SARAH: From Faith to Fruit
For the last month we have been looking at Isaac. We saw his miraculous conception, his wiling sacrifice, his well-digging and his life of receiving. None of this would have happened without his mother, Sarah. In many ways, she is the real hero in the story of Abraham and Isaac.
So on this Mother’s Day, I want to focus on Sarah and encourage our ladies that they are the source of what God wants to do in generations to come. Prayer
Let’s look at some chapters in Sarah’s life. Each chapter reveals a key that each one of us, male or female, can apply.
Chapter One: The Chosen One
Genesis 11:29–30 (NKJV) Then Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah. 30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
The barrenness did not cancel the choosing. God has chosen us to show His great love to us, irregardless of our fruitfulness.
Chapter Two: The Willing One
Genesis 12:5 (NKJV) Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and theydeparted to go to the land of Canaan.
We should be willing to follow God wherever He leads.
Chapter Three: The Fearless One
Genesis 12:11–14 (NKJV) And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. 12 Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.”
14 So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful.
1 Peter 3:5–6 (NKJV) For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.
We can be fully obedient without fear. God has not given us a spirit of fear. Fear not!
Chapter Four: The Doubting One
Genesis 16:1–2 (NKJV) Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai.
Don’t be embarrassed by your doubts. They come so that faith can be proven. In the next chapter of her life we will see that this doubt did not cancel out the plan of God or her faith. A name change comes on the heels of her doubt!
Chapter Five: The Changed One
Genesis 17:15–16 (NKJV) Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.”
Genesis 17:19 (NKJV) Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.
Genesis 17:21 (NKJV) But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.”
We have all been changed by the power of God. We are new creations. The promise of God is not based on who we were, but what we have become!
Galatians 6:15 (NKJV) For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.
Chapter Six: The Serving One
Genesis 18:6–10 (NKJV) So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. 8 So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.
9 Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?”
So he said, “Here, in the tent.”
10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.”
A new name and a new heart lives to serve.
Chapter Seven: The Fruitful One
Genesis 21:1–3 (NKJV) And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac.
Sarah’s faith produces fruit!
Hebrews 11:11 (NKJV) 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.
1 John 5:4 (NKJV) For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—even our faith.
Chapter Eight: The Faithful One
Genesis 23:1–2 (NKJV) Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 So Sarah died in Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
Genesis 23:20 (NKJV) And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
Sarah was the link between God’s promise and God’s provision. The miracle that was Isaac would not have happened without Sarah! All of us are links in the chain that is the Kingdom of God. Paul puts it this way…
1 Corinthians 3:5–8 (NKJV) Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
You may be in a stage where you can’t see the fruit. You may be a link between generations, just as Sarah was. Listen to the prophet Isaiah…
Isaiah 51:2 (NKJV) Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you;
The covenant of God rests in the faithful life of Sarah. Will you be a Sarah? Will you trust God in the face of trial? God will use you to advance His Kingdom!
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