Brief Background
- Susanna Wesley was the youngest of 25 children.
- Married when she was 19 (young wife).
- Susanna and Samuel Wesley had 19 children.
- Her husband was absent a lot due to church business and incarcerated twice due to poor financial decisions.
- She understood her role as a mother, and made the decision to spend 1 hour with each of her children over a period of a week.
- She worked the gardens; milked the cows’ daily but found time to devote 2 hours a day in prayer.
- Susanna and Samuel disagreed on religious and political subjects. Samuel on one occasion left her and the children for nearly a year after an argument.
- She was confronted with challenges and received strength to overcome them- suffered ill health; stresses of daily life; persistent financial challenges; lost their home to fire twice and 9 of her children died as infants.
- Home schooled and taught her children to read by age of 5. They were all proficient in Latin, Greek and classical studies.
- The lack of diverse spiritual teaching (the church focused much on debt repayment) caused her to assemble her children on Sunday afternoon for family services. At one point, over 200 gathered at her home for service while service attendance dwindled to nearly nothing.
- In a letter, she wrote ‘Salvation is the aim and end of existence. A matter for agonised striving’.
And what profit is there
in gaining the whole world when it means forfeiting one’s self?
Luke
9:25 (TLB)
Out of the mouth of babes
and nursing infants-You have ordained strength,
because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
Psalm
8:2
Useful Gleanings
- She desired nothing (not the limelight, not the pulpit or recognition) more than to live a godly life pleasing to God.
- She recognised and embraced her call to motherhood; raising all her children to love and fear the LORD.
- Despite marital, health and financial challenges; she did not resign her divine call as a help meet and spiritual midwife.
- Her communion with Jesus was of utmost priority despite multiple responsibilities.
- A woman of vision who partnered with God – His quest for children out of whose mouth His strength and praises will go forth. Children that He will use to silence the enemy- the devil. Children that He will use as arrows in His quiver.
- She found that needful thing (CHRIST for her life and family).
- Her resilience, patience and dedication to God and her family is noteworthy
- She was a woman of focus, vision, prayer and not afraid to go against the tide.
Whilst
muted-
Allow
the Lord to pass through the life of Susanna to highlight salient points to
take up in prayer.
Be
determined that this session will not be information gathering; but the LORD
will arrest your heart and help you take practical steps regarding any matter
He raises in your heart.
