Lesson 9 - A Heart That Values Being a Mother

My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: - Proverbs 1:8

There are four passions that reflect a heart that values being a mother. We are going to discuss the first two in this lesson:

1. A passion for teaching God’s word.
2. A passion for teaching God’s wisdom.

A Passion for Teaching God’s Word.

A woman after God’s own heart is first and foremost a woman who has in her own heart a deep and abiding passion for God’s Word.

My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: - Proverbs 1:8

My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: - Proverbs 6:20

As a mother, you are on assignment from God to teach His Word to your children.

God’s Word – the Hebrew word tora means the divine law, the Word of God, Bible – has value for salvation and value for eternity.

Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of God. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. – Romans 10:17

We must have a passion for God’s Word before we can share it with our children.

And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. – 2 Timothy 3:15

God’s Word never returns to Him without first accomplishing His divine purposes.

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. – Isaiah 55:11

A Passion for Teaching God’s Wisdom.

The second meaning of the Hebrew word tora is wisdom. This definition encompasses principles, counsel, traditions, models of praise, guidelines for decision-making, and godly practices based on the Bible. Used in this sense, tora refers to practical and scriptural wisdom for daily life.

Let’s look at Proverbs 31:1-9:
1. The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.
2. What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?
3. Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
4. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
5. Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
6. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
7. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
8. Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
9. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

Visualize King Lemuel here as a young prince sitting at his mother’s knee, absorbing the words of wisdom his mother shared with him. He remembered her wisdom for the rest of his life, used it to guide his reign as king, and then passed it on at the end of the book of Proverbs.

According to the bible, our speech is to be “seasoned with salt”.

Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. – Colossians 4:6

Out of our mouths at every opportunity must come salt – God’s truth, words from the Bible, applications of the Bible’s teachings, and references to God’s presence with us and His sovereign power in the world.

6. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. – Deuteronomy 6:6-7

First a mother and father fill their own hearts with God’s Word and then they deliberately and diligently teach their children at every opportunity each day presents…relate every tiny thing to God.

After all, people talk about what is important to them, right? We should communicate that God is supremely important to us.

Practical wisdom of God is taught in two ways: by our talk, and by our walk.

Our walk encompasses all that we do and say and all that we don’t do and don’t say.

How is your walk? What are your children seeing about God in you? What are you teaching your children?

Yes, But How?

How does a mother who treasures her children, prizes God’s Word, and values His wisdom go about teaching truth to her children?

1. Make some serious decisions. Make time in your busy daily schedule for Bible teaching, speak of the Lord continually, turn off the television and read a Bible story instead.

Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. – Proverbs 14:1

2. Recognize your role of teacher. Preach, instruct, and impart biblical truth at every opportunity.

3. Consider these examples.

• Jochebed and Moses. (Exodus 2) (Hebrews 11:24-29) She was able to impart enough of God’s truth on him in a few short years to make a serious choice for God later in life.
• Hannah and Samuel. (1 Samuel 1-2) She taught her son enough of God’s law to help equip him to become a powerful prophet, priest, and leader of God’s people in the three years she had him before delivering him to the doorstep of the house of the Lord.
• Mary and Jesus. (Luke 2:46-49) She took seriously her assignment from God and daily poured God’s rich truth into His little heart.

4. Memorize scripture and read the Bible together. I like the examples the author gave of reading a chapter in the Old Testament every morning and a chapter in the New Testament every evening to the family.

5. Follow the model of other mothers. As mothers, you have countless, daily opportunities in your homes to plant God’s Word deeply in the minds and souls of your children. We just need to take advantage of those opportunities.

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. – Ephesians 6:4

Do you treasure God’s truth, laying it up in your own heart?

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. – Psalm 119:11