Every Woman's Bible Genesis sampler - Flipbook - Page 41
31
Sarah
IDENTIT Y
Lies and Laughter
I can imagine Sarah being furious.
As she drew a king’s attention for being beautiful, Abraham lied, “She is my sister.”
“I’m your what?”
Sarah was marched off into the king’s harem, even brought to the king himself.
Who we are is sometimes chosen for us. Amid the swirl of family, culture, and appearances,
we can become someone we are most definitely not. And one day, as we sip our coffee,
we realize that what we’re doing is slowly sucking the life out of us. We wonder, “How did
I get here?” Maybe someone else’s fear—but most likely our own—has wrapped us in a
bad-dream-of-a-life.
While Abraham got it wrong in this passage, Sarah herself got identity wrong a lot. Would
she believe God was the one who could make her a mom, even though she was too old? Or
would she laugh? Would she maintain faith that she would
be the mother of many generations, or would she offer her
servant to have a baby in her place? Would she be a “princess”
God loves the real
(the meaning of the name Sarah) who cared for her subjects,
you, not who others
or would she use her authority to harm her servant Hagar?
God intervened for Sarah. He spoke to the king in a dream,
say you are. Your
and the king scrambled to return her to Abraham, who fessed
identity, trued to
up. Sarah was restored to who she really was.
God knows our true identity, not just what others say about
his love, gives life.
us or the ways we pigeonhole ourselves. As with Sarah, our
identity, linked to his love, gives life.
SARAH’S STORY IS TOLD IN GENESIS 11–23; SHE IS ALSO MENTIONED IN ISAIAH 51:2; ROMANS 4:19; 9:9;
GALATIANS 4:21-31; HEBREWS 11:11; 1 PETER 3:6.
IDENTIFY
What words have you spoken, have others spoken, or
has God spoken about who
you are?
“Like Sarah, I once found
myself living by others’ lies.
Turns out God made me
for something that fits a
lot better.”
CARA DAY is a writer and
illustrator. She has served
with Stonecroft Ministries
helping women live
“extraordinary.”
