Mother’s Day is around the corner (May 14, in fact). Maybe you’ve given your mom enough “mom” mugs, or candy, or last-minute “free hugs” coupons. It’s time to get a little more thoughtful. Try this: Create a Bible devotional in her honor. You can create it for her and give it as a gift; or create it to honor her and share it with friends and family (or with the world, #BibleDevoForMom). Key word: create! Feel free to write it, use video, art, drawing, music or any other creative expression.
Here’s what we mean by “Bible devotional”: a short exercise (15-20 minutes) that helps someone engage in and apply a passage of Scripture. Think more than an image with a Bible verse. Offer questions to help people explore the passage and then apply it to their daily lives. You may want to suggest analogies to help in understanding. They key is to help people see what God is saying through the passage (He has something to say in every verse of the Bible) and to give opportunity for God’s Spirit to help them apply it to life.
What a great way to honor Mom!
Below are steps and prompts to guide you along the way. And if you’d like to see an example (I did one for my mom), click here.
- Find out your mom’s favorite Bible verse or chapter.
You can do this on the sly if you’re wanting this to be a surprise (ask other family members and friends) or simply interview your mom. Ask why a passage stands out? Did it see her through a hard time? Did God use it in a special way? If your mom’s not a believer, she may still have a favorite Bible verse. And if she doesn’t have a favorite Bible verse, keep reading below. We have an idea for that situation too.
- Study the passage for yourself.
Once you have a favorite passage, spend some time exploring the passage on your own. Below are simple questions you can ask, based on the type of passage you’re exploring. The book names give you a range of books, so you might need your Bible’s table of contents to locate the type of passage that you’re working with. The description in parentheses gives you an idea of the type of book of your passage.
| Genesis: (OT Pre-Israel)
The book of Genesis gives us the building blocks of creation’s spiritual DNA. What does the passage tell you about the relationship between God and creation? What does it tell you about God? What does it tell you about man? Genesis 12-50 records the roots of Israel’s “first family,” the family of Abraham that gave birth to the nation of Israel. If your passage is in this part of Genesis, what does it tell you about a relationship with God? What is God saying in the passage?
Exodus — Esther: (OT Israel History) Most of the Old Testament is about the relationship between Israel and God, giving us insight into our relationship with God today. Is the passage a promise? Is it a command? Is it a proposition (“if you do this, then…”)? What is God saying in the passage?
Job — Song of Solomon: (OT Poetry/Wisdom) The poetry and wisdom books were written by various authors throughout Israel’s history in the Old Testament. These writings cover many aspects of a relationship with God, including doubting and feeling distant. They also include awesome comfort, like Psalm 23. Does the passage provide comfort? What type of feelings or emotions does the passage express? What does it teach you about God? What is God saying in the passage?
Isaiah — Malachi: (OT Prophecy) You’ll also find some history in these books, but many of the prophetic books follow the pattern of warning: shape up (obey God’s Word) or ship out (you will be destroyed/taken captive). If you’re familiar with the Old Testament, you know that Israel was eventually shipped out (Assyrian captivity and Babylonian exile). Some of the prophetic books were written during the time of exile as well as after the exile. Can you tell when your passage takes place? What is the atmosphere of the passage? (Hope? Restoration? Warning?) Is there a promise to claim or a command to obey? What is God saying in the passage?
Matthew — Acts: (NT Biography/History) The gospels chronicle Jesus’ days here on earth. The book of Acts records the first few years of the church era after Jesus left to be with the Father. If your passage is from the Gospels (Matthew-John) does it contain words from Jesus? Is it a promise? A command? A teaching? If your passage is from Acts, what events are taking place around the passage? What led up to the moment this passage is recording? What is God saying in the passage?
Romans-Revelation: (NT Letter) Most of the New Testament is made up of letters from church leaders (like Paul, Peter, John) to new churches and believers to help them live the gospel message in a fallen world. Many letters follow the pattern of explaining what Jesus did and why He did it and then teaching us how to live in a way that reflects our belief in why Jesus did what He did. Is your passage a teaching or explanation? Does it convey hope or provide instructions for living out the gospel? What is God saying in the passage? |
- Make Your Application.
You may have noticed a repeated question in the steps above: “What is God saying in the passage?” That is the first thing we should always seek in exploring a passage of Scripture. After you can answer that question, you can more powerfully apply the passage. A basic application question is simply this: “What do I need to do?” This general question can spark many other ideas for practical application.
- Use Your Creativity.
God has blessed you with your personal gifts and creativity. Use that to create your Bible devotional.
We know that family circumstances are very diverse. You may need to adapt this idea to your personal situation, such as a step-mom. Here are a couple thoughts on two other specific circumstances:
Mom not a believer?
That’s okay. As mentioned above, she may still have a favorite Bible verse. But if not, write a Bible devotional for her on your favorite Bible verse or chapter and give that as a gift. It may spark some heartfelt conversation and make this the most meaningful Mother’s Day ever.
Mom Loss
If you’ve lost your mom, maybe you’d like to write a Bible devo in her memory? This could be therapeutic and a way to commemorate her life and faith.
We know this idea is a little more involved than a simple gift. And that’s okay. Mom needs something more than simple every once in a while. Besides, this is a gift that contains many things that likely mean a lot to your mom: God’s Word, your creativity, and you.