Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

Pastors’ Column – 05/12/14



2 Timothy 1:5 “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned (sincere) faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”

Psalm 103:17 “But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;”

Within the two verses from the Holy Scriptures placed above, we see the faithfulness of God toward Timothy, that had extended from his grandmother Lois, to his mother Eunice, and to himself, as well as that the promise of the mercy of the Lord is forever, to them that fear him. God not only promises us this continued mercy, but he also promises it to our children’s children. In other words, our grandchildren . . . . great-grandchildren . . . great-great-grandchildren . . .

We are thankful for our mothers, who carried us unto birth and who have been the first preachers of the gospel toward us as they modeled the grace of God toward us through their selfless and patient service towards our selfish needs as a baby. They have also spoken to us of Jesus from our youth, for they have learned from their mothers (our grandmothers) that the Holy Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation.

They have showed us what it means to trust God in the midst of life’s circumstances. My mother, who was called out of this life to the glory of heaven nearly a year ago, preached to me what was probably the shortest sermon that I ever heard anyone speak, but what she said perhaps had the greatest impact on me as far as understanding how she looked at life. She had lost her husband (my father) when she was 44 years old, and was left with 11 children, from ages 3 to 20. In addition to losing her husband, she lost her daughter, my sister, who died at 20 years of age, five years later.

A number of years ago, I asked her how she had been able to cope with all the challenges that came with raising us without her husband. She told me, “The more I trusted, the less I worried.” Her strength was not in herself, but it was in the power of the Lord’s might.

When the foundation of our life is Jesus, not even the tornadoes and severe thunderstorms of life are able to succeed in toppling our “house of faith.” Knowing that time together strengthens our relationship with God, let us draw near to Him, knowing that when we do so, He will draw near to us.

We draw near to Him through the prayerful hearing, reading and meditation of the Holy Scriptures, through prayer, through fellowship, as well as through partaking of the Sacrament of Holy Communion, knowing that through these means of grace, we are strengthened, established and settled in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.

May mothers of all ages be appreciated for their love, patience, and steadfastness in the nurturing of their children. May they continue in the strength and wisdom of our Lord to sow the good seed of the gospel into the hearts and lives of those they love.








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