“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.”

Hebrews 11:11

1 Peter 3:6 tells us we can be Sarah’s daughters if we do what is right without being afraid. What does it mean to be a daughter of Sarah? What qualities do we want to emulate from her life?

• No one is perfect, aside from Jesus.

• When the Bible tells us to imitate a person, we are to learn from the good and bad in that person’s life.

• Sarah battled discouragement in many areas of her life, but she was victorious because she, “judged Him faithful who had promised.”

Sarai as Wife Abram was called of God to father a great

nation. Sarai was also part of this plan. God tells Abram, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; you shall be a blessing” (Gen. 12:2).

Struggles along the Way

• Move to Canan (Gen. 12:1)

• Famine (Gen. 12:10)

• Side trip to Egypt (Gen. 12:10-14)

• Taken by Egyptian Pharaoh (Gen. 12:14-20)

• Sarai stood by her man through good times and bad on this journey.

• As you know, your life will also include good and bad times. There will be areas of discouragement.

• Hard times in your life might also be brought on by parents, siblings, children, or friends.

2 Corinthians 13:11 says, “Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

Know that no matter what the cause is of trying times, God is faithful every minute to bring you strength and peace.

“Her message to us is, whatever impossible, unbearable, unusual, unchangeable test awaits you this day (or for the next 8999 days, or forever!), by faith, we are to reach one more time for the ‘exceedingly great and precious promises’ of God (2 Peter 1:4)! Yes, faith is the better way-indeed, the only way!-to face the distress of life.” -Elizabeth George

As Mother-to-Be • Because God promised Abram he would

father a great nation, Sarai knew she would bear children.

• But years and years went by without an heir.

• Because Sarai was still childless, she thought of a plan. (Gen. 16:1-3)

According to pastor and author John MacArthur, “Sarah apparently reasoned that since she owned Hagar, if Abraham fathered a child by Hagar, it would in effect be Sarah’s child.”

• But God designed marriage to be between one man and one woman.

• So this polygamy was sinful and would not have the outcome Sarai wanted.

• In fact, after Hagar conceived Ishmael, Sarai began to hate her. (Gen. 16:3-6)

Sarai to Sarah• God promised Abram again that he would

have a child, through Sarai. He changed their names to Abraham and Sarah.

• When God told Abraham he would bear a son this time next year, he laughed (Genesis 17:17).

• And later when Sarah heard she would bear a son in her old age, she laughed (18:12).

John MacArthur writes, “When His time came for the promise to be fulfilled, no one would be able to deny that this was indeed God’s doing. His plan all along was for Sarah to have her first child in her old age, after every prospect of a natural fulfillment of the prophecy was exhausted and after every earthly reason for hope was completely dead.”

Sarah as Mother• Isaac, which means “he laughs,” was born

to Sarah when Abraham was 100 years old.

• Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me” (Gen. 21:6).

Elizabeth George writes, “This definitely was an occasion for joy. Isaac was Sarah’s reward. He was the child of her own body, the child of her old age, the child of God’s promise, the fruit of tested faith, the gift of God’s grace, and the heaven-appointed heir.”

In a well known story in Genesis 22, God tests Abraham’s faith by asking him to sacrifice Isaac to him. The Bible does not say if Abraham discussed the instructions with Sarah. So we don’t know Sarah’s response.

• We can imagine the joy Isaac brought to his parents.

• Isaac will inherit the promises of the covenant between God and Abraham.

• God may have tested their faith to see if it was God or Isaac they truly worshiped.

This was also a lesson for them in God’s provision because God supplied a substitutionary sacrifice. Hundreds of years later Jesus would be your substitutionary sacrifice.

“Many years later another Son would climb another hill, carrying wood on his back. Like Isaac, he would trust his Father and do what his Father asked. He wouldn’t struggle or run away. Who was he? God’s Son, his only Son- the Son he loved. The Lamb of God.” –The Jesus Storybook Bible

• When Sarah was 127, she died.

• Abraham and Isaac mourned her death.

• Her life was marked by highs and lows. But she remained faithful. She is remembered not for her mistakes, but for her victories.

Areas of Discouragement

• As Wife

• As Mom-to-Be

• As Mother

Faith is Our Weapon against Discouragement

• As Eugenia Price writes, “We think rightly of Abraham as the first man of great faith, of Sarah, as the first woman of great faith. They were.”

God is faithful to His promises to us.

• Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

• Psalm 55:22 “Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”

• Isaiah 41:10, “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

• 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”