THE GREAT WORTH OF A GODLY WOMAN

Mother's Day is on this coming Lord's Day. I hope you will celebrate it. There is great worth in a godly woman. Prov. 31 says of the virtuous woman that, "She is far more precious than jewels" (v. 19). The Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4:8-37 was such a woman. We are introduced to her as "a wealthy woman" (v. 8, ESV). While she did have material value, it was her spiritual virtue that was most important.

We hear HER REQUEST, (v. 8-17). She urged her husband to build and furnish a room for Elisha--a prophet's chamber for him to rest in as he travelled along in ministry. Elisha dispatched his servant Gehazi to find out how he could return her kindness. Her heart's desire was for a son. A godly woman's greatest value is in producing godly offspring. While it is true that some women will not be able to have children, the desire to make an impact for the Kingdom through discipling children needs to flourish in every Christian woman's heart. Susannah Wesley spent one hour each day praying for her 17 children. Then, she took each one aside for an hour weekly to discuss the things of God. Is it surprising that two of her sons, Charles and John, were mightily used of God to impact England and America? John Wesley said, “I learned more about Christianity from my mother than from all the theologians of England.”

We see HER REGRET, (v. 18-31). What would be worse than having no child? To have one and lose them to death. That is what this mother experienced. Mother's Day is not always a day of happiness, but one of hurt. For some this means our mother is no longer with us. Some women experience the pain of infertilty and miscarriage. Others are eaten with guilt because they have had an abortion. Then, there are mothers who have buried their children. We call husbands whose wives have died, "widowers." Women whose husbands have died are called, "widows." Children whose parents are deceased are called, "orphans." Do you know what we call parents whose children have died? There is no word. It is against the natural order. I call it horror.

Yet, there is HER REUNION, (v. 32-37). Death did not get the last word! It would not be a corpse, but a living boy that would be taken up in her arms. Her sorrow would be supplanted by joy! That is the blessed hope and ultimate reason to celebrate Mother's Day. Perhaps soon Jesus will come and, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev. 21:4).

Happy Mother's Day,

Dennis Thurman, Mission Strategist