The Love of a Mother
As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem. Isaiah 16:13 NIV
Insight
My freshman year of high school, I got sick. Really sick. I had to leave school and live in the hospital for several months to receive treatment. The hospital I was sent to was located in Baltimore, Maryland—over 400 miles away from home. I was at my lowest. I didn’t want to fight my illness anymore. It felt too difficult, and I was exhausted. I had all but accepted defeat. I was angry with God, angry with my circumstances, and angry with the world.
But my mom dropped everything and moved to Maryland to support me.
Day after day, my mom came to visiting hours, held my hand, and played card games with me. On my darkest days, she held me, rubbed my back, and encouraged me. When I thought I couldn’t go on, my mother’s love reminded me of the goodness of God. Like our Heavenly Father, my mom followed me into my darkest season, and refused to give up on me. Like Jesus, my mom set her own life aside out of pure love for me. She sacrificed everything to fight my battles with me. She showed me abundant grace, patience, and kindness when I had nothing to offer her.
Though it isn’t easy to comprehend, the love and comfort that God offers us is better than any love we could imagine receiving here on earth. The Bible tells us that God is love (1 John 4:8). This means that He is the perfect summation of every kind of love—the kinds of love we can receive from parents, romantic partners, neighbors, family, and friends. Though my mom has loved me more fiercely than I have the words to express, God’s love for me is greater still.
Our God is always ready and willing to offer us supernatural comfort. He can provide us comfort that no human being could ever offer us. Even if the mess we find ourselves in is one of our own creation, He has compassion for us. He is offering us safety and refuge in His arms. All we have to do is allow ourselves to lean back into His loving embrace. He doesn’t ask us to earn His love. Even when we have nothing to offer Him, He pours out His blessing over us.
Reflection
Think of the person in your life who has loved you most fiercely. How does it make you feel to know that the Creator of the Universe loves you more than that person ever could?
We are often taught to think of God as a Heavenly Father (which He is). Yet, He also loves us like a Perfect Mother. What does God’s motherly, nurturing love look like in your life?
Prayer
Abba, thank you for loving me more than I could ever comprehend. Thank you for offering me comfort that no person or thing on this earth could ever offer me and for being an ever-present source of support, love, and encouragement. Thank you for placing people in my life that love me well—people that remind me that though human love is amazing, it is but a shadow of the kind of love You offer. Remind me to spend time today simply sitting in awe of Your love. Empower me to show love to those around me in grateful response to all You’ve done and all You are. Amen.
Port City writer Kate Redenbaugh wrote today’s devotional.