A Mothers Faith

It was a terrible night, blowing cold and rain in a most frightful manner. The streets were deserted, and the local baker was just about to close up shop when a little man slipped through the door. He carried an umbrella, blown inside out; and he was bundled in two sweaters and a thick coat. Even so, he still looked wet and bedraggled.

As he unwound his scarf, he said to the baker, “May I have two bagels to go, please?”

The baker said in astonishment, “Two bagels? Nothing more?”

“That’s right,” answered the little man. “One for me and one for Bernice.”

“Bernice is your wife?” asked the baker.

“What do you think?” snapped the little man. “My mother would never send me out on a night like this!”

Leonard Sweet shares this story: Best-selling author Robert Fulghum is well-known for his “all-I-really-need-to-know-I-learned-in-kindergarten” books. Less well known is the fact that he spent many years in the pulpit in Washington state. He writes about his preaching days and his fear of Mother’s Day in his book It Was on Fire When I Lay Down On It:

“For 25 years of my life, the second Sunday of May was trouble…I was obliged in some way to address the subject of Mother’s Day. It could not be avoided…The congregation was quite open-minded and gave me free reign in the pulpit. But when it came to the second Sunday in May, the expectation was summarized in the words of one of the more outspoken women in the church: ‘I’m bringing my mother to church on Mother’s Day, Reverend, and you can talk about anything you want, but it had better include MOTHER, and it had better be good!'”

Hebrews 11:11 NKJV

By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.

Sarai vs Sarah

Sarai ends in a yod is a 1CS and shows possesion. MY

Sarah ends in a he and is a generic term 3FS. OURS

In Sarah we can see

1. Faiths Progression

Genesis 18:10–12 NKJV

And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”

Romans 4:19 NKJV

And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.

Genesis 17:17 NKJV

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”

2. Faiths Importance.

It was the substance of faith that did the impossible.

Although Abraham is the one often referenced and in the spotlight, this doe snot diminish the role of Sarah. Her faith was just as important as Abrahams.

So important was her faith that she was the fourth mentioned person concerning faith in Hebrews 11.

Ladies, this morning I want you to know that your faith is vital to your family and home. Never allow anything or anyone to diminish the value the God has for you.

3. Faiths obscurity.

We find in Scripture that it was through faith that Sarah was given the power to conceive. Yet, in scripture there is no evidence that she believed she would have a child until the child was born.

In fact, our first natural tendency would be to speak of Sarah as a faithless lady.

Why?

Therefore, the question is, What was the faith spoken of here in Hebrews 11?

The truth is that the Bible does not explicitly say. However, in the Holy Script there is insight that can be found.

We find in Genesis chapter 12 that Sarah was faithful to Gods call upon her life, even when it was inconvenient.

We also find that she walked by faith, even when the road seemed bleak.

Lastly we see that her faith was not always the strongest. However, we see in Matthews that a little faith is enough.

Matthew 17:20 NKJV

So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.