Where Grace and Faith meets- Sarah

Remember faith is two things from Hebrews 11:1,6

1) Having hope in things that are not seen

or having a heavenly perspective

 

and

 

2) Believing that God exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him 

 

But through grace, we still have to seek Him every day while waiting on Him. His grace will enable us to have faith to rest in Him with the day-to-day and the long-term. As we continue on, we need to remember these guidelines as we now study about Sarah in Hebrews 11 verses 11-12,

 

"By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore"

 

From our previous post about Abraham in chapter verse 15 God says,

 

"This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come

 from your own body shall be your heir.”

 

Abraham is told that his heir was coming from his own body. Not his servant's but his own. I can only imagine telling Sarah the news that they were going to have a baby in their old age. But as what was stated before, this was when Genesis recorded that Abraham believed. 

 

What about Sarah? Their are only two accounts when the Bible actually tells us that Sarah had faith. As we know there is the one in Hebrews but the other one is found after she has Isaac (Genesis 21:6-7). So what happens before? Our only hope is found in 1 Peter 3:5-6

 

 ^" For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror."

 

 After Abraham was visited by God, he must have told her that they were going to be the ones. Sarah must have trusted him and submitted to him. In return, God must have given her faith to wait on Him who keeps His promises. 

 

Now for most women (there are a few exceptions) we long to fulfill our duties as women to have babies and sometimes we nag or take matters in our own hands. We don't lean on God's grace and think His timing is off. Our lack of faith in God's long term plan causes us to do things we might regret. I know I have struggled with this myself. 

 

Sarah was just like us. She took the situation in her own hands and had her servant sleep with her husband. She was having lack of faith and was not resting in God's perfect timing. It totally came back to haunt her where her servant got pregnant and Sarah became angry and resentful. But God was still gracious because years later the Lord came to visit them to remind Abraham and her that she was going to have a son even though she laughed.  

 

When Isaac was born, her laughter was no longer a weak faith but a strong one that realize that God was a God who faithfully reward those who had faith in Him. Despite Sarah's controlling and downfalls, God kept the grace coming. He helped her stay submissive to her husband even though she overstep her bounds. Through the various trials, God still kept His promise to her.