Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
love and faithfulness go before you.
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, Lord. Psalm 89:14-15
“It’s gonna happen… Just let the Way Maker through.” These lyrics echoed in chorus throughout the sanctuary, filling the space with light and hope. So often in motherhood and life, I try to do things on my own. I try to mom alone, I run in my own strength, I forget to acknowledge God throughout the day… All too often, I forget to fully rely on my Jesus who is quick to provide his love and faithfulness in full. When I am confronted with a dead end, and cry out to Jesus, God whispers his name upon my heart. He meets me at my point of weakness and commands me to move out of the way and, “just let the Way Maker through.”
When we submit our lives and hearts to the only One who can make a way, we are accepted into Jesus’ loving embrace. He is with us always, but is better able to carry us through when we rise up and say, “yes” to all that he has called us to. We must lean in and listen for his voice, with acute care and prayerful expectancy.
God parts the Red Seas in our lives, but sometimes calls us out into the wilderness to wander a while, to regain our strength and reliance on the Lord. This wilderness wandering refocuses our sights to be fixed and focused on Christ, to rely on his cloud cover by day and the warmth of his fire by night.
Jesus’ presence changes everything and causes even our most desperate, desolate seasons to transform into desert rose blessings that bloom over time. Sometimes what seems like a wilderness season is God’s Way. Its purpose might be for us to realize our desperate need, to reset our hearts, and rely on Jesus with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength.
In the words of Ruth Schwenk, “Our hearts will always be restless and wandering until we learn that only hungering and thirsting for God will truly satisfy” (The Better Mom Devotional). Quite the oxymoron. In order to be filled, we must pour ourselves out. In order to experience abundance, we must taste our desperate need for Christ.
Jesus offers us his very own righteousness through his blood (Romans 3:24), but sometimes we must march through the consequences of our sin. When we form a blockade through our self reliance and unwillingness to yield to God’s way, the Way Maker will still get us to the destination he has planned, but it may require a longer, more scenic route. This scenic route we have decided for ourselves is often way less scenic and more desert like in nature. Sometimes the “scenic route” teaches us a lesson in the long run- to choose God’s way, first; to say, “Yes Lord, have your way;” and to be quick to obey. Most of all, the scenic route gives us time to grapple with the fact that we need Jesus. We need Jesus desperately. We need Jesus fully. We need Jesus, forever and always. We need Jesus- plain and simple.
Sometimes the Lord asks things of us that seem like “big asks.” It takes great faith to be bold when these mountains are placed before us. But, when we remember who made those mountains, who has the ability to move them, and even toss them into the sea, then we are able to see a bit more clearly. When we rely on God’s character of righteousness, justice, love, and faithfulness (Ps. 89:14), we can see past our own vantage points, through the telescopic lens of Christ Jesus.
We all must walk through hard things in motherhood and life. These tough moments mold us to be more like Christ and make us more resilient in our faith (James 1:3). Through the strengthening of our faith and character, we become strong moms.
A “strong mom” is different from what you would expect. A strong mom is not one who does things all by herself and muscles her way through motherhood and life. A strong mom lays down her life for her children and family each day. She realizes that what she does is special and has value in Jesus’ sight. A strong mom has a meek and humble spirit who knows that her purpose and identity is found in Christ alone. A strong mom is quick to get out of the way, and let Way Maker have his way in her heart and life.
Steps of Faith:
In what way can you be a strong mom today?
Write out a prayer that boldly approaches the throne of God’s grace, and inquire what his plans and purposes for you are. Ask him to make you a strong mom, humbly equipped, and reliant on Jesus.
Check out my book! The Meaning of Motherhood
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