The story of Sarah, one of the matriarchs in the Bible. She was a woman of faith. She had to wait for years, but God fulfilled His promise to her.
‘And by faith, even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered Him faithful who had made the promise.’ Hebrews 11:11
We know from the Bible she is one of the matriarchs in Jewish history, but how had it been for her to go with her husband, and the whole household of Terah her father in law, and leave a life of wealth and prosperity behind in Ur, following God on a journey into the unknown?
God’s promise
Terah and his household arrive in Haran, Paddan Aram in the North of Mesopotamia – at the border of Turkey and Syria. Terah decides to stay there to make a living. But then the Lord speaks to Abram to leave his country and family and go south, to a land that God will show him. And God promises to make him a nation. Abram and Sarai are obedient; in faith, they go where God says. Later on, He repeats the promise and says: ‘I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth.’(Gen. 13). And a third time God repeats the promise and makes a covenant ‘I will give your descendants this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river the Euphrates.’
Proof of unbelief?
But still, Sarai is without a child. What would that have done to her? The long waiting… she knew she was barren and really needed a miracle, especially since she and Abram were not getting any younger. Then one day she seemed to have found the solution. Hagar, her Egyptian maid. She could be the surrogate mother. Maybe we look at this as proof of unbelief, but in that time it was not uncommon to have a child through a maidservant. Who knows what Sarai was thinking, or Abram for that matter? They probably thought it was a good idea, but it was not God’s idea.
Finally
Finally, when Abram is ninety-nine years of age the Lord appears to him again and establishes and reaffirms His covenant with Abram (= exalted father) and changes his name in Abraham – father of many nations. The name of Sarai (My princess) is changed into Sarah (Princess) – clarifying she was no longer just Abram’s princess, but a woman of authority and dignity, a matriarch, for God says: ‘I will bless her and she shall be a mother of nations.’ Sarah laughed when she heard it, but God said: ‘Is anything too hard, or too wonderful for the Lord?’ And really… one year later Sarah bore a son Isaac, which means ‘laughter.’
But she did not let go of the promise.
Maybe you wonder what I want to bring across with this story since we all know it from the Bible. Yes, I can understand that, but imagine… all those years of waiting, years of unfruitfulness, the mockery, the grief, impatience perhaps, all the questions during this long journey of faith. How long did she have to wait before she received what God promised her? But she did not let go of the promise.
Hold on to the Lord
Did God give you a promise? How long have you been waiting without seeing it? Are you still clinging to Him in faith, fully trusting that one day it will surely come to pass? Please, don’t give up. Hold on to the Lord. One day He will reward your faith and fulfill His promise to you. Lift up your heart to Him and tell Him you won’t let go of Him. He is worthy of our praise, of our trust even when we don’t see the fulfillment yet. Let’s arise and stand strong and be heroes of the faith. Not because we are so strong, but because He is strong and His promises are YES and AMEN.
Read also: Where is your God now? or Hope, even when…
