Reflect God’s Glory.  By Sara Cain.

When I read the following scriptures, I am left speechless, except to just utter, “Wow!”

Psalm 8  (the Passion translation)

Gods majesty …

1  Yahweh, our sovereign God, your glory streams from the heavens above, filling the earth with the majesty of your name!

People everywhere see your splendor!

2  You have built a stronghold by the songs of children.  Strength rises up with the chorus of infants.

That kind of praise has power to shut satan’s mouth!

Childlike worship will silence the madness of those who oppose you!

Human dignity …

3  Look at the splendor of your skies, your creative genius glowing in the heavens.  When I gaze at your moon and your stars mounted like jewels in their settings, I know you are the fascinating artist who fashioned it all.

But I have to ask this question:

4  Why would you bother with puny mortal man or care about human beings?

5  Yet what honor you have given to us, created only a little lower than Elohim, the Creator-God, crowned with glory and magnificence.

6  You have delegated us to rulership over all you have made, with everything under our authority, placing earth itself under your image-bearers!

7  All the created order and living thing of the earth, sky, and sea –

8  the wildest beasts and all that moves in the paths of the sea – everything is in submission to Adam’s sons [us].

9  Yahweh, our sovereign God, your glory streams from the heavens above, filling the earth with the majesty of your name!

People everywhere see your splendor!

Today I woke up with this scripture on my mind.  Two statements in particular were loudly ringing in my ears, like bells in a church tower.  I’ll get to those in a bit.

First, let’s talk about Deborah in the book of Judges in the Old Testament.  She was known as A Mother in Israel… that’s actually her official historical tag:  Deborah, A Mother In Israel.  But what does it mean?

Deborah was a judge in Israel during a unique time of deliverance.  She wasn’t actually a judge the way we understand judges in our legal system, but rather, Deborah was a devout Jewish woman of integrity and wisdom who was given a position of authority and sought after to make the highest decisions for Israel at that time.

The bible doesn’t tell us specifically if she was a mother who bore children.  But the important thing here is that her calling by God to be A Mother In Israel was not related to physical parenthood.  This was nothing short of miraculous proof that God called her and anointed her, and that her success came from God because at that time this role would not have been entrusted to a woman.  But in God’s anointing, Deborah saved Israel by courageous wisdom, compassionate nurturing, leading by example, and above all, loving God through loving His people.

Let’s go back to our scripture, Psalms 8:2 –

You have built a stronghold by the songs of children.  Strength rises up with the chorus of infants.

That kind of praise has power to shut satan’s mouth!

Childlike worship will silence the madness of those who oppose you!

Do you feel the awesome power in these words from God?  It’s no wonder that our current  corrupt culture wants to destroy our children!  God decrees that the praise of children and infants make satan impotent… he has no influence or authority among the praises of God’s precious Littles.

As we raise up our children to know and praise God, honoring them with the spiritual respect they deserve, we raise up a people who strip satan of his power.

Astounding!

All of us are called to be Mothers In Israel, or in our case, Mothers In the U.S., to protect, nurture,  teach, and cherish our children.  It’s a bigger job than just what each birth parent can do.  We are all called, singly and collectively, to safeguard the future of all our children, thereby safeguarding the future of our communities and country.

Women who cannot bear children, but still have motherly desires and the gift of nurturing are not a mistake in God’s creation; they have a special kind of mother-calling to mother His people in a broad spectrum.  He is raising up women like Deborah whose reach of nurturing and teaching and rescuing is far greater than her own household.  These women are very special warriors in the Spiritual War taking place right now.

The second verse that rang loudly is verse 6:

You have delegated us to rulership over all you have made, with everything under our authority, placing earth itself under your image-bearers!

We must really grab ahold of the understanding of these words and never forget:  we are created in the image of God, and even after sin destroyed our righteousness, we, as forgiven and redeemed women of God, are being made new every day in the image of Jesus, and being equipped with His power.

2 Corinthians 13:8 (NIV) says this:

 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

So… we are becoming more and more like Jesus.  We are being given his authority and power… that same power that raised Jesus from the grave!

Ephesians 1:19-21 TPT explains this:

I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith.  Then your lives will be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through you!   This is the mighty power that was released when God raised Christ from the dead and exalted him to the place of highest honor and supreme authority in the heavenly realm!   And now he is exalted as first above every ruler, authority, government, and realm of power in existence!   He is gloriously enthroned over every name that is ever praised, not only in this age, but in the age that is coming!

… as well as ….

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”  -John 14:12-14 (NIV)

God has given us authority over all the earth and everything in it.  So… what are we doing with it?

As daughters of God, we are to use our authority over all things first and foremost to protect and nurture our children.  OUR CHILDREN, collectively- the children of our communities and beyond.

Eve was identified as “mother of all living things” long before she bore children. This is a statement about our God-given nature as women.  We are all made and called to love and nurture children, strengthen and defend families, care for and uplift the needy.  Female nature is full of charity, compassion and benevolence, and by lifting this one and that one, we mother a community, and by nurturing and building up a community, we change the world.

Are we reflecting the glory of God?  Are we seeing the image of our Creator and our Savior in the mirror?   Do we look, sound, and smell distinct in our communities, differently from the presence of non-Jesus followers?

Live a life that reflects God’s glory.  Rise up with courage and wisdom and set in motion the calling on your lives as women of God for His purpose in His Kingdom.

Have a blessed Mothers’ Day, regardless of your individual circumstances.  God’s place for each of us today is sitting at His table with a crown on our heads and a scepter of authority in our hands.