Well, good morning again. Let us start off today with a little bit of historical reflection. As the period of the judges was coming to a close, a transition began to take place. While we had seen God's kingdom shine through in him working through the judges, the theocracy or the nation under God would now move on to be mediated through a divinely sanctioned monarchy or a kingship. This was a transition that was cried out for as the people of Israel had come to realize after their constant failures followed by foreign oppression and then temporary deliverance through the judges that they could not live in covenant with God and they wanted a king to be their mediator. The judges, although they were ultimately a picture of Jesus to come, were also a prefiguring of the kings. just as Joshua prefigured the judges following after Moses. One of the main purposes of the book of Samuel is to show how the monarchy is a gift of grace from God to his chosen people. Though the rising action of the book doesn't start until chapter four with the Ark narratives, the first chapter shows us that this precious gift would come through a woman. Just as Jesus was eventually sent to save us sinners as an ultimate gift of grace, having been born of a woman in humble circumstances, Samuel was sent to anoint a king that would establish the United Kingdom, having been born of a woman in humble circumstances. Oftentimes, We neglect to realize that God has made both men and women in his image, and that we complement each other. Though women are taught and led by men who provide for and protect them, the woman humbly nurtures and supports the man, making them co-equal. There is a difference in roles, but equal standing. Because God made them to be nurturing, many women long to be mothers. My wife, Rachel, for many years had an unsettling feeling that she may never be granted this grace. She prayed and cried and longed, and it wasn't until much later than most women that this desire was fulfilled and her prayers were answered. Today in our text, we are going to see a similar story. And the title of our message is The Makings of a Godly Mother. in the message or in our text today, we are going to see a godly woman loves God, a godly woman prays to and trusts in God, and then a godly woman dedicates her children to God. So, a godly woman loves God. Let us begin by reading 1 Samuel chapter one, verses one through eight. Now there was a certain man from Ramathium, Zophim, from the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuth, an Ephraimite. He had two wives. The name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Penina. And Penina had children, but Hannah had no children. Now this man would go up from his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the Lord there. When the day came that Alcannah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters, but to Hannah he would give a double portion for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had closed her womb. Her rival, however, would provoke her bitterly to irritate her because the Lord had closed her womb. It happened year after year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she would provoke her. So she went and would not eat. Then Elkanah, her husband, said to her, Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not better than 10 sons? Here we see a woman who is devoted to God. In the East, where they were, they have an honor and shame in a collective culture. It was shameful not to be able to bear children, and Hannah was ashamed in her community and within her home. Her identity was in her family and the community, and therefore, she was lacking. How many of you have ever felt like you couldn't live up to your responsibility or your role? I think if we're honest, everybody in here at some point in our lives have felt like we're unable to live up to our responsibilities. Do you remember that feeling? Can you pinpoint a time? Here we see a woman who desperately wanted to provide for her husband, but she couldn't. And her opponent shamed her. Yet even though she was broken, she wasn't bitter. In fact, we see that her character far outshined her rival as her husband would give her a double portion because he loved her so much. Even though she could not produce a child, he loved her dearly. Why? Because she was a woman of God. who went with him when he would go to the temple, as she loved God even more than her husband. She was a woman of character. It says in verse seven, she went up to the house of the Lord year after year, as she was committed to God regardless her circumstances. Each year, she was suffering from the pangs of provocation and despair, but just as her husband saw her, So did God, and he sees all of you as well. Not all women have children, yet that cannot stop you from being godly women and a mother in other ways. An example to follow would be Katharina Schutz, a woman who Ulrich Zwingli, the Swiss reformer, praised as she came to be known as the mother reformer. Katharina acted as a mother to many refugees and came to be the leading female author of the early Reformation. She had been educated and she used to question her salvation in the Catholic Church until her husband-to-be showed up at the Great Cathedral preaching the same gospel that Martin Luther was. This new doctrine gripped her and she was set on fire for the Lord, as she was assured now that Christ's finished work had led to her sanctification in the Spirit. As Katharina grew in wisdom and godliness, even Martin Busser went on to say that she was as God-fearing and courageous as a hero. She spoke out against the Pope and the Catholic church's abuse. She welcomed refugees into her home and cared for them. She went to the prison to minister to people there. She nursed people to health during a plague. She wrote commentaries on Psalms and on the Lord's prayer and became known as the childless mother reformer as she was a lover of God. And she was merely a lay person. just like all of us. One transformed by the gospel, and she should serve as a model for any Christian woman to follow, just as Hannah does in our text. But maybe you are asking, what are the inner workings of a godly woman who loves God? Well, that brings us to point number two. A godly woman prays to and trusts in God. Let us read verses nine through 18 in our text. Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli The priest was sitting on the seat by the doorstep at the temple of the Lord. She greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly. 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 son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life and a razor shall never come on his head. Now it came about as she continued praying before the Lord that Eli was watching her mouth. As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart. Only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard, so Eli thought she was drunk. Then Eli said to her, will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.' But Hannah replied, No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord. Do not consider your maid servant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation. Then Eli answered and said, go in peace and may the God of Israel great your petition that you have asked of him. She said, let your maid servant find favor in your sight. So the woman went away and ate and her face was no longer sad. In this passage we see some key features and significant realities about Hannah. We see in verse 9 that she was posted up by the temple as she wanted to be close to the Lord. In verse 10 we see that she was broken and crying before the Lord. Then in verse 11 we see that she went to God with her petition and supplication asking for a son. In a tribal society like hers Families wanted sons because it brought them honor. She was seeking honor for her husband. And though she longed to be a mother, she promised the child to God if he would just hear her prayer and answer her with grace. This is really a test of our hearts. How many of us in here today can honestly say that the things we desire to obtain, we would give right back? For example, some of you may desire to have a specific house, but would you be willing to turn that house over to refugees the moment God provided the means for it? There's nothing more difficult to depart from than a child that comes from your womb. Yet Hannah's heart was set upon the Lord above all, and ours should be too. Another thing we see here in our passage is that her prayer was truly from her heart. So much so that she abandoned the traditional oral prayer and Eli thought she was drunk. She was pouring herself out to God and the man supported her. Here's to the men today. The women in your life are important. whether that's your mother, your sister, or your wife. It is important for us to be there as support and to pray for them. Let us all be a praying people who look to God for everything and then trust in him. In verse 18, we see that she went away from there no longer sad. Why was she no longer sad? Because once she poured out her heart to God, she trusted in Him, which is where our peace comes from. Many of you may have heard of Hudson Taylor. His parents were Christian and highly committed to the Lord. While his father was overly frugal, and rigid at times, seeking to be pious, his mother, Amelia, was quiet and gentle. She taught girls the Bible, she maintained her home, and she focused on being consistent on family worship. She had also committed to dedicate Hudson to the Lord and his work even before he was conceived. much like we are seeing about Hannah in our text today. Though Hudson grew up in a Christian home, he went on to work at a bank when he was 15 years old and became attracted to the world. He fell away from spiritual practices and his eyes became fixed upon wealth. Then when he was 17 years old and his eyesight began to go, he had to leave the bank. And while back home and in his father's shop, it became obvious that Hudson really needed God. So as a godly mother, Amelia committed to pray for Hudson every day. She wasn't praying that he would find his way. She wasn't praying that he would be happy or healthy. She wasn't praying for his comfort or success. She was praying for his conversion. For Hudson to be saved by God in Christ. as God has placed eternity in all of our hearts and God is the only one who can fill it. And because of sin, nothing but Him can make our lives straight. She began to do this more and more until one day she locked herself in a room determined to pray until she knew that God answered her. On her knees for hours, she begged and pleaded and wailed and cried out to the Lord for Him to have mercy upon her son until suddenly she just knew that God had answered her prayer. She was away from her home at the time and when she came to know that God responded to her, her prayers and concerns turned to praises and assurance. She began to worship him because he is worthy. Yet back at home, Hudson was going through the books on his father's shelf and came to a track called Poor Richard. He read it, and when Hudson came to read the simple words, the finished work of Christ, he knew that Christ had done it all. He came, born by a woman, lived a life of perfection, died to atone for our sin, so that just as he was raised from the dead three days later, he can and will raise us from the dead to have eternal life with him. The only proper response to this is to have faith in Jesus and follow him. That is what he did. He dropped to his knees and committed to serve God forever. And serve him he did. He went on to become a famous missionary to China. Now please hear this part. Though we are highlighting the mother's life of prayer here, After he was saved, Hudson read his younger sister's diary, or her journal, and he came to learn that she had committed to praying for Hudson's salvation three times per day, only one month before he was saved. You don't need to be married or have children to be godly women who pray and trust in God. And men, most of you, including me, owe much to the women in our lives who are faithful to pray for us. Let us live up to this honor. One of the consistent themes we see here is that whether we look to Hannah in our text or Amelia who we just covered, godly women commit their children to God. And that brings us to our last point. A godly woman dedicates her children to God. Let us look at verses 19 through 28. Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord and returned again to the house of Ramah And Elkanah had relations with Hannah, his wife, and the Lord remembered her. It came about in due time after Hannah had conceived, and she gave birth to a son, and she named him Samuel, saying, because I have asked him of the Lord. Then the man Elkanah went up with all his household to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow. But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, I will not go up until the child is weaned. Then I will bring him that he may appear before the Lord and stay there forever. Alcannah, her husband, said to her, Do what seems best to you. Remain until you have weaned him. Only may the Lord confirm his word. So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull, and one ephah of flour, and a jug of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh. Although the child was young, then they slaughtered the bull and brought the boy to Eli. She said, O my Lord, as your soul lives, my Lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. For this boy I prayed. And the Lord has given me my petition, which I asked of him. So I have also dedicated him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is dedicated to the Lord. And he worshiped the Lord there. One of the main points we get from the text today is that if you are a godly woman who loves God and who prays to and trusts in God alone, then if or when God gives you children, then you will be a godly mother. For the godly character starts not with your children, but with God Almighty who needs to be your first love. In this passage, we see how Hannah worshiped God and God knew her in verse 19. Her prayer was answered in verse 20 as she was given a son. Then in verses 21 through 23, we see how she didn't go to the temple this time as she planned to wait until she could give her son back to God as she promised. In the meantime, she nurtured him. And when he was ready, she took him to the temple. And she said, for this boy, I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition, which I asked of him. So I have also dedicated him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is dedicated to the Lord. And he worshiped the Lord there. This brings us to another example, Eliza. She was married to a bivocational preacher who was hardly home. Having had 17 children, nine of which died in infancy, Eliza was in charge of the home. One of her children, Charles, developed a love for the Puritans starting off with reading the Pilgrim's Progress when he was six years old. was a woman of prayer and prayed with the children daily. She read the Bible and other books with them. Her deepest concern was for her children to know the Lord. She urged them and cared for them spiritually and wanted nothing more than for them to be given back to the Lord who gave her them. Yet not all of them turned to him. Charles, though aware of his sinfulness, struggled into his teens until one day in a different church than his, he heard a man speak and the Holy Spirit brought him to salvation in Christ. He would go on to become known as the Prince of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon, and he credited his mother and her prayers and faithfulness for preparing him for his service in the Lord. I personally want to thank every one of you who have been a godly mother and made your children's spiritual well-being your top priority while also tending to them and nurturing them throughout the years. I am currently learning just how difficult it is to be a good mother and how much you have had to sacrifice. as I watch my wife, Rachel, exhausted, yet never burdened. Selfless, but never sorry. And though, and through it all, she is fully devoted to God and our marriage. And there are many things we could take from this text this morning, but we will highlight just a few. Our path is often marked by pain and heartache, yet it is used to bring us closer to God. In Hannah's case, her suffering through shame and a sense of failure along with constant provocation left her broken and deeply wounded. But this did not keep her from seeking the Lord. In fact, it drove her to pray and pour herself out to God as God is the only one who has the power to change our situation or guide us through our difficult time. For those of you who have experienced the pain or suffering in other ways, whether longing to be a mother or those who have lost their children, our hearts do go out to you and we are all in this together. Please allow this situation to draw you closer to God in prayer and trust in his sovereignty. God loves us and he cares very much for the broken hearted. These times of trial and hardship are temporary and God has wonderful things ahead. The second thing we can pull from this message is whether you don't have children or they are grown and gone on their own, women can still be godly mothers in different ways. We saw today how you ladies can serve the church and the community. That can mean a commitment to outreach among the lost or the needy, or this could mean to disciple girls or young ladies. This would be my challenge to all the grandparents or single women. Find a younger female, whether that's a teenager, a new young mother, or somebody younger in the faith, and teach them in the way they should go. Let your experience and God-given gifts and talents be used to prepare the next generation to serve the Lord, be supportive and submissive in their homes, and to be looking to God for answers, comfort, and direction. In doing this, you will make a huge difference for the sake of the kingdom. Third, if you are a mother, no matter what stage you are in, it is never too late to start praying for your children and to dedicate and point them to God. Your children do not need to be happy. They do not need to be comfortable. They do not need to have families or wealth or a career or to feel whole or accomplished. Your children, just like you and me, need Jesus. Call them today. Write them a letter. Tell them what God has done in your life and why they too need Christ. All of us are sinful. We have all gone astray and fall short of God's standards, and the cost of sin is death. Because God is holy, he cannot accept sin, so someone needs to die. Either we could die for our own sin and go to hell, or we could trust in Christ, who has died for us and paid the ultimate penalty as a perfect sacrifice for us. so that we could be with him for eternity. Preach the gospel. God is love and there is no love without God. If you are affirming your children in their life of disobedience, you are leading them to hell. If you love your child or your friend or your neighbor or anyone, then you will urge them to repent and believe in Christ no matter the personal cost to you because that is love and sacrifice for the Lord. Lastly, be devoted to God. None of this can be accomplished if you yourself have not been born again and been transformed in Christ to follow him. Our text today shows us the importance of the man to be fully devoted to God, especially if he is to become the leader of his household. We must also be devoted to our marriage, understanding that it reflects our commitment to Christ. Our text today also shows us how important it is for the woman to be fully devoted to God. no matter how difficult things are or how much suffering may be involved. Seek the Lord with all your heart and don't lean on your own understanding. Instead, seek his ways which are revealed in his word. Let us all remember that we are sinful. God is holy. We cannot stand in judgment before our holy God. Jesus died to pay for our sins and we need to believe in him and follow him as our Lord. Jesus is alive and we may have a real relationship with him right now. We come to know him through his word, the Bible, and we allow it to transform our minds and our hearts to the glory of God in Christ as the Spirit is at work inside of us. Have you committed your life to him? If not, right now is your chance. No matter what you've done, No matter what you are going through, our text today teaches us that God is there and he hears our prayers. So let's go to him now in prayer. Our Father in heaven, we come to you humbly knowing that we are sinful yet blessed. You have revealed Yourself to us, not only through Your Word, but through the sending of Your Son, Jesus Christ. We thank You, Father, for having sent us Jesus, and we thank You, Jesus, for having accomplished our salvation. We do believe that you died to pay for our sins and that you rose on the third day and that you are seated at the right hand of the Father where you intercede for us right now if we would only confess our sins. So we come to you now and we confess to you we are sinful and we need you. We do give our lives to you and we ask Lord that you help us. We thank you for having sent the Holy Spirit and we thank you Holy Spirit for guiding us. We ask that you empower us to live a life worthy of the calling that we have received. We ask that you help us to be repentant, that you help us to actually love you that you help us to pray to you and to trust in you and to trust in you alone, not trust in our works, not trust in our goodness, not trust in anything else, but you alone. Lord, we ask that you help us to dedicate our children to God and raise them up in the way they should go so that they too can ascribe your due worth to you. We thank you, God. We thank you that we are here this morning on the Lord's Day, the day that you have given us to reflect your glory and to come before your throne. We thank you, Lord. And we ask that you are with us throughout the week, that you help us to reflect your glory to other people, that you help us to preach your gospel to everybody, and that you are with our families. We pray for our families and we ask Lord for their salvation. We ask that they are made new in you and delivered from the flames and offered eternal life in Christ just like we have. Father, we also pray for our city. We ask that you intervene in the difficult things that take place and the wrongful things that take place and that you help us to be a light, that you help us to actually go out there and make a difference in some way, that you help us to stand for truth. And as we stand for truth, help us to reflect your goodness in doing that. We also pray for our country, Lord, And we ask that you forgive us, that you forgive us for the wretched and horrible things that are taking place. We ask for repentance. We ask for salvation. We ask that you send your Holy Spirit not only upon us, but upon everybody around us, Lord, if it's possible to use us in that process. We thank you in Jesus' name.