Waiting for a Baby

Hebrews 11-Part 8
Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.  Hebrews 11:11-12

LET IT GLOW

One of my close girlfriends got married a year before I did, so when she got pregnant, my thoughts turned to babies. We gave her a baby shower in due time. I saw all her preparations for the little one. Exposed to all of that made me want a baby of our own. After our first wedding anniversary, we  agreed it was time. So I went off the pill, contraceptive, and we waited. There was one time that the signs  made me think I was expecting, but it did not happen. Crushed,  I crawled up in my husband's lap in the rocking chair and cried into his embrace. My heart wanted a baby so much. The disappointment shattered my dreams.  I wanted to give my husband a child, but it didn't happen at that time, in my timing. As a Christian, I knew that God was in control of the situation and I had to wait on His timing, the right time.
I was young and very impatient with the situation, so I can understand a smiggen of how Sarah felt. My story was different from Sarah's By the time our second anniversary came along, I was in the hospital, holding our precious baby girl. so you will agree that my wait wasn't very long compared to 25 years that she and Abraham waited after receiving the promise from God. I'm certain that you will agree with me-as women, waiting for a baby month after month is like an eternity. Will you join me in zooming in on Sarah's situation?

Background:
Genesis 15 gives the account of the covenant between God and Abraham. Our story begins there.
-The biblical account of Sarah's life doesn't really even begin until she was already 65 years old.
-Sarah is remembered for her legendary beauty, which is a stumbling block for some men.
-Abraham was her half-brother. (Terah was father to both of them, Sarah being ten years younger.
  Names of their mothers is not told. At that time it was acceptable to marry relatives.)
-Submissive to her husband's headship, completely devoted to Abraham; Sarah lived in tents, on the
  move with Abraham; no retirement at age 65.
-Sarah's barrenness was a bitter burden for her to bear. She became a battle-ax, a bear to live with to
  say the least. Adjectives, such as temperamental, conniving, cantankerous, cruel, jealous, whinner,
  complainer, nag, could have described Sarah at this time of her life.
-Sarah's name was originally spelled "Sarai" which means my princess, then changed to Sarah, which
  means princess.  She would become the mother of nations; kings would come from her. God changed
  it when she was 90 years old (Genesis 17:15).
-In the midst of a bleak situation, out of desperation, during a time of weak faith, Sarah gave
  Abraham her permission for him to lie with her handmaiden so Sarah could obtain children by her.
  What a blockhead! In Genesis 16:2, it says Abram harkened. What were they thinking? Well they
  weren't thinking!
-With the birth of Ishmael, Haggar and Abraham's son, Sarah becomes a worse bear to bare her burden
  of barrenness. Jealousy raises it's ugly head and Sarah becomes a bully. (Oh boy, do we have a soap
  opera here?)
-Back in Genesis 12, God had promised blessings, one of which Abraham would become a great
  nation, but how is not told. Then in Genesis 17:16-21, the Lord told Abraham that it was Sarah who
  would bare him a son, Isaac, a year later. Friends, we're talking about a 90 year old woman and a 100
  year old man having a baby. It was physically impossible. That's why God had to intervene with a
  miracle.
-When Sarah first heard about this happening, she laughed (Gen. 18:12). In Hebrew, this laugh,
  tsachaq, means "to mock, make sport." In Genesis 21:6, Sarah's laugh, tschoq, means" laughter in
  pleasure." (Thayer's Lexicon)
-Born to Sarah and Abraham at a ripe old age, was a bounching baby boy, Isaac. What joy she must
  have felt when she held, cuddled, sang to him who was the fulfillment of God's promise to this
  couple.
-Bygones were never gone bye-bye with Sarah because she was a bully toward Haggar and her son.
What will I remember about Sarah? What will people remember about me?

I wonder if everytime Sarah saw Ishmael that she thought of her lack of faith, her disobedience. I wonder if her faith grew when she saw God gave Abraham a son to her handmaid and she considered God able to do the same with her. Just a thought.

LET IT GROW

Looking at Hebrews 11:11-12, I see Sarah listed in the roll call of faith. Why? It was because of her faith in God; she believed that God would keep his promise. So a whole nation came from them; as many people as the stars and sand; there's no way to count them all.

In Genesis 18:14, the Lord asked Abraham Is anything too hard for the LORD? 
The obvious answer is no. But when I insert a situation or specific problem, do I believe it?
Is Linda's finances to hard for the Lord to provide? Is Linda's family situation too hard for the Lord to solve? Is Linda's health too hard for the Lord to cure? How about you?

Is anything in your life too hard for the Lord to take care of or resolve? Nooooo!
Where is our faith? Is it in God?

David Jeremiah said,"Don't despise your older years when God can make you as fruitful as when you were young. God hasn't called us to bear fruit for Him up to a certain age, but forever!"

By faith Linda...

LET IT GO

Through faith in God, I can...

God can...