It Starts Small

For those following along the character series, we are continuing our saga into the family of Abraham. Today we meet Sarah. Sarah’s story is nothing short of extraordinary! Deep within the sacred pages of scripture, we discover the powerful truth. God magnificently restored her faith. He fulfilled His awe-inspiring promises. Can you imagine hearing that your aged womb would cradle the gift of youth? The once barren reality of old age blossoms into life at the command of the Ancient of Days. It’s no surprise that Sarah laughed at such a breathtaking prospect. Indeed, it is a fearsome yet exhilarating thing to fall into the hands of the living God. This is true even when that fall leads us into His unexpected grace and seemingly impossible promise!

Critics today might hastily label Sarah as a foolish woman. They might criticize her for not voicing her thoughts. They could say she should have stood her ground more fervently. “A doormat,” they might scoff. “She allowed Abraham to walk all over her.” Yet, far from casting judgment, Scripture embraces her journey with admiration. In the glorious remembrance of the saints in Hebrews, we discover a powerful story. “By faith, Sarah herself received power to conceive.” This occurred even when she was past the age. She considered him faithful who had promised.

With unyielding fervor, Sarah cloaked herself in the sacred blood of Christ. He is the eternal Son intricately woven into her lineage. He is the very embodiment of her hope-filled anticipation. As she beheld the shimmering silhouette of Jesus on the horizon, she called out to Him. He is her flawless Lord. He is destined to lead her into a promised land. This place is a radiant heaven where all dread would dissolve in His glorious presence. She glimpsed her Savior, her divine Master — and in that profound moment, she recognized Him as Abraham’s Lord, too.

And therein lies much of Sarah’s excellence as a woman of faith. More than she feared the ill effects of her husband’s decisions, she feared her true Master. She was not a perfect saint. When we look to her as an example, we are ultimately looking to Jesus. He is the perfect object of her imperfect faith. But from Sarah and her story, we can learn one important lesson. Fearlessness isn’t a woman’s goal (contrary to what the world may tell us). Instead, we aim to fear the Lord. So with Sarah as our guide, consider with me three lessons in such countercultural fear.

We are going to focus on these key aspects of Sarah:

• Godly Fear Trusts God with what we do NOT control
• Godly Fear Pursues Holiness
• Godly Fear looks to God’s Promises
• When Earthly Fear Falls

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