Saturday, September 28, 2019

Giving Up Your Glory: Sarah Hall of Faith


   "What are you really living for? It's crucial to realize that you either glorify God, or you glorify something or someone else. You're always making something look big. If you don't glorify God when you're involved in a conflict, you inevitably show that someone or something else rules your heart” (Ken Sande).
   One person in the Hall of Faith that may confuse some people is Sarah. Sarah was the wife of Abraham. She followed her husband and helped him make some not so good choices. Why would she be in the Hall of Faith?
   In Genesis 15 Abraham receives a covenant with the Lord. He is told that he will have a son and his descendants will outnumber the stars in the sky. In Genesis 16 Sarah tells Abraham to sleep with Hagar so that Abraham would receive what God promised. Now, this seems like Sarah isn't having faith in God because she's not waiting for God to work. However, Sarah was doing something many people now days would not do: reflecting God's glory. 
   Sarah could have said to Abraham that she did not want Hagar to have a child. Sarah could have been selfish and said, "I must be the one to bear the child of promise." Instead Sarah sacrifices her place as the head of the household and let's Hagar bear her child.  
   Now, we all know the rest of the story. Hagar mistreated Sarah, Sarah mistreated Hagar, God says Sarah will have a child at the age of ninety, Sarah laughed, Isaac is born, and Ishmael and Hagar are sent away. It kind of sounds like a soap opera. But, the point we need to take from all this is Sarah is in the Hall of Faith for a reason. She had faith and would have given up her glory in order to make sure the covenant was fulfilled.
   So, will you choose to reflect God's glory? Will you choose to follow God's plan and trust in him?
   Genesis 16, Genesis 21, 1 Corinthians 10:31

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