“Mama, You Can Make It”

 Preacher: Pastor John H. West, III
Date: May 9, 1999
Notes: Mother's Day

Our Text: Genesis 21:10-20

Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.   And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.  And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.  And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.  And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.   And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.  And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.  Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.  And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.  And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

Mother's Day

Today we celebrate the role and significance of mothers in the home.  For many, Mother's Day is a very emotional experience.  The word "mother" evokes an abiding sense of love and appreciation.  Pots and great men give their mothers great honor. 

A Jewish proverb says, "God can't be everywhere, so He created mothers."  

Harriet Beecher Ward wrote, "A mother's heart is a child's school room."

Abraham Lincoln said, "All that I am or hope to be I owe to my angel mother."

Mothers deserve our acts of kindness more than once a year.  Motherhood is something special.  Mothers are our earliest teachers.  She is the one who shows us what the strap is all about.

Mothers lift our spirits, feed our bodies and nurture our souls.  A good mother is a jack of all trades.

It is not easy being a mother, having to do so much with so little.  There are little lives at stake and often no man is around.  Mother has to provide a roof over your head, food on the table, books for you to read, shoes on your feet.  It is hard to work a job and raise your kids and keep the kids off the streets when the streets are beckoning to them.  It's not easy, but the Lord says that you can make it because the Lord is your Shepherd and you shall not want.  The Lord supplies all your needs.   He who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it.  With Christ on your side, you can make it.

A Mother Named Hagar

In our text, we see an African bondservant in the household of Abraham named Hagar. You remember that she was Sarah's maid.  Sarah told Abraham to have a child with Hagar.   She was to be a surrogate mother.  This was not God's plan, however.   Sarah was impatient and did her own thing.   You need to wait on God and let Him work it out.  The birth of Ishmael did not bring happiness.  It brought jealousy, pain and confusion. 

At the age of 90, Sarah finally conceived.  Even the best man can barely handle one woman... now Abraham had to deal with two women with two children.  That scheme could never work.  You can only have one queen bee in the hive.  So, in verse 10, Sarah (the primary wife) told Abraham to put Hagar and Ishmael out in the streets.   Sarah didn't tell him where to send Hagar.  Just get her out.  It broke Abraham's heart, but he did it.  In verse 14, Abraham rose up early and gave Hagar bread and water, then put them out.  Abraham said, "Thanks for having my kid, but you have to go... but here's some food and water.  When you use it up, you're on your own."  Then, he shut the door in her face. 

Hagar was in the wilderness without food or drink to sustain her, no horse or donkey to ride on, no protection of family or friends.  This was a hopeless situation.   This is like the situation in Kosovo... in Somalia... in Ethiopia.  Mothers who watch their own children lose everything.  They want to nurse their babies but their breasts had dried up.  They looked into their babies' eyes and saw death.   You can see this here in America... where there is no love in thehome, parents can't trust their children and the children don't respect their parents. 

In verses 15-16, Hagar had used the last of her water.  She put Ishmael under a tree and went 40-60 yards away because she didn't want to watch her child die.  She cried and she wept.  But she did not call upon the Lord.  She just cried.  She didn't remember God's promise.  She just wept.  She didn't stand on the word of God, she had a pity party.  Her trust was in the bottle of water that ran out, not in God Who never runs out.  You need to put your faith in God.   When the water runs out, God can give you more!

God heard the child cry.  The mother didn't pray, but God still made a way.   God spoke to the mother and said, to not fear but to arise and get her child.   God showed her a well of water.  Thus, she and her child lived.  God protected and fed and blessed and made a way for them.  Ishmael didn't die... he grew up to become the father of the Arab people. 

You Can Make It If You Trust In The Lord

God will supply what you need.  Your job is not easy, but keep hope alive.   God has cattle on a thousand hills.  God can supply all your needs.  God can take your shattered family and put them back together again.  He has all power in His hands.  If you call on the name of the Lord, He will make a way.