To commemorate Mother’s Day, each Morning Devotional for the month of May will highlight an important lesson of faith learned from a mother or a mother-like figure. We begin today with Tolu and her mother.
For as long as I can remember, whenever someone would ask me, “Who is your role model?” I always instantly thought of my mother. Her bright, bubbly personality always lights up any room she walks into. She has passed down so many valuable life lessons to me. Most importantly, she is an exemplary woman of God.
One of the most admirable things about her is her devotion to God and her unshakeable faith. I’ll give one example, a powerful testimony, and it is the testimony of my own existence. Before my mother had my brother and me, for about 6 years, with every conception came a miscarriage. At this time, my mother was a Christian, and throughout such a difficult and traumatic 6 years, her faith in God never wavered. She always held on to her hope in God, that He would one day bless her with children, despite her circumstances pointing to the contrary. At the end of those 6 years, she finally gave birth to me, and almost 3 years later to my younger brother.
Against all odds, against what some of the doctors concluded about her situation, she kept her eyes on God and not only professed with her words, but acted with faith.
I wanted to share this story because it really encourages me, and I hope it can be a source of encouragement for anyone reading this who is going through some form of adversity. Experiencing a breakthrough from God requires patience more often than not. It can take days, months, or years; from our limited perspective, waiting can become frustrating and demoralizing. But God sees the beginning and the end, and this is why trust plays a crucial role on our part. The key is to take God at His word and stand on His promises. The Bible says in Matthew 6:8 that God knows what we need before we ask, and 1 John 5:14-25 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”
One significant thing my mother did, which deeply resonates with me when she shares her testimony, is how she would consistently wake up in the middle of the night to sing praise songs during her time of waiting.
God delights in our worship. Praising not only pleases Him, but it also reorients our perspective and focuses it on the goodness of God, reinforcing hope in His ability to bless our situation. And I will be honest, sometimes it’s hard to do when things are not going the way I’d like. Still, I find that when I remind myself of all the ways God has blessed me, from simple things that I can take for granted like waking me up in the morning, I realize there is so much to praise Him for, even in the midst of whatever I am going through. I am grateful to my mother for instilling this practice in me.
I want to conclude by saying that though we will face struggles in this life, they are not in vain. Paul says in Romans 5:3-5, “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Our faith journey is a marathon; we will go through times of peace and times of adversity, though not in vain. As we experience difficulty and remain in God, as Paul says, we will develop perseverance, character, and hope that does not disappoint. Our relationship with God grows deeper and stronger when we endure difficulty while maintaining trust in Him. And that hope, which is rooted in God’s love for us, will not disappoint us. This is so reassuring and is an important thing to remember when we are in the throes that come with life here on this earth.
Whenever I feel the weight of an issue overcoming me, I remember my mother’s testimony. I remember her hopeful attitude, her trust in God, and her incredible faith, and it reminds me how I should approach God when I’m in need. I hope this testimony can also encourage you whenever you feel like there’s no end in sight and your hope is wavering, that God is more than able to do than what you can imagine.
Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mothers in our Unassociated community, and I pray that God pours out his immeasurable blessings on you and all of the mothers and mother-like figures in our lives!
