She had two names: Sarai means “princess, nobility.” After Isaac was born, her name was changed to Sarah, a noble lady or “wife of a king.” She became the mother of the nation of Israel.

Her story: Genesis 17:15-21, 18:6-15, 20:2-18, 21:1-12, 23:1-2; Hebrews 11:11 

Sarah’s life was filled with decisions made by her husband. Some put them in dangerous places, but God always protected Sarah. She had an important role to play in God’s covenant and promise with Abraham. Sarah and Abraham must have loved each other very much. In a time when it was common for men to have more than one wife, Abraham only had Sarah. They shared God’s promise to make Abraham a great nation. But, when the waiting seemed to go on forever, Sarah became impatient and convinced Abraham to make the promise reality in a human way. We previously talked about Hagar and the problems with Sarah’s “short-cut.” When God told Sarah that the promise would be fulfilled within the coming year, she laughed. Scripture doesn’t tell us exactly what caused her to laugh, but when her baby was born, she named him “Isaac” – laughter. Sarah made hard decisions to protect the promise God had given to her and Abraham.

Her legacy for us: Waiting patiently for the fulfillment of God’s promises can be hard and we are often tempted to help Him out. When we do, we create problems with consequences for many people. A better plan is to trust The One who promises, because He can be trusted.

Our response to Him: How often do I get impatient with You and try to help You keep Your promises? What can I do to more fully rest in Your plan even when it feels like You have forgotten me?