Tag: Barren

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time, She, Volume 4

Evidence of Sarah’s Faith

Posted on by MaryEllen

adapted from She, delighting in the examples of women in the Bible, volume 4, pp. 71 and 72

Today’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 21:1-8, 22:2, and 23:1-2; Hebrews 10:23 and 11:11-12,

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;)”. Hebrews 10:23

“…she judged him faithful who had promised.” Hebrews 11:11

The Promise

We’ve been journeying through Sarah’s story for five days now, so the question begs to be revisited: What was the promise, and who made it?” We find the answer in Genesis 17, where God is conversing with Abraham, expounding on a promise He had made in chapter 12, in which He called Abraham to leave his father’s family and his country for a new country. He wasn’t even told where he was going, only that he was to leave and go to a land God would show him. Abraham, along with Sarah, his wife, answered the call.1 The call God made came with a promise2, which is where today’s journey picks up:

God Gives More Details

6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. …15 Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on, her name will be Sarah. 16 And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants. 17 Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?” 18 So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!” 19 But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant. 20 As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.”  Genesis 17:6, 15-21

Sarah, who was barren, had laughed when she heard God tell her husband, Abraham, that through his descendants a great nation would arise, but God still placed her in the ‘Hall of Faith’ that we find in Hebrews chapter 11. Yes, “Even though she laughed, even though she was afraid, she is still known for her faith.3” Actually, Scripture tells us that it was through her faith that Sarah received strength to conceive and give birth to a child, even though she was past the age of childbearing. The author of Hebrews writes, “…she judged God faithful who had promised;” and because she did, God opened her womb, and she gave birth to a son, just as God had promised, and his name was Isaac. From Isaac, the seed of Abraham and Sarah, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Again, this was just as God had promised (Genesis 22:17).

When I look at my daughters (Annie, who battled childhood cancer but now is married with two children of her own…and Abi, who was born with crippled feet but now runs on two healthy feet, I rarely see them without also seeing God’s mercy, love, and grace, and His hand of miraculous power. So I can only imagine that every time Sarah looked at Isaac, she would have remembered God’s faithfulness to keep His promises.

Friends, remembering God’s faithfulness is not only an encouragement to stay faithful to Him, but it is the weapon we need to use in our warfare with the enemy, when fears rise up to surround us, or sorrows keep us inward focused, or following God’s call on our lives seems too risky… It is why we are told throughout Scripture to keep our eyes on Him. Or, paraphrasing one commentary, recalling God’s guidance through the wilderness and His protection from enemies, anchors our current trust in His past faithfulness.

Consider the words of the Psalmists and others in the Bible:

Psalm 77:11-12: “I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.”


1 Chronicles 16:12: “Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered.”


Psalm 103:2: “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”

And may we never forget the words of the Apostle Paul which guide us to a peace that passes all understanding:

Philippians 4:8-9: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

SARAH SERVES AS AN EXAMPLE THAT GOD IS FAITHFUL

Father, help us continually remember Your faithfulness, and, in response, may we remain faithful to You, even in the seasons of waiting we face along the way. Thank you for the beautiful examples you have given us throughout Your Word. ~ Strengthen us, as the author of Hebrews wrote, to hold fast to the profession of our faith without wavering, knowing that You who promised are faithful. ~Amen and Amen

Reflection and Application

Why do you think Sarah was included in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews chapter 11? ~ I believe it is because her faith points us to The One in whom we are to place our faith – The One Who is the most faithful Promise Keeper we will ever know. ~What are your thoughts?

The More We Know

Paul Weighs In

Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb. Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. Romans 4:18-22 NLT

  1. The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. Genesis 12:1 ↩︎
  2. “2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” ↩︎
  3. She, delighting in the examples of women in the Bible, volume 4, pp. 71 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, She, Volume 4

Sarah~[Sarai], part 1

Posted on by MaryEllen

adapted from the study She, delighting in the examples of the women of the Bible, volume 4/pp63-64

Today’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 11:27-32, Genesis 12, and Genesis 18:14

This is the account of Terah’s family. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot. 28 But Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, the land of his birth, while his father, Terah, was still living. 29 Meanwhile, Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah. (Milcah and her sister Iscah were daughters of Nahor’s brother Haran.) 30 But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children.

31 One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram’s wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran’s child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there. 32 Terah lived for 205 years and died while still in Haran.

Genesis 11:27-32 (NLT)

God was repositioning Abraham and Sarah according to His perfect plan and they followed where He led.

Me~ from the InsideOut🦋

When we first read of Abraham and Sarah, they are living with Abraham’s family in Ur of the Chaldeans, but they moved away from there, intending to move to the land of Canaan. However, Terah, Abraham’s father, settled the family in Haran. Abraham and Sarah stayed with his family until God spoke to Abraham, telling him to move out of the country, away from his father’s family. While this move requried blind faith (for God simply said, move to a land that I will show you), it came with an amazing promise of blessing, which included him being made into a great nation, fame, God’s protection, and becoming a blessing to others. God was repositioning Abraham and Sarah according to His perfect plan and they followed where He led. Keep in mind that Abraham was at 75 years old when God called him out of Haran. Yet, Scripture doesn’t tell us that Abraham struggled with this call on his life. He and Sarah had made a home in Haran for at least 50 years. It was where their family was, but we read of no debate or conversation between Abraham and Sarah about whether to go or stay – only that Abraham (still called Abram at the time) departed as the Lord had instructed.

4 So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5 He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, 6 Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites. (Gen 12:4-6)

It was in Shechem, where the Lord appeared again to Abraham, saying:

“I will give this land to your descendants.[a]” After which, “Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the Lord, and he worshiped the Lord. 9 Then Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev. (Gen 12:7-9)

If you’re reading this account of Abraham and Sarah for the first time, or if you’ve read it more than a dozen times yet find yourself amazed yet again at God’s timing in the things He discloses before they even happen, you may be wondering how the promise of making Abraham into a great nation and giving land to his “descendants” could ever happen, especially since Sarah was barren, (Genesis 11:30) … but rest assured friends, it happens just as God said it would. Join me tomorrow and in the week ahead as we explore Sarah’s story, which includes her handmaid named Hagar, Sarah’s plan to have a baby despite being barren. and God asking Abraham the questions: “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14 ‘Is anything too hard for the Lord?’ I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Genesis 18:14a

A Prayer of Response

O Sovereign Lord, may we never doubt what You have said, but instead always stand amazed at the reality we see time and time again in Your Word, that nothing is too difficult for You.You gave sight to the blind, You made the lame walk, and You raised Your only begotten Son from the grave that we might have everlasting life! Absolutely nothing is too difficult for You. 💜

Reflection and Application:

  1. What is God positioning you for? Are you ready to follow where He leads/calls you to go?
  2. Is there something that seems impossible to you right now?
    • Health situations?
    • Finances?
    • An unsaved loved one?
    • The return of a prodigal child?

~ Ask the Lord to help you have faith in Him today, remind yourself often throughout the day(s) ahead that “NOTHING, absolutely nothing is too difficult for our God.”

The More We Know

Sarai began her life in the pagan world of Ur, in the land of the Chaldees, which was located in the area now known as Iraq. She was the half-sister, as well as the wife, of Abram, who would be called Abraham. Sarai and Abram had the same father but different mothers, according to Genesis 20:12. In those days, genetics were purer than they are today, and intermarriage was not detrimental to the offspring of unions between relatives. Also, since people tended to spend their lives clustered together in family units, it was the natural course to choose mates from within their own tribes and families.

When Abram encountered the living God for the first time, he believed Him (Genesis 12:1–4; 15:6) and followed after Him, obeying His command to leave his home to go to a place he had never heard about, much less seen. Sarai went with him.

Their journey brought them to the area called Harran (Genesis 11:31). Abram’s father, Terah, passed away in this city, and Abram, Sarai, and their nephew Lot and their retinue continued their journey, allowing God to lead and guide them. With no housing and no modern conveniences, the journey must have been very difficult for all, especially for the women. During their journey, there was a famine in the land, prompting Abram and Sarai to go to Egypt (Genesis 12:10). When they did, Abram feared that the Egyptians would kill him because Sarai was beautiful and they would want her as a wife. So he asked Sarai to tell everyone that she was Abram’s sister—which was technically true but also meant to deceive. Sarai was taken into Pharaoh’s house, and Abram was treated well because of her. But God afflicted Pharaoh’s house, and the couple’s lie was revealed. Pharaoh returned Sarai to Abram and sent them on their way (Genesis 12). Sarai and Abram came back to the land now known as Israel. They had acquired many possessions and a great deal of wealth in their travels, so Lot and Abram agreed to split up in order that the massive herds of cattle would have adequate ground for grazing (Genesis 13:9).

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