Sarah: Waiting for God’s PromiseSample

Why does God sometimes put us in a situation that seems hopeless? God does this so that when He does what He wants to do, only He gets the glory. He may not change your scenario or your struggle until He sees you are waiting well within it. To wait well as a kingdom hero is to not go outside of God’s prescribed ways in order to bring something about. It also means waiting with hope and expectation, not sarcastic doubt. The first time we saw Sarah laughing, she was mocking the promise God had given her (Genesis 18:12). But the second time she laughed; it was out of awe at God’s ability to pull off the impossible (Genesis 21:6).

Sometimes God puts your back up against the wall—not to be mean but to let you see He is truly God. Sarah had to grow and mature to the point of waiting well. She made mistakes along the way. We all do. But the good news is that even if you’ve made mistakes, and even if you have your own set of Ishmaels running around as a result, it’s never too late for God to intervene. Sarah had made a mess of things. Then to make matters worse, Abraham had gone and lied—making even more of a mess of things. Yet once they both witnessed God’s power to both close and open wombs, they discovered just who they were dealing with.

What has been the result when you have tried to manipulate the situation to try to fulfill God’s promise? What has been the result when you have patiently waited upon Him?