A Fierce Love: 30 Days of Encouragement for Your Mama Bear Heart

By Lisa Doucette

A Fierce Love offers moms a boost of encouragement and biblical wisdom suited to the demanding, joyful and rewarding days of parenting children. The author writes with a transparent humility that helps readers connect and encourages them to look honestly at themselves and their needs. She connects the fierce "mama bear" love mothers have for their young with the strong, protective, nurturing love God has for His children.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Savage Press
• Release date: Mar 29, 2024
• ISBN: 9781958211564

Book preview

Introduction

For eight years, I’ve had the privilege to work with Coastline Women’s Center, celebrating new and expectant moms who have made the loving choice to embrace the wonderful gift of motherhood. Their stories of courage have inspired me to write this book of devotions to give them encouragement and come alongside each reader and remind her that not only can she do this job, but God will empower her and help her thrive as He gives her His guidance for the journey. As a mom myself, I am so honored to reassure and remind each and every mom of God’s fierce love for her and her baby.

While this book was inspired by the moms of Coastline Women’s Center, its message is universal and applicable to all moms. God loves each of us with the fiercest of love, and He is our greatest advocate and encourager! As moms, we all face challenges and sometimes doubts as to our ability to be the mom we aspire to be. Through God’s Word, we can learn to be confident that He has created us as moms for this moment, and He will give us exactly what we need to be wonderful moms of faith and purpose.

Dear Coastline Moms and Others,

I celebrate you today, and I’m so humbled to be able to speak encouragement and hope into your heart. The desire of my heart is simple. I seek to be your cheerleader and remind you that God loves you and wants to help you be confident and thrive as a mom. As you hold your baby in your arms, a protective and courageous love blossoms in your heart. These characteristics reflect the mama bear heart. As you walk this wonderful journey of motherhood, may these devotionals encourage your heart, lift your spirit, and always point you to the amazing love of the One who will always be your greatest source of guidance, strength and refuge. My deepest prayer for you is that you’ll know more deeply the fierce love God has for you and your precious child and you’ll step out confidently into that love!

I would love to hear from you as you reflect on these readings, to pray for you and share in your journey. Feel free to email me at [e-mail] for prayer, encouragement, and support.

In Christ,

Lisa

Day 1

The Miracle of Life

Imay not know you or have ever met you, sweet mom, but today I am praising God for you! As I write these words, I am thinking of you and your precious baby. I have been praying for many months for the words to encourage you! Maybe you are a mom for the first time or maybe this baby is a new brother or sister to your older children. Whichever is the case, I am praising God for all these precious and wonderful gifts!

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom" (Psa. 145:3 NIV).

To God be the glory, great things He hath done" (Fanny Crosby, Spiritual Hymn, 1872).

This Bible verse from Psalms and the words from this hymn hang in my home with photographs of my two babies. I placed them there as my simple offering of praise to God for blessing my life beyond my greatest dreams or imagination. You see, the title of Mother is like no other. It is a life-changing experience in the very best way. Whether it comes after years of hope and expectation, or it comes quickly and unexpectedly, it is a miracle and a beautiful gift from God!

The gift of life is one that only He can give! And there are no accidents in His miraculous work. He works with precision and He works with purpose each and every time. The Bible tells us, For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful (Psa. 139:13-14 NIV). This miracle you hold is marvelous, magnificent, and glorious! My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be (Psa. 139:15-16 NIV). Such amazing and encouraging words from the Bible for you and me! You see, God has a plan for every life—a very specific and wonderful plan!

When I consider moms mentioned in the Bible, I think as moms, you and I can learn from the Mother of all Mothers, that is Mary, the mother of Jesus. She can teach us important lessons as we set out on this adventure called Motherhood. First, she leads off with such an important acclamation. She says, I am the Lord’s servant (Luke 1:38 NIV). The angel has just told her that she will be giving birth to a son. Instead of breaking out with a million questions she makes a simple statement of humility. My prayer for you and me is that we will do the same. We will look at our children and say, Lord, we are here to serve you and follow you as we raise these children. Then just a few verses later, Mary rejoices as she contemplates this news: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, she says in Luke 1:46-47 (NIV). Finally, in Luke 2:19 (NIV), Mary beholds her newborn child, and the Bible says she treasures and ponders all these things, holding them dear in her heart. She was overcome with emotion with the sweet gift she held in her arms, and she savored every minute and every memory there in the stable.

You see, Mary was an ordinary girl just like you and me. I love that God chose her, an ordinary girl, just like He chose you and me for our children. Sweet mom, let that sink in. God chose you for this high calling of being mom to your precious children. He gave you this miraculous gift! Through these precious miracles of life, God is writing a new chapter in our life stories. It’s the story of each of our little blessings and how they will impact His kingdom. What a privilege and honor we have as their moms to be His servant and join hands with Him in this work! Sweet mom, I’m so excited to encourage you and I praise Him for this opportunity! As you read along in this devotional book, I pray your heart will be lifted up and your life will be transformed by the power of His Word.

May Mary’s words be our words of praise—How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me (Luke 1:47-49 NLT).

My Prayer for You and Me

Dear God, we thank You today for the great thing You have done for us in giving us our precious children. Help us each day as we read and study to be inspired by Your Word. Teach and nurture us so that we may do the same for our children. May Your fierce love for us be our guiding light. We pray all these things in the