Mother's Day provides a great opportunity for believers to begin a personal or group study on some of the amazing moms from the Bible. There are many resources to be found in books and online devotion sites to help seniors get started, especially on the well-known stories of Mary, Sarah, Hannah and Eve.
The possibilities don't end there, however. Seniors around Park Regency who want to dive deeper into their Bibles have many fascinating stories they can read alone or discuss with friends. To help them get started, here are a few more moms that they might enjoy adding to their study plans this month.
Though Rahab is mostly known for hiding the two spies when they entered Jericho, she went on to marry an Israelite named Salmon and become the mother of Boaz. Her choice to trust in God saved her family and made her a part of Jesus's lineage (Matthew 1:5). Her story and that of the fall of Jericho can be found in Joshua chapters 2 and 6, and she is also mentioned again in Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25.
There are many powerful moments in the book of Ruth worth studying. Though Naomi asks to be called Mara, which means bitter, her love for her daughters-in-law is clear, and neither of them wishes to leave her side. Orpah finally relents after much urging, but Ruth refuses. Love and loyalty lead Ruth to choose to put her trust in Naomi's God and move to Bethlehem with her. It's there that she meets Boaz and she and Naomi are blessed with a second chance at a home and family.
Jesus mentions this widow in Luke 4:26, and interested seniors can find her story in 1 Kings 17. When Elijah asks her for water and food, he promises her that God will provide for her family in return. She trusts his words and gives up the last of her family's supplies to bake him a simple meal. This act of faith results in her family having food during the great famine and her son being raised from the dead after a fatal illness.
Seniors can find two familiar stories tucked in 2 Kings 4. First is the widow who asks Elisha to save her sons from the creditor. She follows his command to gather empty vessels and to use her oil container to fill them. Like the widow of Zarephath, this mom's obedience changes their present and future.
The story of the Shunammite woman begins immediately afterwards. The Bible tells us that she asked her husband to create a room especially for Elisha to rest in when he passed by their home during his travels. For her kindness, she is promised a son who later dies and is brought back to life.
