40 Days of Faith: Day 9

Hebrews 11:11 – By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.

How long should we wait?

That’s a common question, isn’t it? Whether you are at Whataburger (you know they always take longer, but it’s worth it because it’s fresh!), at a restaurant waiting for a table, or waiting to hear from the adoption agency for that longing fulfilled, waiting is difficult.

Waiting can range from being annoying because your burger is taking too long, to deeply painful because of the depths of your heart’s cry. We aren’t prone to waiting, are we?

Consider the length of the journey of Sarah and Abraham’s waiting. In Genesis 12, we see the first promise of offspring. Genesis 12:7a states, “Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.’” In Genesis 12, we learn that Abraham was 75 years old. If you remember, it was Sarah who encouraged Abraham to go into Hagar so that he could have a son through her. She had concluded that she wouldn’t be the one to give him children when she was 65 years of age.

Yet, in Genesis 17:15-17, we see these words:
“And God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.’ 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, ‘Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?’”

It's now 24 years later and three angels come to Abraham and Sarah’s tent. It is here that they proclaim that on their return in a year, she would soon after give birth (see Genesis 18). Sarah did conceive and gave birth. The scripture records the event this way in Genesis 21:5-7:
5“Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, ‘God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.’ 7 And she said, ‘Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.’”

As you read this more detailed account and the summation of her faith in Hebrews 11, these two passages may seem to be at odds. But I don’t believe that to be the case. Instead, as the Lord made a promise for Sarah, a 90-year-old woman, to give birth, her reaction was one where she couldn’t truly fathom it. But somewhere along the way she came to the place to truly believe that God could give her a son if He chose to. Maybe she went back in time to the original promise 25 years earlier and said, “Well, it looks like it is really going to happen after all.”

In all honesty, we don’t really know all of what she thought. We can conclude that she moved from a bit of disbelief to belief, concluding God was faithful to fulfill his promise. This apparent journey should help us, as her movement from disbelief to belief is far more like the journey you and I take than our being 100% faith-filled at all times.

Her journey goes from skeptical to sure, not because of her circumstances, statistics, or any other data point. In other words, the circumstances of life did not give her hope. Instead, she believed in God’s ability to do what He wanted to do, and if He made the promise, He would fulfill it.

You may be skeptical, frustrated, and tired of waiting. You may look at the world around you and wonder if God is really going to work all things together for your good and His glory. You may wonder if God has forgotten you and the promises He has spoken into your life so many years ago.

Sarah’s story reminds us that faith is not about having it all figured out, but about trusting the One who has made the promise. She moved from laughter of doubt to laughter of joy because she came to see God as faithful, even when her circumstances made His promise seem impossible. Maybe you’re in a season of waiting—frustrated, weary, or tempted to give up. Don’t let your hope rest on what you see; let it rest on who God is. Today, choose to cling to His promises, reminding yourself that the God who spoke the universe into being is able to fulfill what He has spoken over your life.

Prayer:
Faithful Father, thank You that every promise You make is true. Even when my circumstances seem impossible, remind me that nothing is too hard for You. Help me move from doubt to trust, from frustration to faith, and from fear to hope. Teach me to wait on You with patience, believing that in Your perfect timing, You will accomplish all that You have spoken. Strengthen my heart today to rest in Your promises. In Jesus’ name, Amen.