I got a whole lot of love for Sarah. This woman knows roller coaster emotions. She knows fear. She knows uncertainty. She knows control issues. But for real. She knows waiting.
It all began in Genesis 12. God said // I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great.
Then in chapter 13. God said // Lift up your eyes where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.
Chapter 15. Things get real between God and Abraham {I promise I'm getting to Sarah}. God is telling Abraham don't worry, but all Abraham could say was // what can you give me since I remain childless? You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.
And then God said nope. It will be your son from your body. Your offspring will exceed the stars in the heavens.
Now I'm no mathematician, but simple math says zero children does not equal limitless stars in the heavens or countless grains of sand on the shore. But God made a promise. A covenant. An unbreakable and binding contract with the holy and living God.
I love Sarah. Because she did the exact thing I would've probably done. She heard God's promise and decided that she could figure this out on her own. She could just give her maidservant to Abraham and voila there's your heir and countless offspring.
How many times do I do this exact thing? I think I can plan out my life better than God. Especially when I think my insufficiencies make it impossible for God to come through with His promise. But the facade of control that I have constructed spins wildly out of control just like Sarah's plan did with Hagar and Ishmael.
But the best part is coming. Genesis 17. God said // As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her name and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.
And chapter 18 takes the cake. God again told Abraham Sarah would have a son in a year's time, and Sarah laughed. Not only did she laugh but then she lied. I don't know about y'all, but this sounds scary like someone else I know {me raising my hand}.
Have you ever waited for something for ninety years? Yeah, me neither. But when we look at Sarah's life, we don't see a picture of perfection. We see sinfulness. We see human nature. We see us.
Even when we are faithless in the waiting, God is faithful. Even when we doubt, God is certain of His plans. Even when we fear, God gives security. Even when we struggle, God comes alongside of us.
The redemption of the waiting place comes in the form of God's promises fulfilled. Despite the scheming, planning, controlling, laughing, and lying, God fulfilled His promise to Sarah and Abraham.
Chapter 21. Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what He had promised.
God is faithful to keep His promises. So what promises has He made to us?
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
He will be a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
The list goes on. God's promises to us are never-ending. We can count on those promises.
God has promised me so much, but one thing I can assure you He has not promised me and that is a husband. Nowhere in the Bible does God promise us any earthly thing, but He does promise us treasures in heaven for kingdom work done in this life.
I'm gonna stand on the promises God has made. And I'm gonna push on to do His work no matter the waiting place I am in.
{This blog post is a part of a series called Redeeming the Waiting Place for the Write31Days challenge to write every day in October. You can find links to all posts in my series here. If you're interested, the Write31Days challenge is being taken by hundreds and hundreds of other wonderful bloggers which you can read more of right here. My personal favorite is browsing all the inspirational and Godly women who are blogging under the Inspiration & Faith tab which you can check out as well right here.}
It all began in Genesis 12. God said // I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great.
Then in chapter 13. God said // Lift up your eyes where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.
Chapter 15. Things get real between God and Abraham {I promise I'm getting to Sarah}. God is telling Abraham don't worry, but all Abraham could say was // what can you give me since I remain childless? You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.
And then God said nope. It will be your son from your body. Your offspring will exceed the stars in the heavens.
Now I'm no mathematician, but simple math says zero children does not equal limitless stars in the heavens or countless grains of sand on the shore. But God made a promise. A covenant. An unbreakable and binding contract with the holy and living God.
I love Sarah. Because she did the exact thing I would've probably done. She heard God's promise and decided that she could figure this out on her own. She could just give her maidservant to Abraham and voila there's your heir and countless offspring.
How many times do I do this exact thing? I think I can plan out my life better than God. Especially when I think my insufficiencies make it impossible for God to come through with His promise. But the facade of control that I have constructed spins wildly out of control just like Sarah's plan did with Hagar and Ishmael.
But the best part is coming. Genesis 17. God said // As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her name and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.
And chapter 18 takes the cake. God again told Abraham Sarah would have a son in a year's time, and Sarah laughed. Not only did she laugh but then she lied. I don't know about y'all, but this sounds scary like someone else I know {me raising my hand}.
Have you ever waited for something for ninety years? Yeah, me neither. But when we look at Sarah's life, we don't see a picture of perfection. We see sinfulness. We see human nature. We see us.
Even when we are faithless in the waiting, God is faithful. Even when we doubt, God is certain of His plans. Even when we fear, God gives security. Even when we struggle, God comes alongside of us.
The redemption of the waiting place comes in the form of God's promises fulfilled. Despite the scheming, planning, controlling, laughing, and lying, God fulfilled His promise to Sarah and Abraham.
Chapter 21. Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what He had promised.
God is faithful to keep His promises. So what promises has He made to us?
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
He will be a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
The list goes on. God's promises to us are never-ending. We can count on those promises.
God has promised me so much, but one thing I can assure you He has not promised me and that is a husband. Nowhere in the Bible does God promise us any earthly thing, but He does promise us treasures in heaven for kingdom work done in this life.
I'm gonna stand on the promises God has made. And I'm gonna push on to do His work no matter the waiting place I am in.
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{This blog post is a part of a series called Redeeming the Waiting Place for the Write31Days challenge to write every day in October. You can find links to all posts in my series here. If you're interested, the Write31Days challenge is being taken by hundreds and hundreds of other wonderful bloggers which you can read more of right here. My personal favorite is browsing all the inspirational and Godly women who are blogging under the Inspiration & Faith tab which you can check out as well right here.}