Would you like to see what we have written on a subject? Use the search below.

[If you purchase anything on this site, I may make a commission. Disclosure Policy]

Sarah Lived With Disappointment
For Most Of Her Life

Sometimes life does not go as we plan. We have hopes and plans and dreams. Then something happens. They are dashed to pieces, and we end up living with disappointment.

Maybe we had dreams of a wonderful lifetime marriage, but divorce, death, or the actions of our spouse destroyed our beautiful plans. Maybe we had hopes of a bright future for our child/children, but disease, death, or rebellion brought an abrupt halt to our desires. Maybe we had unsaved loved ones [or even saved loved ones making bad decisions] who kept going in the wrong direction, no matter how much we prayed for them. Maybe we thought our job was secure and our financial future bright, then, out of a blue sky, lightning struck, and everything changed. Maybe a stroke or other disease attacked us, and we are unable to function as we want to. Or a million other ways our individual or family plans can end up temporarily or permanently destroyed. The result is that we are living with disappointment.

Sitemap - Free Water Of The Word Newsletter - Statement Of Faith - Donate
Follow us on social media for daily Scripture comments and more at MeWe, Facebook or YouTube.

man and woman studying the Bible which comes alive to them

Sarah [Sarai to begin with] knew what it was like to live with disappointment for most of her life. She was a very beautiful woman [still desirable to other men when she was 86 years old - Gen. 20!]. She seemed to have everything going for her. She married a good man. In a culture where polygamy was common, there is no record that Abraham ever had another woman until he married Hagar - at Sarah’s insistence. Like most young women, she had dreams of a family. Shortly after their marriage, that dream was crushed. She discovered that she could not have children [Gen. 11:30].

Sarah crying because she can't have children

In our modern Western society, which officially accepts the murder of children as a mother’s right, it may be hard to imagine how devastating such a realization was. For most women in ancient society [and many women today], life centred on the home and children. Not having children would bring loneliness and a loss of purpose. Society would consider her cursed. Other women would laugh, pity or ignore her. Other men would encourage her husband to take another wife so he could at least have a family and heirs. Sarah would be living with this shattering disappointment for 89 years!

Was she happy when her husband heard from an unknown God and moved his family to parts unknown? Perhaps, but she knew no matter where she went, her condition would soon be known, and the laughter, rejection and loneliness would continue. You can’t escape from your own body!

In spite of this, we never once read where she blamed God or her husband [after all, until Hagar became pregnant, it could have been Abraham’s problem]. Many people who are living with disappointment blame God or become bitter and angry. In so doing, they not only ruin their own lives, but also bring pain and destruction into the lives of others.

I am sure Abraham had many times shared with her the promise of God for an heir through her, but she does not seem to have believed the promise until after she was rebuked for laughing at it [Gen. 18:6-15, Heb. 11:11]. She had lost hope for herself, but she did not let that hinder her relationship with Abraham or her management of a large household, although none of the members were hers.

At one point, Sarah realized she could “never” have a child, so she came up with a plan to have one of her own. She would have someone else have a child for her! To be fair, she waited until she was 75. That’s a lot of patience when you are living with disappointment. It failed, and she felt even worse than before.

Yet, in God's timing, when she was 90, she gave birth to Isaac and had the joy of living with him for 37 years. All her pain and suffering turned to joy. The last 37 years of her life were her most exciting and fulfilling years.

What would have happened if Sarah had been a “normal” woman and had had many children throughout her life? She would have been happy, but world history would not have changed. Abraham would never have had to prove his faith, so he would not have become the Father of the Faithful. Isaac would not have been the only seed. Israel would not have come into existence to be the womb through which the Messiah would be born. This was so much bigger than Sarah and her personal happiness. But even from Sarah’s point of view, she would never have known the intense joy of seeing a dead dream come to life. I doubt she would have traded Isaac for all the children she could have had.

Living With Disappointment
Today

As Christians, what do we do when we are living with disappointment?

1. It is not wrong to grieve for a season, especially if it involves the death of a person or a marriage.

2. We do not blame God or reject Him. Instead, we use the grieving process to draw closer to Him through praise and worship. Job is a good example. Also see James 1:2-12 and Phil. 4:4-7.

3. We realize that even though our disappointment is real and our pain may be deep, God is good. He is sovereign and in control. He has a higher purpose for our benefit and others'. We may not understand what it is. We may never understand it. However, we trust Jesus Christ and bring our dashed hopes and tears to Him. Like Mary, we sit at His feet and listen.

4. We learn to move on in life. We do not allow bitterness to harden and destroy us and others. How many marriages have been broken up because of the tragic death of a child and one partner who refuses to move on? Instead of losing one, they have lost all. The past cannot be changed. We can only trust Jesus and see what good can come out of it as we go forward in Him.

Glenn Davis is a Christian author and Bible teacher whose work draws on more than 40 years of study, writing, and teaching in local churches. He has written 700+ articles, created five Bible courses, published three books, and shared 300+ Bible videos on YouTube. Readers can find his books on Amazon, follow his teaching on YouTube or visit Glenn Davis Books. Away from the keyboard, he enjoys time with family, reading, walking, and board or card games.

Follow us on social media for daily Scripture comments and more at MeWe, Facebook or YouTube.
Sitemap - Newsletter - Statement Of Faith - Donate

Please note: We no longer have the commenting feature [maybe again in the future]. Joshua Institute students who have questions or comments on their courses can use the contact button and mention the course name and lesson number in the email. Thank you. Glenn