Do Not Despise Your Mother #1943

Listen to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old. (Proverbs 23:22, NKJV)

We join today with sons and daughters the world over as they honor their mothers. God, the giver of all good gifts, has given us the wonderful gift of mothers. Mothers are tireless givers, fierce protectors, and sacrificial sustainers of their children’s lives. Godly mothers also tend to the spiritual lives of their children. Like Eunice and Lois, the mother and grandmother of Timothy, God-fearing mothers teach their children sincere faith in Christ (2 Tim. 1:5). Sadly, not every son and daughter respects and honors the blessings of their mother’s love, devotion, and sacrifice. It is hard for us to understand why children turn their backs on their mothers, but it happens. Wise Solomon warned against despising your mother in her old age. The mother who bore you and kept you alive when you could not do so yourself may well need you to care for her one day. Be patient with your mother as she ages. Be kind to her. Show her your love. Doing so will comfort her heart and assure her of your love and respect. It will also show your respect for God, who gave us motherhood. After all, without mothers, you would not be here. None of us would. Indeed, that deserves our respect and honor—that, and so much more.

Sons of Abraham…Sons of God #776

7  Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8  And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” 9  So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.” (Galatians 3:7–9, NKJV)

The apostle boldly states that sons of Abraham are now identified based on faith, not flesh. This flies in the face of the belief  that the nation of Israel continues to this day to be the people of God. The gospel teaches Christians are the sons of Abraham. Justification is reckoned on the basis of faith in Christ, not upon fleshly descent from Abraham. Paul later explained that “if you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:29). Christians are “sons of God” (Gal. 3:26). You became a child of God and seed of Abraham when you were “baptized into Christ.” That is when you “put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27). Thank God today that your salvation does not depend on your physical pedigree. It depends on Christ, and your faith to believe and to His will. As Jesus said, “For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother” (Mk. 3:35).