Sarah and The Lord

So, I was reading our Sunday School lesson and these two verses POPPED right out at me and settled in a thoughtful compartment of my heart and nestled itself right DEAD CENTER in my train of thought!

“And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as He had spoken.
For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him (Genesis 21:1-2).”

And it made me STOP, literally, and ponder (for a very long time) the meaning of such beautiful words.

And then I got out my scripture journal and began writing the implications of these two, doctrine-filled verses.

1. With God, NOTHING is impossible!
This specific phrase is used by an angel of the Lord when he speaks to Mary about 1) becoming the mother of Jesus and 2) in telling her that Elisabeth “hath also conceived a son in her old age.”

So it appropriately fits for Sarah’s circumstance as well. For to think that a 90 year old woman would or could be with child, is a rather far-stretched idea. And then to think she would even be so overjoyed about being pregnant at such a ripe, old age is enough to make one laugh (see Genesis 21:6).

But I think there are some factors going on here. First, a child is what Isaac and Sarah desired for many, many years. They were willing to do anything to receive the righteous desire of the hearts. And secondly, I believe that a righteous woman is willing to do whatever the Lord asks of her, anytime He asks of her. And because what He sometimes asks of her IS hard and inconvenient, it allows unforeseeable, unforgettable, undeniable godly blessings to shower down upon that woman who chooses God before herself!

2. God DOES NOT nor CANNOT lie.
Sarah, at age 90 (being a “new” mother – can you imagine?), with joyful laughter testifies, “God hath made me laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.” She knew that if God had told her she would have a son, she would!

She knew, as Enos knew (see Enos 1:6-8) that: “God could not lie.” And because God could not lie (does not and cannot), and because of Sarah’s faith on His name - and the very promise He made to her - she rejoiced (and laughed) of something so seemingly impossible (and unheard of) to me and you.

3. God know us individually.
The Father of our spirits is certainly aware when His creations enter into this world. How we would enter. Where we would enter. When we would enter.

And I am as certain that He is aware of who would be the one to bring His spirits into the world.

Notice how verse two in Genesis 21 takes careful consideration to explain just how well God knew Sarah! He visited her; He spoke to her; He did unto her that which He had said.

4. There is a TIME for every purpose under heaven.
A time to be born! A time to die! And sometime within that time frame Sarah was to fulfill the purpose that God sent her to do. Even at 90! And she was there to do it!

Remember the story in Sheri Dew’s book: Nobody Can Take Your Place, when she (Sis. Dew) didn’t try out for the college basketball team because of fear, and it was the only year the BYU Women’s Basketball team was missing one player (HER) from the roster!!

And then there’s George Bailey, who, unbeknownst to him until Clarence comes, is able to see what life would be like if he wasn’t born at all!  George is able to see that life in Pottersville (not his familiar Bedford Falls) would have been very, very different!

5. I am a child of God and He has sent me HERE. (You know the map: YOU ARE HERE!)
Sometime ago a member of the Bishopric bore his testimony and said something so profound that I will not forget. He cited this first, familiar line: “I Am a Child of God and He has sent me here” emphasizing the HERE part.

God sent Sarah HERE. (Well, not here, here. I mean HERE on earth).

And she did it! She did what was asked of her. Old as she was. Laughing as she did!

Which reminds reminds me of what Mordacai says to Esther when she thinks the task ahead of her is difficult: “And who knoweth whether thou art come to [this earth] for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14)?

Which, in turn, reminds me that God sent ME here.

Right HERE.

For Right Now.

(Now go do the right thing - Thank you, Dr. Laura)

6. And an FYI (because I just figured this out and I think it is so awesome): Isaac means He Laugheth(i).
The Hebrew root is tzachak(i) which both means “to laugh” (as Sarah did when she found out she was going to have a baby boy) and “to rejoice” (which is what Sarah did to testify of God’s greatness and goodness). Double meaning. So cool!