Sarah: An Influencer of Faith and Trust in God
The Biblical woman of influence that I relate to and have learned a lot from is Sarah. Sarah was the wife of Abraham, and mother of Isaac. She was the matriarch of the tribes of Israel. Sarah’s story is very interesting, but I would like to highlight God’s promise of a child to her and her faith.
I find myself relating to Sarah in many ways. I do not struggle with infertility (that I’m aware of), but I do fear it. In fact, if I’m completely honest, there are a lot of things that I fear. I fear of losing control, being mistreated or treated unfairly, and I fear failure. I’d like to think that Sarah also feared these very things, and her journey not only was a lesson for her, but for us as well.
Abraham’s wife, Sarah was barren. She had no child and there was nothing that could relieve her pain. She probably questioned what was wrong and why God hadn’t blessed her with children. But God promised Abraham and Sarah a child, so she trusted God. In fact, many times in her story, God promises them a child. It was never said just once.
Let’s put this story in the proper historical perspective. As Ms. Melanie Newton from Bible.org explains in her study on Sarah (study found here), during these ancient times, “a man who had no son could adopt a favored servant as heir to his possessions. Or, a man who had no son could take a second wife to produce an heir. Some marriage contracts even spelled out this provision. A wife was obligated to have children. If she could not, she was required to find her husband another wife who could.” If the wife had a maid-servant, she could give her maid to her husband and claim any resulting child as her own, that is if her maid-servant was able to produce a child. If her maid servant could not produce a child, then the husband would have every right to divorce his wife, according to the laws of the land.
So here’s Sarah, a woman who loves Abraham, who has been a supportive and submissive wife, and she cannot produce a child for Abraham. She was told by God that she and Abraham would have a child. It’s been over thirty years since God’s first promise of a child, and Sarah is growing older and more impatient and insecure. I could imagine that she would feel as though she had to do what she could in order to provide her husband an heir, even if it meant taking things into her own hands. She could also be fearful that she could lose her husband and all she had because she was barren (something that she really could not help.) So Sarah decided to “help” God by having her maid, Hagar, bear Abraham’s child. Sarah thought that everything was going to work out the way she had planned.
Sarah struggled to trust…and we do too.
I can relate so much to Sarah’s story, because I too struggle with trusting God at various times in my life. I also have my own fears and insecurities that Satan plays on to lead me to not trust God and take things into my own hands. When I’m faced with trusting God to provide, and I focus on my struggle and the physical rather than what God can do, I grow fearful, insecure and impatient. I then try to take matters into my own hands. Who else has done this before?
Once Sarah’s maid-servant, Hagar, became pregnant, her insecurities became more apparent. Sarah began to treat her mistress, Hagar, with contempt. Maybe Hagar lorded it over Sarah. So Genesis 16:5 says that Sarah then blames Abraham for Hagar disrespecting her. Abraham told Sarah to deal with Hagar as she saw fit, and so Sarah treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.
We can’t let anger rule us.
Personally, if I were Sarah, I would be angry too. In fact, in my own life, there have been many times that I became angry because I felt threatened or disrespected. I’m human. I have feelings and insecurities just like everyone else. But it’s my actions that speak more about me than anything. Are we called to play the blame game when we make a mistake or things don’t go our way? Are we called to treat the person that hurts or disrespects us with equal contempt and harsh treatment? Obviously no, we are not.
But despite Sarah’s mistakes, sin, and mistreatment of Hagar, God STILL had the plan that she would be the Mother of Nations. Even despite the sins of both women, God blessed both Hagar and Sarah. So even when we get off track, make mistakes, and sin, God’s plan for us never disappears. We are each called to something amazing, and even if we don’t know what that is, God does. We just have to trust God that His plan WILL happen. It just may not happen when we think it will or in a way we think it will. But it will happen. And unlike man, if God promises it, it WILL come to pass.
Even when we get off track, make mistakes, and sin, God’s plan for us never disappears. We are each called to something amazing, and even if we don’t know what that is, God does. We just have to trust God that His plan WILL happen.… Click To TweetKnowing that God’s plan for me is never taken away speaks close to my heart. No matter how many times we fail, struggle, and sin, we should never believe that we are unworthy of living for Him and doing what He has called us to do. His plan for us, just like His love, is not conditional.
Reading Sarah’s story has taught me that God has a plan for me, and no matter what, to never trust the physical, only Him. The world did not make me, nor does it know me and my future. But God does. He formed me in my mother’s womb, knew who I was, and formed beautiful, amazing plans for my life, where I would do the good work that He alone has called me to do. I may not know what that is, and even once He reveals it to me, it may not be time. The plans he reveals to me may not even come to existence until 30, 40, or 50 years from now. But during that time as I wait on the Lord to show me, He’s preparing me. So like Sarah, I shall wait on the Lord’s provision for me, and continue to trust in Him.
As for my professional life, I have been working in the library services field for six years now, and am currently working full time while attending graduate school. I plan to earn my Masters of Library Science, with a specialization in Archival Studies next year. I dream of one day working as an archivist, where I will maintain and preserve various books, art, photographs, and historical artifacts.
With the rest of my time, you can find me spending time with my husband, playing with my kitties, cooking and maintaining the house, writing, cozying up on the couch Pinteresting, watching period drama television shows and movies, doing yoga or pilates, chatting it up with my friends, listening to music or attending concerts (don’t be surprised that I love some rock music), selling tea with Tealightful, or immersed in a Bible study.
- Sarah: An Influencer of Faith and Trust in God - May 12, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this study on God’s timing. I am an impatient person and though I know everything happens in God’s own perfect time It’s hard to wait and I find myself trying to “help” him along as well. Thank you for this reminder, again, to be patient.
I love this! The story of Sarah inspires me also to wait on God’s good plans for me but especially on His good timing for me. I can literally jump ahead to try to “help” God in accomplishing what He gives me a vision for and destroy it all since I didn’t give Him a chance to prepare me for it!! Thank you for this beautiful post!! ❤