a women's swimming team and
Win more awards. Well, does he qualify as woman or not, right?
So much so that you know, we start calling this a woman
You know, we start calling these people even people who serve in our governments
They win awards for being woman of the year and they're men
Men pretending to be women are awarded as being women of the year
How how confused are we especially as a nation?
But let me tell you the main the main goal here is
That the enemy is simply bent on achieving the goal is stripping women of their inheritance
Their inherent inheritance of being a daughter of Eve Eve who is the mother of all living?
Fun fact I didn't know this but this is speaks to how
special
You ladies are right?
And it's a biological fact and if I get it wrong, my wife will tell me later
But but but it was on the internet, honey, you know, so it must be true
Right, but I believe it is true because I heard something else. Anyway
This is only one page one of my notes and so I got a got a get-going but anyway, so this fact right this fact is
Did you know?
that
females in the womb have
typically
six to seven million eggs
When they're at 20 weeks of gestation
You have six to seven million eggs in you at 20 weeks of gestation
That number drops to
One to two million at the time of your birth. So the time of your birth, you know, you've let go absorbed whatever
Four four million of those eggs you're left with one to two million still come on one to two million eggs are inside
Right and that number continues to drop until you hit puberty by
11,000 eggs a month
right
Let me tell you being a daughter of Eve the mother of all living totally born out right in your biology
God has made you formed and fashioned you this is just one thing in such a miraculous way
To carry on that one point of your inheritance
Right. You are amazing and you are amazingly fashioned
So we shouldn't wonder today at all why there is a battle over womanhood
Way back in the Garden of Eden Eden in Genesis 3
God declares to the serpent
I will put enmity between you and the woman and your seed and her seed
Now we know because we have such rich teaching here at Hosanna and we're gonna go over this
That's right. We haven't gone over this yet in this cycle
but
What God is is
Prophecy about or foretelling about is really he's talking about Jesus Jesus being the seed of the woman and all that
but just put simply
biologically this is a
Battle royal between the enemy and the woman that continues on and has from the beginning of history
And you see that born out today on the attack on your womanhood what it means to be in the beginning of history
What it means to be a woman in this world
Wanting to strip you of that to make it meaningless
To make you deny
That that is what God has given you
God has a special role for women and he has since the beginning
You know in
The Word of God is filled with life stories, right? This is part of the reason why we study study the Bible, right?
God has written down in his word about the happenings and the
the actions and reactions of people all throughout human history and
Mainly we'll see that in the Old Testament. But yes, it continues on through the New Testament
This is how we learn. This is how we grow, right?
The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 15 verse 14 and it says there what is written in the former days was written for instruction that through
endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope
Contextually you probably should go to Hebrews 11 and 12 for a better representation of
That type of premise that we look to the Old Testament
We look to the New Testament and scripture to see the people who had lived before and what God brought them through
In Hebrews 12 verses 1 and 2 Hebrews 12 verses 1 and 2 says if you'll turn there
Therefore since we have such a cloud of witnesses surrounding us
Let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us keeping our eyes on Jesus
The author and the finisher of our faith for the joy set before him. He endured the cross
Despising the shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God
This cloud of witnesses that Paul is speaking of is exactly the people that that we're talking about now
Those who have gone before us who have lived the life with the Lord have been through so many
So many issues or trials with with their life with God
And yet we are now on the other side of them able to look back and see how God ministered to them
There are examples upon examples upon examples of people who have met the Lord
And have lived a life with him and through them we get to see how they related to him how they grew in him
How they functioned and got through their trials their tribulations or even just their their callings
And then we're able to draw from that and so in preparations for days like this where i'm teaching on Mother's Day
Of course, I come before the Lord and I ask him Lord. What would you have me see?
About women and mothers in your word
What you don't know is that four to five weeks ago
In my personal Bible study just for some reason I started going through first Samuel
for Samuel
For those of you don't know is about Samuel right Samuel the the priest and prophet of God, right?
So I thought it was funny that when pastor Nathan asked me to share today
There was already a woman that I was reading about
And paying attention to her story
And that person is Samuel's mother Hannah
Hannah's story in the book of Samuel is definitely not long
It's all of one and maybe a half of chapter
And that's it. That's all we have about Hannah
But without Hannah there is no Samuel
You know without
The things that she went through the story doesn't even happen
Because that's how the story begins and when I consider what's in those verses and as you consider and hear what's in those verses
What I want for you and what I received is that I learn and I see a life of lessons
So let's go ahead and see who Hannah is. So if you have your body Bible with you this morning
Go ahead and turn to first champ first Samuel chapter one
I'm going to try to read through this rather rather quickly
Because there there is a lot to this
Chapter and a half, but it's important. It's foundational. So
Follow along with me and let's see who Hannah is
First Samuel chapter one verse one now. There was a man from ramathane
Zophir from the hill country of Ephraim and his name was alkanah the son of jeroam
The son of lihu the son of tofu
Tohu, sorry the son azuf and ephraimite
Now I think it's funny again in the back of my head, you know, I I just
Have a kind of dry sense of humor, but I think it's funny that the study on women
Begins with a verse that is all about the men in the story, right who don't do anything
All right, so but we get through that first verse and let's push on verse two and he had two wives
And the name of one was hannah
And the name of the other was panina
And panina had two wives
And the name of the other was panina and panina had children
But hannah had no children
verse three
Now this man alkanah would go up from his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the lord of armies in shiloh
And the two sons of eli hofnian phineas were priests to the lord there
When the day came that elkanah sacrificed he would give portions to his wife panina
And all her sons and all her daughters
But to hannah
He would give a double portion
Because he loved hannah
But the lord had closed her womb
Her rival moreover would provoke her bitterly to irritate her because the lord had closed her womb
And it happened year after year
As often as she went up to the house of the lord that she would provoke her
So hannah wept and would not eat
Then elkanah her husband would say to hannah
hannah
Why do you weep?
And why do you not eat?
And why is your heart so sad?
Am I not better to you than ten sons?
That's such a guy thing to say
right
It's like we are so blind as as men sometimes
Right. This is not a new problem for hannah. This is something that she had been suffering through for a long time. Look
especially in some cultures and in in
Those stories and women of the old testament. I mean children having a child
Was everything that that was a function or as i've said before an inheritance that they that they had as women
Was to give and produce children for the lord
Right, especially a son a son who carry on the tradition carry on their name
And if they couldn't do that, they felt worthless just as hannah felt worth worthless
And panina took advantage of that
Knowing that that's how hannah would feel and would just dig and dig and dig and dig
And this is not a single year event as I said, this was year after year after year after year that she was going through this
and um and was
childless
But you know when elkanah says this it's like where have you been dude?
It's like
I love you elkanah
But no
I love you
Hannah, but no
It is not the all and all you are not the all and all here, right?
But that's okay
We can we can give elkanah a pass just because he's a guy we'll talk about men on father's day. So
In verse 9 then hannah got up
After the eating and drinking in shiloh now eliah the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the lord
She greatly distressed prayed to the lord and wept bitterly
She made a vow and said lord of armies
If you will indeed look upon the affliction of your bond servant and remember me and not forget your bond servant
But will give your bond servant a son
Then I will give him to the lord all the days of his life and a razor shall not come on his head
Verse 12 now it came about as she continued praying before the lord that eliah was watching her mouth
As hannah asked for hannah. She was speaking in her heart only her lips were quivering, but her voice was not heard
So eliah thought that she was drunk
And then eliah said to her how long will you behave like a drunk get rid of your wine?
But hannah answered and said no my lord. I am not I am not
I am a woman
Despairing in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink
But I have poured out my soul before the lord do not consider your bond servant a useless woman
For I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation
Then eliah answered and said go in peace
And may the god of israel grant your request that you have asked of him
She said
She said let your bond servant find favor in your sight
So the woman went on her way
And she ate
And her face
Was no longer sad
Verse 19
Then they got up in the morning and worshiped before the lord there in shiloh and returned again to their house in rama
And elkena had relations with hannah his wife and the lord remembered her
And it came about in due time after hannah had conceived that she gave birth to a son and she named him samuel
saying
Because I have asked for him of the lord
You know some things to consider here in that story of of hannah and her trial and and all that came with it
And the first is really hannah's ability
To have children which left her feeling shame and worthlessness as well as suffering persecution and torment from the hand of panina her rival
This was her her life. This was her setup as I said this was something that had been happening for years
Something that she had been going through for quite some time wrestling was as you would
And the next thing is that in her great distress
Hannah came to the point that
She was going through a lot of trouble
Hannah came to the point
Where she calls out to the lord and she uses his specific title
god
of armies
or lord of hosts
Uh, sometimes it says in other translations and this is significant, right?
I can see it being significant because
The the trials that she was going through being being childless
That for hannah, this is going like going to battle
right
She's facing her foes
She's facing the foe of not being able to conceive. She's facing the foe the real foe of panina
Elk and his other wife and the things that she was doing to hannah
And all of this now is under the banner and the power of god who has vanquished her people's enemies time
in time again
The title of god of armies is referencing back to all the battles that israel had been through
God was their god the god who had brought them through battles
He was the head of their army
He is the lord of the hosts of heaven the angelic armies. It is he who goes before
the people
And brings about victory and all of this
Is wrapped up in her use of the title god of armies in seeking the lord
Next she continues to pray in her anguish and distress
After giving her request to the lord after naming the trials that she's having
But she's praying knowing and believing in the power of god because she knows who she's talking to
And who she's making the request of
And after her prayer after she has given and laid out her heart
She's questioned and accused
But answers soberly
About her condition
Now to me what that shows is that in this process of her coming before the lord and praying and
Laying her burden upon the lord wholly and completely
That she is coming to that point of satisfaction
That point of rest in being able to say I lay this burden down
At the feet of the one and only one who can deal with it
And so when somebody then comes up and says hey, you really shouldn't be feeling like this
She is able to say
No
This is what i'm doing
I'm speaking to the lord for the first time
I'm praying i'm speaking to the lord from my heart
It's okay
But this is what I needed to do
And then finally she or and then she receives a blessing and a confirmation from the priest elai
That god has heard her cry
And then she rises up and refreshes herself and moves forward having placed her burden at the lord's feet
You know it talks about how she hadn't eaten. You know, that's how much distress she was going through
You know how that is right where it's just like food is the last thing
On your on your mind at that point your soul is just crying out and weeping and
You don't take care of your body and sometimes that can make you you know even more sick and distressed and all that
But at the end of going through and laying it all out before the lord
And having that confidence in him and laying that burden before him
She is renewed and refreshed and she eats and that's that's a sign of that of her having moved forward then
And waiting upon the lord
You know hannah's story continues
Beyond that
And this is the part of the story where I look at it and go
Oh, oh no
Because this is the real hard part about laying your burden down before the lord
So if you'll continue with me i'm still in chapter one, but we're at verse 21
Verse 21 says then the man alchona went up
With all his household to offer to the lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow
So this is after hannah has conceived after she is born her son samuel
Then the next year came up and alchona does what alchona does every single year
He prepares to go to shiloh for the annual offering
Verse 22 says but hannah
Did not go up for she said to her husband
I will not go until the child is weaned then I will bring him so that he may appear before the lord
And stay there for life
Alchona her husband said to her
Do what seems best to you
Stay until you have weaned him
Only may the lord confirm his word
Bonus points for alchona for trusting his wife
right
Uh
So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him
Now when she had weaned him she took him up with her to shiloh
And she uh and with them a three-year-old bull one ephah of flour a jug of wine
And brought him to the house of the lord in shiloh
Although the child was very young
Then they slaughtered the bull and brought the boy to eli
And she said
Pardon me my lord
As your soul lives my lord. I am that woman who stood here beside you praying to the lord
For this boy I prayed and the lord has granted me my request which I asked of him
So I have dedicated him to the lord as long as he lives. He is
dedicated to the lord
And he
Samuel worshipped the lord there
You just stop for a second
Hannah's been through
All of this issue with being childless with being called worthless with being called names
Because of this with not seemingly fulfilling her role her duty as a woman her function as a woman
And burying all of that guilt and shame that is that has been born up
And she's been able to work through that and going before the lord and she's been able to lay that before the lord
She's then been blessed by the lord because he heard her cry and she bore a son
But now she has to move forward
And she's going to fulfill a vow that she made and it's not a
Sometimes you might read this and think why in the world did she say that?
Why did she say and all dedicate him to the lord?
You know, didn't she know you know, the fact is is that one?
Yeah, she knew she knew what she was doing
Because the gift of her son the dedication of her son this thing that she had wanted for all her days
Had been said provided for it and then set aside
For the only one who could fulfill that promise
Because he was god
He was her lord
He was the god of armies and he was worthy of it
And he was worthy of it
He was her god. He was her lord. He was the god of armies and he was worthy of him
But imagine all that getting to that point though, right?
Of raising him as a as a young baby and then as a small child
And knowing and counting the days that are left
Before that promise is going to be fulfilled
What a love for her god, what a trust in her god
And what a faithfulness
Towards her god
You could even condense those three things her love her trust
Her faithfulness as all expressions as all of a singular expression
Of one action and that is worship
Her fulfilling her vow to the lord
Of giving her son back to him
Is hannah's act of worship
And it is hannah's song
And it's in that attitude of worship that hannah sums up the entire interaction with her god
Chapter two
Chapter two in many bibles has a heading over it and it has the heading hannah's song
And this is exactly what it is chapter two verse one. It says
Then hannah prayed and said
My heart rejoices in the lord
My heart my horn is exalted in the lord
My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies
Because I rejoice in your salvation
There is no one
Holy like the lord indeed. There is no one beside you
Nor is there any rock like our god
Do not go on boasting so very proudly do not let arrogance come out of your mouth for the lord is a god of knowledge
And with him actions are weighed
The bows of the mighty are broken to the pieces but those who have stumbled strap on strength
Those who are full
Full hire themselves out for bread, but those who are hungry cease to be hungry
Even the infertile woman gives birth to seven
But she who has many languishes
The lord puts to death and makes alive. He brings down to sheol and brings up
The lord makes poor and rich he humbles. He also exalts
He raises the poor from the dust. He lifts the needy from the garbage heap to seat them with nobles
And he gives them a seat of honor as an inheritance for the pillars of the earth are the lord's
And he set the world on them
He watches over the feet of his godly ones, but the wicked ones are silenced in darkness
For not by might shall a person prevail
Those who contend with the lord will be terrified against them
He will thunder in the heavens the lord will judge the ends of the earth and he will give them
The lord will judge the ends of the earth and he will give strength to his king
He will exalt the horn of his anointed
Then alkanot went to his home in ramah, but the boy continued to attend to the service of the lord before elai
the priest
You know hannah's final words in her action with god
Is to deliver an exaltation of him
She praises him she lifts up his name. She recounts his deeds of power
strength and faithfulness
She recounts the delivery of her people
And that delivery has extended to her own deliverance
So in the short chapter and a half of hannah's life
Her life song you can say
We've learned the following
You know in life, especially in times of despair
You need to know
Who to go i'm sorry you need to know who to go to
And to lay it all out with
You need to move through these times and faith that god is exactly who he's shown himself to be
Even when that's difficult to do
In the end hannah moved forward to completion
Because of who god is not because she was so strong
Not because of her strength
But because god is strong god is strength
God is god
And lastly what we learn is
We worship the lord we are to worship the lord. We're to proclaim his greatness
And exalt him in our testimony your song
Speak his praises to serve as encouragement to others
This is what I get out of hannah's song
You know in scripture if we look because as we said earlier
God's given us this his scripture his word as a means to look back
At how other people have done things how they've worked through things how they've interacted with god and in this
this type of
Situation when we're looking at the women of god in the bible and specifically we're looking at how do women work with the lord
How do they respond to him? I think you can see that there are actually four songs
in the bible
sung by women of god
The first song
Is the song of miriam?
For those of you don't know know miriam you will find miriam in the book of exodus. She is moses's sister
She has a really short song
really really short, but
What she says in the song is is
absolutely powerful
And this song happens in chapter 15 of exodus
specifically, it's chapter 15
Uh verse 20 through 21 and at this point in the story of of the exodus of the children of israel out of egypt
This is after
The the red sea deliverance and all the people of god
the israelites are
Celebrating and giving worship unto the lord and moses is up there and the the
The the priests are up there and they're they're they're doing their thing and they're proclaiming the greatness of god as they should
And then there comes a time in the celebration
specifically and it says this points this out
specifically in the word where
Moses's sister miriam she gets up and she begins leading the women in tambourine
In dancing and singing before the lord
You know joining in and then there is a back and forth response
So the men you know say one thing about the greatness of god and then she gets up
She gets the ladies to take their part to do their part
They get up and they're celebrating and worshiping in tambourine and dance and then she proclaims and this is her song
her song is
sing to the lord
For he is highly exalted
The horse and his rider have been hurled into the sea
That's her song
But that song sums up everything
right
It directs the people to do the proper thing in their celebration and that's to sing to the lord for he is to be exalted
And that proclaims his goodness to remind the people of why?
What he did
He was deliverance
It is the lord that took the riders the horse and the riders who are coming through the sea
And delivered israel from them
The purpose of her song is real simple. It's to point to almighty god
And how he is at work in their lives
The next song is the song of debra debra is a judge of israel during the time of the
Judges in judges four and five you see a very specific story about debra
and uh her her function with the israelites and her leading of the israelites
And in this particular passage in judges four and five
What debra does is she stands up and she invokes the authority of god and she gives israel the armies of israel
the strategy
for defense
strategy, um for defeating their oppressors and canaan
And so they do that they follow her instruction
And they win
Of course, right god is with them
And after all that they get together and they're celebrating and they're recounting everything that just happened in all the battle
And debra gets up and she leads in song and her song is about recounting the triumphs of god
for the people
in uh
Judges five judges five verse two it says for the leaders and this is debra singing
For the leaders leading in israel for the people volunteering
bless the lord
Hear you kings listen you dignitaries. I myself to the lord. I myself will sing
I will sing praise to the lord the god of israel
Lord when you went out from seer
When you marched from the field of edin the earth quaked and the heavens also dripped
The clouds also dripped water
The mountains flowed with water at the presence of the lord this sinai
At the presence of the lord the god of israel
The purpose of debra's song
real simple
to point to almighty god
at work in their lives
The third song is the song of hannah
And we just read that in in samuel one or sorry sam first samuel chapter two
And you know from what we've already said
The point of her song the purpose of her song was real simple
to point to almighty god
at work in their lives
And lastly the fourth song the fourth song is mary's song jesus's mother
Mary sings a song when meeting her cousin elizabeth
When mary is uh made pregnant by the power of the spirit
Elizabeth her cousin is also pregnant in her old age she too
Was barren, but now she is pregnant with
John the baptist who will be john the baptist
And upon seeing mary elizabeth cries out blessed are you among women women?
I mean it's such a beautiful greeting to give her her cousin and it's at that point that
Her own baby within her lept for joy
Feeling that jesus was now in his presence his savior was now in his presence
And uh, so mary responds to that greeting of elizabeth
And she says in luke 1
Versus 46 is where i'll start if you're reading along with me luke 146
It says and mary said
My soul
Exalts the lord
And my spirit has rejoiced in god my savior
For he is regard for the humble
uh
For sorry for he has had regard for the humble state of his bond servant
For behold from now on all generations
sorry
Will call me blessed
For the mighty one has done great things for me and holy is his name
And his mercy is to generation after generation
Towards those who fear him he has done mighty deeds with his arm
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their hearts
He has brought down rulers from their thrones and he has exalted those who were humble
He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty-handed
He has given help to his servant israel in remembrance of his mercy
Just as he spoke to our fathers
to abraham and his descendants
forever
Giving praise to the lord. I if you look at the different songs, you know
For me, there's a there's a direct parallel between
Hannah's song and mary's song, you know like like in hannah's song
Uh mary's song has great faith in the lord to fulfill his work through her life
I also see both
Both of them point to the greatness of god and glorify him above all
and like hannah
Imagine mary's extreme pain of working
Through her life to the point of losing her son
for god's glory
Their songs transcending all the encompassing life issues that they've gone through
Their point is the same
God is almighty
God is holy
God is deliverer
And god is worthy of praise
You know today
I see god using women in our lives in very similar ways
This was not just something that he did in the bible something that he did in old times
In the bible something that he did in old testament women
And that's it. No god continues to call out women to their special purpose
Through today, you know as I said in the very beginning
God has a special role for women and he has had that special role for you
Since the very beginning
There's a poem by a man named william ross wallace
And this poem was written in 1865
a lot of you will uh recognize the title of the poem
but
um
Maybe like me you didn't realize that there was a whole poem
right
So the title of the poem is the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world?
so let me share that with you because
um
There's a lot of truth in this this poem says
Blessings on the hand of women
angels guard its strength and grace
in the palace cottage hovel
Oh, no matter where the place
Wood that never storms assail it rainbows ever gently curled
For the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world
world
Infancy's the tender fountain power may be power may with beauty flow
Mothers first to guide the streamlets from their souls unresting grow
Grow on the good
Grow on for the good or evil
sunshine's
streamed or evil hurled for the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world?
Women how divine your mission
Here upon natal sod
Keep oh keep that heart young
Keep oh keep the young heart open always to the breath of god
All true trophies of the ages are from mother love impelled for the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world?
blessings on the hand of women
fathers sons and daughters cry and the sacred song is mingled with the worship in the sky
Mingles where no tempest darkens
rainbows evermost are hurled
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world?
Since the very beginning god has gifted women to move through this world
In all its blessings and all its trials
in a very
different
And intentional way
than men
Men
You know we joke a lot about men
Men have their strengths
Men are very strong
But men deal with things very differently
for different purposes
God's purposes in how he has women deal with things and then relate
That back to the young the children whoever it is
Has a very distinct person or purpose
Then how men will do the same thing right?
For most men when we face
adversity
Our go-to can really be some summed up in two words and that is hulk smash
right
That's
Thank you, Nathan appreciate that
Hulk superhero smash. It's what he says. I'm sorry
Anyway, but you get the point right?
It's like we see the problem
Deal with it
Take it out get it out of the way
but
The god-given nature of women namely and i'm talking about women of god seems to be
They see the issue
And they get to know it intimately
Often letting it soak into
The very fibers of their heart and their soul we see this in hannah when hannah is telling elai
You know that she's coming before the lord and she's just pouring out her heart
This is where all those all this tension all the the the sorrow all of that had been
Filtered down to and interwoven into the fabric of her heart and it was at that point that she was able to lay it out before
the lord
You guys also are able to
You guys also are able to recognize
The one who can aid and provide answer to that problem
And then pour out your heart and soul to them
Guys will hold back for forever
forever
We can handle it and deal with it
All right
But you guys you women not guys you women
You women
Have the ability
To take all all of that that now is part of you
and see
That it is the lord
And only the lord who can do anything about it
And so you give it all right back to him
And then you're able to move through
That problem that issue
By leaving it in god's hands much more readily than a man
Me I want to keep touching it
Right. It's not over till it's over and so i'm going to keep messing with it
worrying about it all of that
But from what i've seen you guys have a gift an ability
That once you give it over
I truly give it over
You leave it there and that is not to say that that is easy at all. It is not
It is not but you have been gifted with an ability to move through it in that way much easier than
I am I know
And then the last thing is that once you've done that
You rejoice
And you point to god as your provider your deliverer your salvation
And you don't keep that to yourself
You share it
That is the actual function that is the actual calling that god has placed in your lives
As gifting you with these abilities that is to share it proclaim it to declare it as part of your testimony
All of this is to teach and encourage those of us those of us around you in a much more effective way than hulk smash
right
That our eyes should continually be on god
before
during
and after
He was he is and he is to come
You know when I look at my own life and I look at the
The examples the blessed examples that god has given me
Me to see me to learn from me to observe
I see this all borne out in my mom
Recently after the loss of my dad
If you sit and you talk with her you feel her loss and all that comes with it
But she is quick to bring your eyes back to jesus
And the wonders of his works
I see this in the life of my dear friend friend louann
Who in times of her own trials
And illnesses is quick to pray
She's quick to declare the already demonstrated power and faithfulness of god
She's quick to commit it to the lord
And quick to shout his praises at the end of it all
You know
And I see this
In my wife debbie
And I see this in my wife debbie
As she deals with me and my trials every single day
No, seriously, I'd see it in my wife
And I see her in the midst of heavy warfare at the school where she's principal
Her heavy problems with the kids her heavy problems with the parents
The heavy weight of the school running all on her shoulders
And I am amazed and dumbfounded
At the miraculous way she has bathed her life in god
And his word
I see how quickly she goes to that place of recognizing god and his power and his greatness his faithfulness his steadfastness
And putting that burden
At his feet
To wait on him
And when he moves her through the situation she is quick
To proclaim his glory not hers
And in it all I sit and watch the results
I see that our children
Have had
And do have and see the work of a holy and mighty god at work in her testimony every day
Our friends our family strangers
Sometimes while the thing is happening or even years later
She is able to share what the lord has accomplished
I see the same thing through luann
I see the same thing through my mom
And so many of you other women of color
Through all of you people see god preeminent and in all people are encouraged and convicted
Affected and changed
By your song
Your testimony
Ladies and gentlemen
I am so happy to be here with you today
Your testimony ladies I thank you
For exercising the gift that god has given you your unique gift
As a woman
We're taught to be better children of god
Through your work
God has given women this special place to speak gently into people's lives present and future
Women this is your song
Don't allow the world to silence it
For the sake of the people cultivate your gift
Your womanly inheritance by digging into god's word
And listening to the songs of others around you
Learn from it incorporate it
Learn to easily fall into that role that god has given you
Also, you might know god
In such a way that all who he is and all that he has done is woven into the threads of your life
Of your life out of that learn to make it natural to run to him in faith
And trust
Believing in his power above all
And out of that
Your song is born
Sing it loudly
Because it's all about him
And we are listening
So let's give thanks to god
Father we thank you
We cry out to you holy is the lord
How good is the lord
How faithful is god
You king of all
Lord above all god of armies
Maker of heaven and earth
The savior and lover of our souls
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the gift of these women in our lives lord
Lord fill them with your spirit as they fulfill this special unique role that you have given them
In showing us how to
To come to you how to interact with you
How to incorporate who you are into the very fabric of our lives how to give over issues to you
Quickly
So that we might
Give praise to you declaring your greatness and your power
And not dwelling on the problem or the issue that we have
Not dwelling in that place of despair
But dwelling in that place of safety and peace and victory and knowing that you god of all
Go before us in all things and it is by your will
And for you
Will that all things are done
God continue to empower them especially in this world that is off its chair
And lord bring the truth of your word forward using these women and then using us
Who have learned from them
Declaring god is lord of all
And the things that you have laid out the things that you have prepared the things that you have built
Is the final word of it all
And all glory and honor and praise and and through those things is due to you the king of kings
Lord we thank you and it's in jesus name. We pray
Amen
God bless you guys