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Sarah’s Faith Story (originally By Faith Sarah)

Written by Rev. Scott Bayles, Blooming Grove Christian Church, Palmyra, IL

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8, 11

The story of Sarah’s faith is, in many ways, a love story. Sarah’s faith in God was invariably entwined with her love for her husband, Abraham. Her name was originally Sarai (SAH-RYE), which means princess. Together, Abraham and Sarah became the father and mother of the Jewish race. As such, Sarah remains one of the most important female figures in history.

The Bible tells us that Sarah was a woman of remarkable beauty. The Bible also says that “beauty is a fading flower”. Yet, for Sarah, just the opposite seemed to be true. But more important than her place in history or her beauty was her personal faith in God.

Sarah’s journey of faith was a long, unpredictable rollercoaster of highs and lows. So to put Sarah’s story of faith in the proper context, we have to go back to the beginning. Sarah’s faith-journey begins with an...

1. Extended Pilgrimage

Abraham and Sarai (SAH-RYE) were living with his family in the city of Ur. After Abraham’s brother died, they helped raise their nephew, Lot. But one fateful day, God spoke to Abraham and said, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land I will show you”.

Neither Abraham nor Sarah knew where God was calling them to go, but they knew what they were leaving behind. After the flood, Noah, his sons and their wives repopulated the Middle East. But within a few short generations, they had become a polytheistic society, believing in many gods. God’s command to spread out over all the earth was disregarded, and instead they built the Tower of Babel as a symbol of their unity and independence. God, of course, destroyed the tower and scattered the people, confusing their language and forcing them to spread out from there over the entire world.

At the time of Abraham and Sarah, the inhabitants of the city of Ur were idol worshippers. God called Abraham and Sarah out of that land to be pilgrims in search of something better. So, they packed up their belongings, left their relatives and home, and headed out into the great unknown.

It took a lot of faith to do what they did; even more so for Sarah than for Abraham. Think about it. The Bible says that God appeared and spoke to Abraham, not to Sarah! All Sarah had known her entire life was idolatry. She’d never heard of this God. What would you do if your spouse came home one day after fifty-some years of marriage, and when you asked them how their day was, they said, “Well, honey, God appeared to me today and said we need to pack up all our stuff and hit the road!” You might respond with, “What!? Where are we going!?”  “I don’t know,” your spouse shrugs. “I guess God will just tell us when we get there.”

It sounds crazy to us, and it probably sounded no less crazy to Sarah. But she loved her husband very much and she was willing to trust him on this. She really didn’t know God, but she was willing to step out on faith.=

Faith is like that—stepping into the unknown. Not one of us has ever seen God. We’ve never seen Jesus face to face, never met an apostle, never held an original manuscript from the Bible.  Yet, God has called each one of us to eternal life. We never quite know, when we first answer that call, where we’ll end up. But it’s the journey that matters—getting to know the God who created the universe, experiencing his grace and love in unimaginable ways, and knowing that someday we will no longer be pilgrims. We will make our home in “a better country—a heavenly country”. Along that pilgrimage, nevertheless, Sarah’s faith began to blossom when God gave her an...

2. Eternal Promise

Before sending them off on their journey, God made Abraham a promise. He said, “I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you. I will make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you, and I will place a curse on those who harm you. And all the people on earth will be blessed through you”. This promise eventually found its fulfillment in the nation of Israel.

Sarah’s Faith Story (originally By Faith Sarah)

Written by Rev. Scott Bayles, Blooming Grove Christian Church, Palmyra, IL

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8, 11

The story of Sarah’s faith is, in many ways, a love story. Sarah’s faith in God was invariably entwined with her love for her husband, Abraham. Her name was originally Sarai (SAH-RYE), which means princess. Together, Abraham and Sarah became the father and mother of the Jewish race. As such, Sarah remains one of the most important female figures in history.

The Bible tells us that Sarah was a woman of remarkable beauty. The Bible also says that “beauty is a fading flower”. Yet, for Sarah, just the opposite seemed to be true. But more important than her place in history or her beauty was her personal faith in God.

Sarah’s journey of faith was a long, unpredictable rollercoaster of highs and lows. So to put Sarah’s story of faith in the proper context, we have to go back to the beginning. Sarah’s faith-journey begins with an...

1. Extended Pilgrimage

Abraham and Sarai (SAH-RYE) were living with his family in the city of Ur. After Abraham’s brother died, they helped raise their nephew, Lot. But one fateful day, God spoke to Abraham and said, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land I will show you”.

Neither Abraham nor Sarah knew where God was calling them to go, but they knew what they were leaving behind. After the flood, Noah, his sons and their wives repopulated the Middle East. But within a few short generations, they had become a polytheistic society, believing in many gods. God’s command to spread out over all the earth was disregarded, and instead they built the Tower of Babel as a symbol of their unity and independence. God, of course, destroyed the tower and scattered the people, confusing their language and forcing them to spread out from there over the entire world.

At the time of Abraham and Sarah, the inhabitants of the city of Ur were idol worshippers. God called Abraham and Sarah out of that land to be pilgrims in search of something better. So, they packed up their belongings, left their relatives and home, and headed out into the great unknown.

It took a lot of faith to do what they did; even more so for Sarah than for Abraham. Think about it. The Bible says that God appeared and spoke to Abraham, not to Sarah! All Sarah had known her entire life was idolatry. She’d never heard of this God. What would you do if your spouse came home one day after fifty-some years of marriage, and when you asked them how their day was, they said, “Well, honey, God appeared to me today and said we need to pack up all our stuff and hit the road!” You might respond with, “What!? Where are we going!?”  “I don’t know,” your spouse shrugs. “I guess God will just tell us when we get there.”

It sounds crazy to us, and it probably sounded no less crazy to Sarah. But she loved her husband very much and she was willing to trust him on this. She really didn’t know God, but she was willing to step out on faith.

Faith is like that—stepping into the unknown. Not one of us has ever seen God. We’ve never seen Jesus face to face, never met an apostle, never held an original manuscript from the Bible.  Yet, God has called each one of us to eternal life. We never quite know, when we first answer that call, where we’ll end up. But it’s the journey that matters—getting to know the God who created the universe, experiencing his grace and love in unimaginable ways, and knowing that someday we will no longer be pilgrims. We will make our home in “a better country—a heavenly country”. Along that pilgrimage, nevertheless, Sarah’s faith began to blossom when God gave her an...

2. Eternal Promise

Before sending them off on their journey, God made Abraham a promise. He said, “I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you. I will make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you, and I will place a curse on those who harm you. And all the people on earth will be blessed through you”. This promise eventually found its fulfillment in the nation of Israel.

Abraham and Sarah would become the parents of the Hebrew people, and those people would inherit the “Promised Land.” Although it took several generations, God kept his promise. Abraham and Sarah’s descendants multiplied, were led by Moses and Joshua into the Promised Land and eventually became a mighty nation.

What was probably foremost on Sarah’s mind was the immediate fulfillment of God’s promise. If God was going to make Abraham into a great nation, that meant that Sarah was going to have a baby! God clarified that part of the promise later, when he said, “Regarding Sarai (SAH-RYE), your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah. And I will bless her and give you a son from her!  I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations.”

Now Sarah was about sixty-five years old, and she had never been able to have children. The promise of a baby gave Sarah such hope and joy. This promise fanned the flame of faith within Sarah’s heart, but it wouldn’t be long before Sarah’s faith experienced some growing pains through an...

3. Enduring Patience

Twenty-five years would pass between the time God first promised Sarah a son and when she finally became pregnant. In the meantime, Sarah faced some serious struggles. She seemed to doubt whether or not God would keep his promise, so she took matters into her own hands.

After the first twelve years, Sarah said to Abraham, “The Lord has not allowed me to have children, so go and be with my slave girl. If she has a child, maybe I can have my own family through her.”  And Abraham did just what Sarah suggested.

The slave girl’s name was Hagar. She and Abraham did have a son, but things didn’t go quite the way Sarah thought they would. She ended up being resentful of Hagar and her son Ishmael. She eventually demanded that Abraham send them both away. This lack of faith and patience on Sarah’s part has led to thousands of years of fighting between nations that continues to this day.

Some of the worst mistakes of our lives have been made because we were just too impatient to wait for God. Sarah wasn’t a bad person and what she wanted was good, but she hadn’t yet developed the kind of faith that was willing to wait for God’s timing. Whenever we’re facing a big decision (or even a little one), we need to pray about it and trust God’s will.

Finally, after thirteen more years without a baby, Sarah realized faith’s...

4. Endless Power

The Bible says the Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. She gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. We can only imagine the joy and excitement Sarah felt as she held Isaac in her arms for the first time. You can almost see the weight being lifted from Sarah’s heart—all those years of anger and bitterness melting away as she gazes at her son. Finally, she can celebrate new life. Finally, she understands the love and goodness of God.

Faith is powerful. “Faith sees the invisible, hears the inaudible, touches the intangible, and accomplishes the impossible.” But faith is only powerful if it’s invested in an all-powerful God. 

Jesus said plainly, “All things are possible for the one who believes” and “With God all things are possible”.  If something is God’s will for your life and you pursue it with a heart of faith, then nothing in heaven or on earth can prevent it!

Sarah’s life and faith radiate this truth. Despite all her mistakes and misgivings, God still accomplished the impossible through her. He kept his promise to Sarah, and we can rest assured that he will always keep his promises to us.

Amen and Sarah would become the parents of the Hebrew people, and those people would inherit the “Promised Land.” Although it took several generations, God kept his promise. Abraham and Sarah’s descendants multiplied, were led by Moses and Joshua into the Promised Land and eventually became a mighty nation.

What was probably foremost on Sarah’s mind was the immediate fulfillment of God’s promise. If God was going to make Abraham into a great nation, that meant that Sarah was going to have a baby! God clarified that part of the promise later, when he said, “Regarding Sarai (SAH-RYE), your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah. And I will bless her and give you a son from her!  I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations.”

Now Sarah was about sixty-five years old, and she had never been able to have children. The promise of a baby gave Sarah such hope and joy. This promise fanned the flame of faith within Sarah’s heart, but it wouldn’t be long before Sarah’s faith experienced some growing pains through an...

3. Enduring Patience

Twenty-five years would pass between the time God first promised Sarah a son and when she finally became pregnant. In the meantime, Sarah faced some serious struggles. She seemed to doubt whether or not God would keep his promise, so she took matters into her own hands. 

After the first twelve years, Sarah said to Abraham, “The Lord has not allowed me to have children, so go and be with my slave girl. If she has a child, maybe I can have my own family through her.”  And Abraham did just what Sarah suggested.

The slave girl’s name was Hagar. She and Abraham did have a son, but things didn’t go quite the way Sarah thought they would. She ended up being resentful of Hagar and her son Ishmael. She eventually demanded that Abraham send them both away. This lack of faith and patience on Sarah’s part has led to thousands of years of fighting between nations that continues to this day. 

Some of the worst mistakes of our lives have been made because we were just too impatient to wait for God. Sarah wasn’t a bad person and what she wanted was good, but she hadn’t yet developed the kind of faith that was willing to wait for God’s timing. Whenever we’re facing a big decision (or even a little one), we need to pray about it and trust God’s will.

Finally, after thirteen more years without a baby, Sarah realized faith’s...

4. Endless Power

The Bible says the Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. She gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. We can only imagine the joy and excitement Sarah felt as she held Isaac in her arms for the first time. You can almost see the weight being lifted from Sarah’s heart—all those years of anger and bitterness melting away as she gazes at her son. Finally, she can celebrate new life. Finally, she understands the love and goodness of God. 

Faith is powerful. “Faith sees the invisible, hears the inaudible, touches the intangible, and accomplishes the impossible.” But faith is only powerful if it’s invested in an all-powerful God.

Jesus said plainly, “All things are possible for the one who believes” and “With God all things are possible”.  If something is God’s will for your life and you pursue it with a heart of faith, then nothing in heaven or on earth can prevent it

Sarah’s life and faith radiate this truth. Despite all her mistakes and misgivings, God still accomplished the impossible through her. He kept his promise to Sarah, and we can rest assured that he will always keep his prom

Amen