And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” Genesis 17:15-16 (ESV)
It’s hard for me to fathom how long Sarah must have longed for a child of her own to hold. When God made the promise to Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 17:15-16, Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old.
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” Genesis 17:17 (ESV)
What???? I cannot even imagine going through pregnancy when I am 90 years old, much less giving birth. To even conceive seems a scientific impossibility, but to the God who designed our bodies, nothing is impossible.
The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.” And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.” Genesis 21:1-7 (ESV)
There is a double miracle here. Sarah’s unfruitful womb is opened. She conceives and bears the promised son, Isaac. Then, by a second miracle, her body (long past child-bearing years) is made able to nurse the baby.
God promised (and delivered) life where there was no hope of it, but then, He supplied provision for that life to thrive.
There are two ways to apply these miracles to our lives that I see. One is in the natural and the other, the spiritual.
1. In the natural, I have known several couples, who have heartbreaking years of trying to conceive a child or having miscarriages. They feel like God has given them a dream of having children, but it simply feels impossible that it will ever be fulfilled. However, then they pray or are filled with faith through encouraging teaching, prayed for by someone who has faith to believe, and they conceive and deliver beautiful children. Even when doctors have said it would never happen. When they have these children, God gives them the wisdom, strength, and energy they need to raise them.
Side note: I have also known couples who had trouble conceiving and felt like God was calling them to foster or adopt children. Their lives as adoptive parents has also brought them great joy. It is important to seek God and His perfect will at all times.
2. In the spiritual, there are dreams and callings that God has placed on our lives. Sometimes, especially as we grow older, we feel that the dream has died inside us and will never take place.
When it seems like the vision God gave you has died inside of you , God speaks life. What He conceives, He will deliver. What He delivers, He will sustain and provide for. The vision, the reality, the provision.
This is a miracle. Callings and dreams resurrected by our life-giving God.
When we feel God conceiving or resurrecting a dream or calling in us, we can respond with faith and action, pursuing the vision He has given us. Will we be filled with enthusiasm and boldness or worry about if everyone will laugh at us? Will we laugh off the promise or embrace it? I want to be someone who ignores those who might laugh at me and pursue what God is calling me to do.
Action Step: Some of you can feel a dream or calling coming to life inside of you. Your spirit is leaping up and saying, “This is totally me!” Others may not know what God is calling them to do. If you know, thank God for the dream and ask Him for His help to deliver it and take action toward it. If you don’t know, ask God to reveal it to you. Spend some time (even a couple of minutes) in silence, thinking about God and asking for His direction. Listen for the still, small voice inside (the Holy Spirit) bring help and guidance. Take action on what He tells you.
Dear God, Expand my faith to believe for the things I have given up on but You are still calling me to. Give me eyes to see Your vision for my life and ears to hear Your still, small voice. Bring to life Your dreams in me, birth them, and sustain them so Your purposes can thrive. In Jesus’ name, amen.