Sarah: A Story of Joy and Pain

Hebrews 11 introduces us to a list of people known as the “heroes of the faith.” In this passage we see figures in the Bible who God used in mighty ways - and yet, they were all flawed, just like us. Today, on Mother's Day, we are looking at Sarah - a woman who experienced many highs and lows in her faith journey! If you have ever wrestled with doubt or seen God answer a promise you thought would never come to pass - you’ll appreciate Sarah’s story!

How Long Will You Wait?

We do not enjoy waiting. Waiting in the checkout line, waiting in line at the amusement park, waiting at a traffic light, waiting for our turn at the doctor’s office - waiting is never fun. For something that we truly value, however, we are often willing to endure the wait. When it comes to the things of God, we can exhibit this same impatience. But often, we must be patient as we look to Him to fulfill His word. How long are you willing to wait for the promise of God? Sarah waited 90 long years on the fulfillment of God’s promise. Let’s jump in and see what happened.

A Promise and A Task

Abraham and Sarah’s story begins in Genesis 11, where we are first introduced to them as Abram and Sarai. In Genesis 12, God speaks directly to Abram, calling him to leave behind his country, people, and family to journey toward an unknown land that God Himself would reveal. Along with this command came an extraordinary promise: Abram would become the father of a great nation, his name would be made great, and through him, all the peoples of the earth would be blessed. This was both a divine promise and a task. The blessing was immense—but so was the cost. Abraham had to trust God completely, stepping out in faith with no clear map, only a promise to guide him.

What often goes unspoken is Sarah’s role in this journey. Though the command was spoken to Abraham, Sarah followed with equal obedience and sacrifice. She left behind the familiarity of home, her extended family, and all she knew—not because she heard God directly, but because she trusted the one who had. This mirrors the modern-day wrestle of obedience. In 2017, I was offered a job in Virginia, and my wife Hope and  I - still early in our marriage - faced a similar challenge. For Hope, the potential move meant leaving her family, career, church, and lifelong friends. Sarah was going through something similar - being asked to leave everything and trust in a promise that God had spoken to Abraham. Abraham and Sarah’s story reminds us: when God gives a promise, it often comes with a task—and that task demands courage, trust, and sacrifice.

Chosen Before She believed

God had a plan, a calling, and a purpose for both Abraham and Sarah—one that stretched far beyond their own lives and reached into the story of the entire world. Genesis 12:3 reveals that we serve a missional God, one who desires to bless all nations through His people. What’s remarkable is that before they fully understood the plan, before they even believed, Abraham and Sarah were chosen. This truth carries deep significance for us today: God’s calling on our lives often begins long before we see the whole picture. He sets things in motion not because He needs us, but because He wants to include us in His redemptive work.

To every person - and especially to every mother - know this: God has a plan and a purpose for your life. If you are still breathing, there is still meaningful work to be done. Long before you placed your faith in Him, He chose you to live out a purpose that could ripple through generations. Like Sarah, who was told she would be part of a great nation even though she was barren and beyond childbearing years, you may not feel qualified or ready - but God’s calling isn’t based on your limitations, it’s based on His promise. Your faithfulness, even in small acts, may be the spark that brings about real change in the world. As Andy Stanley wisely said, “Your greatest accomplishment may not be something you do but someone you raise.” And C.S. Lewis reminds us, “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.” Sarah was chosen before she believed - and so are you.

Doubting God’s Promises

In Genesis 18, we witness a profound moment: God Himself appears to Abraham in the form of three visitors, one of whom speaks as the Lord—what many call a theophany or even a Christophany. As Abraham listens, the Lord reaffirms the promise that Sarah, now nearly 90, will bear a son within the year. Sarah, listening from behind the tent flap, laughs to herself. And who could blame her? She was well past childbearing years. When confronted, she denies it out of fear, and the Lord responds, “Yes, you did laugh.” 

Sarah’s doubt doesn’t disqualify her. Her laughter doesn’t shut the door on God’s promise. In fact, she’s later named among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11. This reminds us that faith isn’t the absence of questions - it’s choosing to trust even when the promise seems impossible. Many of us would have the same response. How easy is it to believe you will have a child at 90 years of age? Sarah’s story is proof that God meets us right there, in the tent of our skepticism, with grace. God meets us in our doubts, not just our declarations. He still fulfills His promises. If Sarah - ninety and uncertain - can become the mother of nations, then there’s hope for every one of us who has ever dared to wonder if God could fulfill the things He has promised.

The Illusion of Control

Before Sarah laughed at God’s promise in Genesis 18, she tried to take control of the situation herself - a move many of us can relate to. In Genesis 16, after waiting over a decade with no sign of pregnancy, Sarah offered her servant Hagar to Abraham as a surrogate, hoping to build a family through her. This was a culturally acceptable solution in the ancient Near East, but it wasn’t aligned with God’s promise. Sarah’s decision came not from rebellion but from desperation, pressure, and the painful silence of unanswered prayer. Like assembling furniture without reading the instructions, she thought taking matters into her own hands might speed things up - but instead, it made things more complicated.

Hagar’s pregnancy led to jealousy, tension, and lasting division. Though Sarah tried to help God, her attempt at control couldn’t produce God’s covenant—only conflict. And yet, God didn’t abandon her. He remained faithful, eventually fulfilling His promise in His perfect timing, giving Sarah a son at 90 years old. Sometimes, like Sarah did, we try to help God out. Mothers carry so much responsibility and pressure that they often step into control mode. But God is not deterred by your missteps. He is patient, redemptive, and still faithful. You don’t have to carry the whole story. God is still writing it, even through your missteps.

Blessed in Belief

Despite her moments of doubt and attempts to control the situation, Sarah ultimately believed that God was faithful - and because of that belief, she was blessed. In Genesis 21, we see the fulfillment of God's long-awaited promise: Sarah gives birth to Isaac, whose name means “he laughs,” marking both the joy and the irony of God’s grace. At ninety years old, Sarah held in her arms the evidence of God's faithfulness. Her laughter, once filled with disbelief, was now transformed into joy. Hebrews 11:11-12 doesn’t remember Sarah for her missteps but for her faith: “She considered Him faithful who had made the promise.” Faith isn’t measured by perfection, but by trust in a perfect God. Like stepping onto an escalator, Sarah's faith meant moving forward - even uncertainly - trusting she would be carried by God. Her story reminds us that God’s promises are not dependent on our flawless faith, but on His unwavering character. 

God doesn’t need you to have unshakable faith. He needs you to believe that He is unshakable. Faithful mothers aren’t the ones who never question, but the ones who keep trusting. When your strength runs out, lean into the God who always keeps His word.

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Flawed Week 3. May 11th, 2025. Preached by Ben Dieterly

Article Edited by Julia Castro