Sarai's Story

Now Sarai was barren; she had no children. Genesis 11:30

Sarah has the honor of being the first barren woman mentioned in the Bible. It was apparently a big deal that this woman, who was married to Abram, was barren because just about every time her name comes up, somewhere soon after follows the words, "barren," "childless," or "without children." How is that for salt in the wound? I can picture her walking toward her neighbor's tent and hearing someone say, "Hey girls, here comes Sarai, you know, the one without kids..."

In a time of history where people were 'begatting' people, Sarai sat around watching sister after sister, friend after friend, cousin after cousin and even niece after niece have babies. While others were joyfully expecting, she was sorrowfully wishing. I wonder if those around Sarai felt bad announcing to her they were pregnant again since it was widely known that it was the desire of Sarai's heart to have children and the Lord had even renamed her husband, Abraham because he was to be the "father of many nations." Here they were, getting up in age and not a single child to call their own.

In Genesis 15, Abram was expressing his fear of his estate being left to his servants since he had no children. The Lord told Abram not to worry because his offspring would be as the stars in the Heavens. Abram accepted this but apparently Sarai did not. Being the clever gal she was she set out to take matters in her own hands. In Genesis 16, Sarai makes plans to build a family through her maid Hagar. But what a mess she made for herself! Hagar got pregnant with Abram's son but both women began despising each other because of it. The son Hagar had was never considered Sarai's own and she was back where she started, childless and now with a heart full of jealousy and resentment.

Later on in Genesis 18, Abram, now Abraham, is visiting with some men (who he later realizes was the Lord) when they tell him that his wife would soon become pregnant. Sarai, now called Sarah, was eavesdropping and began to laugh when she heard the men's statement because she was old and well beyond child-bearing years. When confronted on why she laughed, she denied it. Perhaps she was embarrassed by her lack of faith.

Finally in Genesis 21, Sarah became pregnant and at the very time God had promised Abraham she would. The promise God gave Abraham was not a promise given to all of us, however, when the desire of Sarah's heart lined up with the will of God, her prayers were answered. Oh, if we could only see that the Lord's will and timing are perfect! We must be patient, have faith and be obedient to the Lord's will in our lives. He wants to give us the desires of our hearts, but only when they are in His will. Seek Him and pray the desires of your heart are the desires of His will.