The Faithful Mother
The Faithful Mother
This series has been about "Lean on Me"—about Serving and Sacrifice.
Today, we want to take time to honor all mothers and mothers-to-be.
If I were to mention some women in Scripture who showed both faithfulness and endured hardship, we could say they each left us a "Legacy of Serving God."
I've seen that kind of legacy in my own mother.
Her faithfulness to God has impacted my wife, Ginger . . .
my daughter, Jenny . . .
my daughter-in-law, Erica . . .
and my granddaughters—Emma, Ava, Charlotte, and Cora.
All of them have been touched by her example—
a Legacy of Serving.
Let's look at four women in Scripture.
Let’s see what they went through and how they left a legacy of serving God.
Let’s LEAN ON THEM.
Today, we want to take time to honor all mothers and mothers-to-be.
If I were to mention some women in Scripture who showed both faithfulness and endured hardship, we could say they each left us a "Legacy of Serving God."
I've seen that kind of legacy in my own mother.
Her faithfulness to God has impacted my wife, Ginger . . .
my daughter, Jenny . . .
my daughter-in-law, Erica . . .
and my granddaughters—Emma, Ava, Charlotte, and Cora.
All of them have been touched by her example—
a Legacy of Serving.
Let's look at four women in Scripture.
Let’s see what they went through and how they left a legacy of serving God.
Let’s LEAN ON THEM.
Big Idea: Leave a Legacy that Others Can Lean On to Follow Jesus.
Jochebed: "The Mother with a Plan"
The Mother of Moses
A new Pharaoh came to power in Egypt who had no reason to honor what Joseph had done. He didn’t respect the Israelites or their history, and he grew fearful that they would outnumber and overpower the Egyptians. To control them, he made the Israelites slaves.
Then Pharaoh gave a cruel order:
“Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.” (Exodus 1)
But one brave woman—a Levite named Jochebed—gave birth to a son and hid him for three months.
? Exodus 2:1–10
1 Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, 2 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. 4 His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. 5 Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. 6 She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said. 7 Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” 8 “Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses,saying, “I drew him out of the water.”
Jochebed was a mother with a plan—and God honored that plan.
That was her "Lean on Me" moment—
She had the courage to act in faith, and God used her obedience to save Moses, the one who would later lead Israel out of slavery.
? Luke 14:28
28 “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?
Jochebed not only saved her son—she was even paid to nurse and raise him!
And that same son, Moses, grew up to lead God's people toward the Promised Land.
Moms, what are your plans for your children—now or in the future?
Like Jochebed, do you believe that God has a plan for them?
Are you teaching them to walk in His will?
? Proverbs 3:6
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.”
Let’s lean on Jochebed—"The Mother with a Plan"— trusting that God has a plan for each of us and our children.
Then Pharaoh gave a cruel order:
“Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.” (Exodus 1)
But one brave woman—a Levite named Jochebed—gave birth to a son and hid him for three months.
? Exodus 2:1–10
1 Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, 2 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. 4 His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. 5 Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. 6 She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said. 7 Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” 8 “Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses,saying, “I drew him out of the water.”
Jochebed was a mother with a plan—and God honored that plan.
That was her "Lean on Me" moment—
She had the courage to act in faith, and God used her obedience to save Moses, the one who would later lead Israel out of slavery.
? Luke 14:28
28 “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?
Jochebed not only saved her son—she was even paid to nurse and raise him!
And that same son, Moses, grew up to lead God's people toward the Promised Land.
Moms, what are your plans for your children—now or in the future?
Like Jochebed, do you believe that God has a plan for them?
Are you teaching them to walk in His will?
? Proverbs 3:6
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.”
Let’s lean on Jochebed—"The Mother with a Plan"— trusting that God has a plan for each of us and our children.
The Wife of Manoah:
"The Mother Who Followed the Rules"
The Mother of Samson
Samson’s mother was married to a man named Manoah, but she was unable to have children.
Then something amazing happened— An angel of the Lord appeared to her and gave her specific instructions about the son she would soon conceive.
? Judges 13:3-5
3 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. 5 For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”
Later, when Manoah was afraid they would die for having seen the angel of the Lord, it was Samson’s mother who responded with wisdom and faith.
She reassured him: ““If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this.” (Judges 13:23)
“If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this.
She gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The Lord blessed him.
Though Samson would go on to make many questionable choices, God still used him powerfully to fight the Philistines.
Samson's mom never gave up on him.
Even as he made mistake after mistake—
Spending time with prostitutes...
Burning fields with foxes...
And eventually, telling Delilah the secret of his strength—
She remained faithful.
Moms, hold on to God—even when everything feels upside down.
? Psalm 34:18
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
? 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles.”
In the end, she stayed faithful—
And even in Samson’s final moment, his family, including his mother, came to bury him with honor.
? Judges 16:31
31 And his brothers and all his father’s household came down and took him, and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. He had judged Israel twenty years.
Then something amazing happened— An angel of the Lord appeared to her and gave her specific instructions about the son she would soon conceive.
? Judges 13:3-5
3 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. 5 For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”
Later, when Manoah was afraid they would die for having seen the angel of the Lord, it was Samson’s mother who responded with wisdom and faith.
She reassured him: ““If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this.” (Judges 13:23)
“If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this.
She gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The Lord blessed him.
Though Samson would go on to make many questionable choices, God still used him powerfully to fight the Philistines.
Samson's mom never gave up on him.
Even as he made mistake after mistake—
Spending time with prostitutes...
Burning fields with foxes...
And eventually, telling Delilah the secret of his strength—
She remained faithful.
Moms, hold on to God—even when everything feels upside down.
? Psalm 34:18
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
? 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles.”
In the end, she stayed faithful—
And even in Samson’s final moment, his family, including his mother, came to bury him with honor.
? Judges 16:31
31 And his brothers and all his father’s household came down and took him, and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. He had judged Israel twenty years.
Hannah: "The Mother Who Kept Her Promise"
The Mother of Samuel
Hannah was married to a man who loved her deeply.
But he also had another wife—one who could bear children, while Hannah could not.
? 1 Samuel 1:5–6 tells us:
“The LORD had closed Hannah’s womb.”
Her husband’s other wife constantly provoked and mocked her, making her grief even worse.
Still, Hannah faithfully went to the house of the LORD to pray.
One day, she wept bitterly before the Lord and made a vow:
? 1 Samuel: 1:11
11 Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”
She poured her heart out so intensely that the priest Eli thought she was drunk—
but she explained that she was praying in deep sorrow.
God heard her prayer, and she gave birth to a son.
She named him Samuel, saying:
“Because I asked the LORD for him.”
True to her word, Hannah kept her promise.
When Samuel was old enough, she brought him to the house of the LORD and dedicated him to serve under Eli the priest.
Then Hannah praised God with a powerful prayer:
? 1 Samuel 2:1-10
“My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.”
Samuel would go on to live a life fully dedicated to the LORD.
He became a great leader in Israel—
the prophet who anointed both King Saul and King David.
Moms—hold to your promises.
Even in hard seasons, when your heart is heavy, God hears your prayers.
Like Hannah, trust Him, and keep your word.
But he also had another wife—one who could bear children, while Hannah could not.
? 1 Samuel 1:5–6 tells us:
“The LORD had closed Hannah’s womb.”
Her husband’s other wife constantly provoked and mocked her, making her grief even worse.
Still, Hannah faithfully went to the house of the LORD to pray.
One day, she wept bitterly before the Lord and made a vow:
? 1 Samuel: 1:11
11 Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”
She poured her heart out so intensely that the priest Eli thought she was drunk—
but she explained that she was praying in deep sorrow.
God heard her prayer, and she gave birth to a son.
She named him Samuel, saying:
“Because I asked the LORD for him.”
True to her word, Hannah kept her promise.
When Samuel was old enough, she brought him to the house of the LORD and dedicated him to serve under Eli the priest.
Then Hannah praised God with a powerful prayer:
? 1 Samuel 2:1-10
“My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.”
Samuel would go on to live a life fully dedicated to the LORD.
He became a great leader in Israel—
the prophet who anointed both King Saul and King David.
Moms—hold to your promises.
Even in hard seasons, when your heart is heavy, God hears your prayers.
Like Hannah, trust Him, and keep your word.
Mary: "The Mother Who Is Blessed Among Women"
The Mother of Jesus
Mary, a young virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, was visited by the angel Gabriel, who brought her an incredible message:
? Luke 1:31
“Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.
Mary was understandably confused. How could this be, since she was still a virgin?
The angel explained:
“The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35)
Mary embraced these words in faith. She believed, and because of that, she is remembered as Mary the Blessed.
? Luke 1:31
“Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.
Mary was understandably confused. How could this be, since she was still a virgin?
The angel explained:
“The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35)
Mary embraced these words in faith. She believed, and because of that, she is remembered as Mary the Blessed.
The Blessed Woman
1. Trusts God with Guidance for Her Life
? Luke 1:38
Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Mary may have been overwhelmed and confused—but she chose to trust.
When she visited her cousin Elizabeth, Elizabeth confirmed Mary’s faith:
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!”
Mary believed that God would fulfill His promise.
2. Praises God in All Things
Even with her world turned upside down, Mary responded with praise.
She sang a song that glorified God—not just for what He was doing in her life, but for His faithfulness to all generations.
? Luke 1:46–55 – Mary’s Song of Praise
"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior..."
Mary knew that praise would sustain her through whatever trials lay ahead.
3. Surrenders to God’s Will
Mary’s future was uncertain. Her calling was extraordinary—and full of unknowns.
But she still said yes.
She didn’t lean on her own understanding—she leaned on God’s wisdom.
It’s easy to trust God when life makes sense.
But Mary’s story reminds us:
Faith shines brightest when the path is unclear.
? Luke 1:38
Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Mary may have been overwhelmed and confused—but she chose to trust.
When she visited her cousin Elizabeth, Elizabeth confirmed Mary’s faith:
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!”
Mary believed that God would fulfill His promise.
2. Praises God in All Things
Even with her world turned upside down, Mary responded with praise.
She sang a song that glorified God—not just for what He was doing in her life, but for His faithfulness to all generations.
? Luke 1:46–55 – Mary’s Song of Praise
"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior..."
Mary knew that praise would sustain her through whatever trials lay ahead.
3. Surrenders to God’s Will
Mary’s future was uncertain. Her calling was extraordinary—and full of unknowns.
But she still said yes.
She didn’t lean on her own understanding—she leaned on God’s wisdom.
It’s easy to trust God when life makes sense.
But Mary’s story reminds us:
Faith shines brightest when the path is unclear.
Lean on God.
Lean on each other.
So that generations to come will want to do the same.
? Psalm 127:3–4
Behold, children area heritage from the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
? John 16:21
21 A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
Motherhood is a sacred gift.
It is filled with challenges, yes—but also filled with purpose, joy, and reward.
Let’s remember and learn from these faithful women:
Each of them left a legacy.
Let your story, your faith, your surrender, be the next legacy of a Faithful Mom
Behold, children area heritage from the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
? John 16:21
21 A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
Motherhood is a sacred gift.
It is filled with challenges, yes—but also filled with purpose, joy, and reward.
Let’s remember and learn from these faithful women:
- Jochebed – "The Mother with a Plan"
- The Wife of Manoah – "The Mother Who Followed the Rules"
- Hannah – "The Mother Who Kept Her Promise"
- Mary – "The Mother Who Is Blessed Among Women"
Each of them left a legacy.
Let your story, your faith, your surrender, be the next legacy of a Faithful Mom
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