Marlene’s Meditations
Claiming Our Inheritance
By Marlene Houk
Burke County
In the book of Genesis, Sarah, Abraham’s wife, demonstrates a kaleidoscope of countries, cultures, and complications. She encountered danger in Egypt and the Philistine land as well as in her travels. The different cultures in which she lived influenced her in making choices, and her experiences complicated life. But, through it all, God sews the colorful tapestry of her life with the strong threads of faith. As a result, she helps us to understand that we can follow her legacy of steps to a mighty faith and point others to the same path. Follow the acrostic for a glimpse of Sarah, the princess of Genesis, and her influence on our faith.
S – The simple, historical life of Sarah is filled with danger, daring disobedience, and riches, and these facets of
her life parallel spiritual truths. Likewise, through our life experiences, God grows our newborn faith.
A – Sarah’s existence is a spiritual analogy in Isaiah 51:2, for the LORD brought forth a miracle in her barren
womb and formed a mighty nation to provide a Savior for the world. Like Sarah, God can, out of our
spiritual barrenness, nourish a strong faith that leads others to Christ and forms His eternal Kingdom. We,
like Sarah, are trophies of His grace!
R – The influence of Sarah’s faith bursts forth in Galatians 4:21-31 where she becomes more than her
historical life. She is now a symbol of freedom found in the LORD. Sarah helps us to understand that we
are the children of God’s promises. She found His promises true and empowering in her life, and we can do
the same.
A – The final announcement of faith’s fruit is found in Hebrews 11:11, and Sarah beckons us to follow her
footsteps to obtain a strong faith.
H – Sarah’s legacy is given to us in I Peter 3:6, and her faith merits a lifetime of discovery.
Sarah was a real woman with faults and failures. We enter her story in Genesis 11:29, at a desperate time of her life. She delighted in being the wife of Abraham but despaired in her barrenness. Infertility in her day was equivalent to being useless and subject to being accused of sin. We follow her as she:
- falls into the pit of solving her own problems
- believes the culture of the day, and
- succumbs to her emotions.
However, her grand and glorious description in Hebrews 11:11 adds God’s perspective. As she enters the Hall of Faith, Sarah is a living testimony to the certainty that God can and will use women who have stumbled and fallen in life. Just like Sarah, bit by bit, Jesus works His grace and wisdom into our life’s stories, and He fashions us into His image (2 Corinthians 3:18). Sarah’s faith shines brightly in Hebrews where her farewell to us and her legacy of trust in the LORD has motivated Christian women worldwide for millennia. We finish our journey with her as she:
- discovers the strength of her faith to fulfill God’s physical plan for her
- allows her faith to transcend her needs, and
- decides to live the promises of God.
We can rest assured that, as God molded Sarah into a woman destined to shine His light forever, so will He pour Himself into every detail of our lives.
Sarah has bequeathed to us our inheritance of the influence of her heirloom faith. They beckon: the brilliant diamonds of faith fashioned under the tremendous pressure of barrenness, the dazzling opals of holiness forged in the fires of submission, and the glowing pearls of a meek and quiet spirit formed around the irritants of waiting and disbelief.
How do we claim our inheritance? The first step of the journey is to thoroughly search the stories in Scripture so that the riches are discovered. Develop a passion to explore repeated things such as words, concepts, patterns, etc. Examine the subtle message of things absent, and inspect the mention of things for the first time. Then follow the trail of these clues to spiritual principles elsewhere in the Bible. Finally, enjoy these crown jewels as a princess, a daughter of the King. Happy hunting!
