Devotional: Mother’s Protection: 1 King 3:16-28

“Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins” (! Pet. 4:8, NASB).

America is confronted more frequently by the death of Black men and women at the hands of white policemen. It is apparent that regardless of what these victims have done their mothers are at the forefront calling for justice for their child. Now, we could get into a lot of discussions and debates about mothers calling for justice for their own son or daughter and at the same time have nothing to say about the injustices that their own children have done. However, this is not the scope of this devotional. Rather, as we celebrate Mother’s Day, I want to celebrate a unique trait about mothers in the human race and also seen in the animal world. Mothers protect their children.

Regardless of what a child does, mothers in general, never give up on their children. They will pray, scream, cry, and get angry. Their anger might be directed at their own child, but in all probability their anger will be displaced on someone else. It is not that the mother does not know that her child is wrong. No she protects the child because she loves the child. And the Scripture is true: “Love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet. 4:8, NASB).

In our scripture passage King Solomon is approached by two women. Each woman stakes her claim to be the mother of the living child and the dead child to belong to the other woman. The king calls for a knife. He commands the child to be cut in half and each woman is to receive one half of the child. One of the women surrenders. She will allow the other woman to have the child. The second woman agrees that the child should be cut into halves and each woman receive their share. The king shows his wisdom. He commands that the child be given to the woman that is willing to allow the other woman to keep the child so that the child will live.

The purpose of this scripture is to give an example of the wisdom of the king. However, this is Mother’s Day and this story is an illustration of a mother’s love for her child. It shows us that a mother will in most cases do whatever she needs to do to protect her child. Mothers never give up on their child. They always believe that somehow the Lord will turn the child around if need be, and point the child in a direction that will lead to their success.

God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. God desires that all be saved and have eternal life. God protects those that believe in Jesus regardless of their past sins.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank you for our mothers that go to great lengths to protect us. Amen.