Text: Hebrews 11:11-12
Introduction
We are all familiar with the frustration of waiting. I think about how much I get frustrated with waiting, whether in traffic, in line for food, or when waiting for news. Today, in our culture, we are trained to expect instant results. We want things now. But what happens when we need to wait and trust God?
Waiting on God isn't like waiting for your Amazon package to arrive or your phone to load a web page. It's about living in a tension between what you believe and see, between a promise and its fulfillment. That tension is where we find Sarah.
Sarah's story is one of waiting, but it's not just about time; it's about faith. Sarah teaches us to trust God's promises even when circumstances say otherwise. Sarah's life shows us that waiting isn't passive; it's a deeply active faith.
The Text
Hebrews 11:11–12 (NIV)
"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. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.”
From Barrenness to Promise
Sarah's journey starts in Genesis 11.
Genesis 11:30 (NIV)
"Now Sarai was childless because she was not able to conceive."
Later, the Lord would change her name to Sarah (Gen. 17:15-16) when he reaffirms his covenant to Abraham.
Right here, Gen. 11:30, we are introduced to a fundamental problem. For Sarah, barrenness was not just a physical condition; it was a roadblock to the fulfillment of God's promise to her husband, Abraham.
In Genesis 12, God calls Abraham to leave his homeland with a promise:
Genesis 12:2–3 (NIV)
“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
For Abraham and Sarah, that promise couldn't be fulfilled without children. Yet Sarah's womb remained closed. So, right from the start, we have this tension between God's promise and Sarah's barrenness.
Fast forward to Genesis 15. Abraham receives a direct word from God about the promised offspring;
"...a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir" (Genesis 15:4). God takes Abraham outside and shows him the stars, saying, "...So shall your offspring be" (Genesis 15:5).
But here's the thing; time passes, and still, no child. It seems the waiting becomes unbearable.
Faith Tested
In Genesis 16, we encounter Sarah's struggle with waiting, and it seems she has reached a breaking point. She's been holding on to this promise, but the longer she waits, the more it looks like nothing is happening. So, she decides to take matters into her own hands. She tells Abraham to take her servant, Hagar, hoping that they can get the fulfillment of God's promise moving by doing so. This is a crucial part of the story because it mirrors our own struggles when our faith wavers during the wait. We can all relate to Sarah's feelings of desperation and the temptation to take matters into our own hands when waiting gets hard.
We get it, don't we? We do the same thing all the time. When waiting gets hard, we start looking for shortcuts or trying to make things happen on our own terms. Sarah's decision wasn't just a practical move but an act of desperation. It's her saying, "Maybe God isn't going to come through for me. Maybe I need to do this myself."
Hagar bears Ishmael, but things spiral into jealousy, conflict, and tension. How often is it that when I take matters into my own hands, rather than trusting the Lord, it leads to chaos? But even in this mess, God doesn't abandon Sarah or remove his promise. He remains faithful. This, to me, is one of the mysteries we discover in the Scriptures. Why does God choose to work with people to fulfill His promises? Even in our muddled messes, God works with people; he works with us to fulfill His purposes.
Faith Fulfilled
Finally, in Genesis 17 and 18, we reach the turning point in Sarah's story. God shows up again to reaffirm His promise to Abraham. He affirms that Sarah will bear a son, and his name is to be Isaac (Gen. 17:19). Both Abraham and Sarah's response to this announcement is laughter (Gen. 17:17; 18:12). For both of them, this laughter isn't a reaction of joy, but of disbelief. Even in our muddled messes, God chooses to work with people to fulfill his promises. On more than one occasion, I can imagine the Lord has looked at me, shook his head, and laughed at my efforts. But he has also said, don't worry, we will get through this, trust me.
We enter into the heart of Sarah's story. Faith is not always easy or straightforward. Sometimes, our faith stumbles, disbelief creeps in, and we can't see the fulfillment of God's promises.
Genesis 21:1–3 (NIV)
"Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.”
Do you know what the name Isaac, their son, means in Hebrew? Laughter.
This verse underscores the role of God's grace in Sarah's story. It's a reminder that even in our doubts and struggles, God's grace is sufficient. He remains faithful to his promise, and in our doubts, he fulfills his purposes.
God is faithful even when we struggle. His faithfulness is not contingent on our doubts. He continues to remain faithful to his promise. In our doubts, he fulfills his purposes. The name Isaac will remind Sarah and Abraham that doubt has turned to joy and disbelief has been realized. God's faithfulness endures, even in our moments of disbelief.
What seemed impossible became possible through the Lord. Sarah's faith wasn't perfect, but she held on. And God, in His faithfulness, fulfilled His promise in His perfect timing.
Living in the Tension
Now, let's pull this all together. Sarah's story is not just about God fulfilling a promise, but about how God often works through waiting. Her faith was one that waited, sometimes imperfectly, but it was faith nonetheless. It's the kind of faith that learns to live in the tension between promise and fulfillment, even when the circumstances seem to contradict promise. The main message we can take from Sarah's story is that of trusting God's faithfulness, especially during periods of waiting.
Waiting on God requires faith that trusts his timing, not ours. It's faith that says, Even though I don't see it yet, I trust God will be faithful. Sarah had moments of doubt, but in the end, her story is recorded:
Hebrews 11:11 (NIV)
“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.”
Sarah's faith didn't come from perfect obedience or unwavering confidence but from trusting the faithfulness of the God who made the promise. And that's the key for us today.
Crossing The Context
The story of Sarah invites us to reflect on how we deal with the tension of waiting. There could be something you are struggling with right now. You could be in the middle of waiting. You might even be tempted to take things into your own hands and force the outcome like Sarah did with Hagar. But the story of Sarah teaches us that faith learns to wait on God's timing, trusting that he is working even in the waiting.
Instead of rushing ahead or giving up, we can choose to trust. With confidence, hold on to the promises of God's word even when they seem delayed. Do I trust that God is faithful, even when things seem impossible, or I can't see the outcome?
As we wait, Sarah's story teaches us that God hears, he remembers, and he will fulfill his promises. Her story teaches us that God is faithful.
Our challenge today is learning to TRUST in the TENSION.
Notes:
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from: ”Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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