Don't Lose Hope -- Sarah Part 3

Sarah Part 3

Sarah had to BELIEVE the promise, RECEIVE the promise inside herself before the baby could be CONCEIVED.

Think about it, Ladies.  Sarah could have never let Abraham touch her again.  She could have shut him out.  But she believed one more time.  She received him one more time.  And this time… THIS TIME… at God’s appointed time, SHE CONCEIVED!

The Bible doesn’t say what attitude she had about it, but my sanctified imagination has two scenarios.  She might have had a lousy attitude about it.  She might have thrown up her hands and said, “Fine.  What-EVER, Abraham.  We’ll try this one more time.  It hasn’t happened for 90 freakin’ years, but if you say so, we will do this one more time.” 

But maybe, just maybe, she still had a spark of hope.  Maybe Sarah even initiated it!  “Abraham, I know this hasn’t worked for 90 years.  I know we’re both really old.  But maybe we should try one more time.  The Lord did say I would have a baby this time a year from now.  Maybe this time it will happen.”

I’d like to think that scenario is what happened.  That she had just a glimmer of hope left – just enough for her to try one more time.  Hebrews 11:11 says “Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed.”  She not only needed physical strength, but I think she also needed spiritual strength to believe for the miracle!

You know Jesus said it only takes faith the size of a mustard seed!  Maybe that’s all the faith she had, but definitely that’s all she needed.

She didn’t let unforgiveness, bitterness, doubt, unbelief keep her from trying one more time. Hebrews 11:11-12 MSG says “she believed the One who made a promise would do what he said.”  It doesn’t say she believed Abraham.  He had let her down before.  But God… He had protected her in Pharaoh’s harem and Abimilech’s palace.  God kept his promises.  She could trust Him.

 Ladies, is there something in your heart that is barely hanging onto hope?  Is that hope about to flicker and blow out?  Is there something that you need to do one more time?  Maybe you don’t even have a positive attitude yet, but do you need to do it anyway?  Is there something that maybe your husband has let you down about, but you still feel God’s hand on?  Why not be like Sarah… trust the One who made the promise?

Whatever her attitude, if Sarah hadn’t consented to Abraham one more time, she would have died a bitter, barren old woman.  But she didn’t.  She received Abraham one more time, and she gave birth to laughter (Isaac means laughter)!  What joy she must have had raising Isaac!  She died a happy woman, finally full of the joy of motherhood, laughing all the way. 

So ladies, please.  Believe just one more time.  Receive just one more time.  The promise is waiting to be conceived!