Sarah's Story Reminds Us To Hold On To God's Promises When Waiting
Hold On To God’s Promises
Has God ever made a vow to you that has yet to be fulfilled? Maybe you are waiting for that certain promise to be answered. You may have waited days, months, or several years and still no answer. Sister, I have been there, and I can tell you it can lead to feelings of doubt and discouragement.
Waiting is hard point blank. Maybe you doubt that God even made that promise to you, and you find yourself questioning if you really just made it all up? The enemy loves us to doubt God. I think back to the Garden of Eden when the crafty serpent posed that one question to Eve, “Did God really say you shouldn’t eat from any tree in the garden?” The enemy wants you to doubt God’s word and God’s promises. I want to encourage you to hang on to the assurance He gave you. Remember that the Lord doesn’t break oaths, He keeps them!
“Therefore the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His promises and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.” -Deuteronomy 7:9
From my own personal experience, if God gives me a promise, I want it done immediately. I don’t like waiting because waiting is hard and no fun. Sometimes I have to tell my kids, “wait five minutes, just wait.” And of course, they moan and groan. I find that I am not much different than my own children when it comes to waiting on God. There is one thing to be learned through the waiting period, God is in control, and we are not.
Sarah’s Wait
I love looking back in the book of Genesis at the story of God’s promises made to Sarah. Her story blesses me because I feel like so many women can relate to Sarah. We learn from Genesis that Sarah was a beautiful woman who embodied fear and doubt. God promised Abraham and his wife, Sarah, that she would become a “Mother of Nations.” Keep in mind that Sarah was sixty-five at the time when God told her she would conceive a child. Therefore, we know she was way past child-bearing years. Sarah waited twenty-five years for the Lord to fulfill the promise of her son.
Let’s talk about that intense waiting period. First, I can’t imagine. If God specifically told me I would get pregnant and have a child, I would be pretty fed up if nothing happened after the first year. Well, we see that Sarah got pretty fed up and began to doubt God’s provision. I, n Genesis 16, we see her take matters into her own hands. Sarah tried to “rush” the Lord’s plan by making her husband sleep with her servant Hagar to bear a child. This led to Sarah becoming angry, bitter, and pointing blame.
Another time we see Sarah doubted God was through her sarcastic laughter when the Lord told her once again that she would have a son. Therefore, God named him Isaac, which means “laughter” stemming from Sarah’s disbelief. Don’t you love God’s sense of humor? So many times I wanted to rush the Lord by taking control of my life. I find that by doing this, I’m often left disappointed.
Hope in Our Wait
Yes, Sarah’s story is messy, but beautiful. It’s beautiful because we see that even though Sarah tried to take matters into her own hands because of her disbelief, God’s plan still prevailed! I don’t know about you, but that excites me so much! Sarah eventually conceived the son God promised her. Sister, I hope this leaves you with hope!
Even in our unbelief, in our foolishness, in our impatience, we see that absolutely nothing can thwart God’s plan for our lives. The next time you become impatient, or want to take control over your life, I encourage you to remember to be patient in the waiting. Hold on to the promises of God and see what He wants to teach you during the wait!
Three Bible Verses I Use To Strengthen Me In A Season Of Waiting:
“Blessed is she who believed the Lord would fulfill His promises to her.”
Luke 1:45
“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.”
Isaiah 30:18
“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”
Psalm 27:14
Kirstyn Doughty
Kirstyn is a pastor’s wife, mom, blogger for women, monthly writer for On Fire Ministries, and podcast guest for HER Podcast, and she volunteers at the Vine of NELA. Kirstyn was called to ministry at age 22 and has a heart to love on, and encourage women. Kirstyn has a bachelor’s degree in Family & Child studies.
Instagram: KirstynDoughty12
Facebook: Kirstyn Heath Doughty
Blog: UnhiddenDaughters.com
