This walk through the Hall of Faith is such an encouragement. These were real people, frail humans, who sometimes doubted God. They learned of the very real God they had and that strengthened their faith as they learned to trust Him.

Let’s take a look at the next person in the Hall of Faith, Abraham’s wife, Sarah.

Now, if we were in the committee as to who would be added to the Hall of Faith, we may have passed over her. For, look at her lack of faith in Genesis 18:10-15.

^“10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

¹¹ Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

¹² Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

¹³ And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

¹⁴ Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

¹⁵ Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.”

Sarah did not have faith in God that she would have a child. I mean when Isaac was born, she was 90 years old; Abraham was 100 years old. The thought of having a baby was very humorous to her. She had no faith in what God could do and found what God promised to be humorous. To make matters worse, when confronted with her laughter at the thought of having a baby at that age, she even denied laughing.

So, back to our committee voting to add Sarah to the Hall of Faith, all I hear is a chorus of “nays.”

Yet, God sees something differently. In 1 Peter 3:5-6, it lifts Sarah up as an example to other women. And, in Hebrews 11: 11-12, we see Sarah as a woman of faith, receiving strength that was not her own.

^“11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

¹² Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.”

Oh, friend, do you see it? The verse says that through faith Sara received strength because she judged him faithful who had promised. Oh, reread those verses!

It was not of her own strength that she went from laughing at the thought of what God could do in her life. She had faith (maybe just a mustard seed of faith) in God’s faithfulness to do what He promised. Then, God kept His promise; Abraham’s and Sarah’s descendants are innumerable.

Wow! Doesn’t that give you hope? It does me. Sometimes I mess up, you know, being human and all. Sometimes my faith is so small. Yet, God is faithful. He can turn that failure into faith. He can still use us to perform amazing works for Him!