58 | How to Balance Faith and Doubt: Cultivating Hope in God’s Promises

We explore the delicate balance between faith and doubt through the biblical story of Sarah, witnessing how God's promises are fulfilled even when circumstances seem impossible. Sarah's journey from skepticism to joy demonstrates that even our failures can be redeemed in God's sovereign plan.

• Sarah initially doubted God's promise of a child
• Taking matters into her own hands created family conflict and complications
• God changed Sarai's name to Sarah, marking her new identity
• Sarah's laughter at the impossibility of pregnancy turned to joy when Isaac was born
• God's question "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" challenges us to expand our faith
• Even when we make mistakes, God remains faithful to fulfill His promises
• Sarah's honesty about her doubts teaches us about authentic relationship with God
• Her story demonstrates that faith can coexist with questions and uncertainties

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey friend, ever wondered how to navigate the
intricate dance between faithand doubt?
Join us as we explore atimeless biblical lesson on
trusting in God's plan even whenit seems that all odds are
against you.
Are you feeling a bit swampedwith your weekly Bible study
prep, wondering how to make yourlessons both engaging and

(00:20):
impactful, searching for freshinsights to inspire and
spiritually nourish your group?
Well, you are in the rightplace.
Our Sound Wisdom Bible Studylessons are here to make your
preparation easier, revive yourteaching and profoundly enrich
your group's faith journey.
Before we get started, I'd liketo give a shout out to Michelle

(00:40):
WB.
She writes, "Practical adviceto grow closer to God.
Paula provides practical adviceand guidance on ways to bring
us closer to God.
She reminds us and helps usgrow spiritually.
Enjoyed listening to her andthe ways that I may grow closer
to God daily, with routines anddevotions a much needed resource

(01:01):
.
Thank you so much, Michelle.
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(01:23):
showcased on one of our upcomingepisodes.
What a joy it is for me to hearfrom our listeners.
Let's embark on this adventuretogether.
But first let me tell you aboutmy faith building club.
You'll find over eight monthsof printable resources crafted
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These include everything fromprayer and devotional journals
to detailed Bible study lessonsand reading plans, all designed

(01:44):
to deepen your connection withthe Word and bring fresh
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You can find these valuableresources at
faithbuildingclubcom no spaces.
Hi.
I'm Paula, a follower of Jesus,a grandma of six and a retired
pastor with a heart forempowering believers.
Ready to get started, grab yourBible, your printable resources

(02:06):
and prepare your heart forinsights from God.
In the early days of my pastoraljourney, I often found myself
caught in a tug-of-war betweendoubt and faith, similar to when
Sarah doubted the promise ofbecoming a mother to nations.
Each month, as I deliveredweekly sermons, led funeral
services, officiated weddings,consoled bereaved families,

(02:29):
welcomed newborns into thechurch community, worked
alongside paid and volunteerstaff and more, I wrestled with
uncertainties, frequentlyquestioning my ability to truly
fulfill my vocational calling.
My constant prayer was, "oh God, please take my imperfect words
and actions and use them foryour glory.

(02:50):
Over the years, as I served ineight different pastoral
appointments, I watched inamazement as the promises I
clung to came to fruition inways far beyond what I could
have ever asked or imagined.
Through every doubt, godremained faithful, transforming

(03:10):
my journey into a testament ofHis unwavering grace.
Just as Sarah witnessed therealization of what once seemed
impossible becoming a motherdespite all odds, I too have
seen how faith can overcomedoubt, as God fulfills all that
he promises.
I invite you now to join me aswe embark on a journey to

(03:33):
explore the delicate balancebetween belief and doubt, and
even find the courage to laughwith faith when uncertainty
looms.
When uncertainty looms, Sarai'slife begins in the city of Ur,
where she was born into thelineage of Terah.
Little did she know that herlife was about to take an
extraordinary turn when herhusband, Abram, received a

(03:56):
divine call from God.
The call led them to embark ona journey to an unknown land,
away from their familiarsurroundings and into the realm
of God's promises.
God called Abram to take hisfamily and leave his land.
God had something better instore for him.
God promised Abram that hewould have descendants as

(04:18):
numerous as the stars, and thispromise included Sarai
conceiving and bearing a child.
The only problem, Sarai wasbarren.
In a culture where bearingchildren was deeply significant,
Sarai's barrenness was a burdenshe carried for many years.
Despite her devotion to God,she faced moments of doubt,

(04:39):
wondering if God's promise ofdescendants would ever come to
pass.
God's promise to make Abraham agreat nation seemed improbable
and unlikely with Sarai'sinability to conceive.
Despite her advanced age, Saraiyearned for a child and she
pleaded with Abram to have achild through her servant, Hagar

(05:01):
.
Abram complied and Hagar bore achild named Ishmael.
However, this decision led toconflicts and tensions within
the family.
While Sarai's actions weredriven by a desire to see God's
promise fulfilled, it becameevident that human interventions
to fulfill God's plans oftenlead to unintended consequences.

(05:24):
Despite her good intentions,Sarai's decision brought discord
into her family, leaving alasting impact on future
generations.
However, God's plan was not yetfully realized, and the birth
of Ishmael was only part of theintricate tapestry that would
eventually unfold, leading tothe fulfillment of God's promise

(05:47):
in the birth of Isaac.
Sarai's longing for a child wasnot in vain, as God had a
greater plan for her.
In Genesis 17, God reaffirmedhis covenant with Abraham and
made a covenant with Sarah aswell.
He changed their names,signifying a new beginning in
divine intervention.
Sarai became Sarah, which meansprincess.

(06:10):
This renaming marked her roleas the mother of nations and
emphasized the fulfillment ofGod's promise through her.
The visitation of three angelsto Abraham and Sarah at the Oaks
of Mamre brought an astonishingrevelation.
They announced that Sarah,despite her old age, would

(06:30):
conceive and bear a son within ayear.
When Sarah overheard thisdivine proclamation, she
initially laughed in disbelief.
"After I am worn out and myLord is old, shall I have
pleasure?
Her laughter reflected herdoubt, but it also revealed the
human struggle to trust God inthe face of impossibility.
God's response to Sarah'slaughter was not one of

(06:54):
condemnation, but rather aquestion that resonated
throughout time Is anything toohard for the Lord?
This question encapsulates theessence of faith to trust in
God's power and sovereignty,even when circumstances seem
insurmountable, improbable orextremely unlikely.
Sarah's laughter turned to aweand submission, acknowledging

(07:18):
God's ability to do theimpossible.
True to the angel's words,sarah conceived and bore a son
whom they named Isaac.
His name means he laughs,signifying the joy and laughter
that came from God's fulfillmentof his promise.
Isaac's birth brought immensejoy to Sarah, abraham and their

(07:40):
entire household, but he alsoled to challenging situations
when Sarah witnessed Ishmaelmocking her son.
This prompted her to demandthat Abraham cast out Hagar and
Ishmael, which he eventually didunder God's guidance.
Sarah's story reflects a patternof faith, wavering at times,

(08:01):
but ultimately anchored in God'sfaithfulness.
Despite her mistakes andmoments of doubt, she remains a
remarkable example of a womanwho walked with God, leaving a
legacy of faith and obedience.
So what do we learn from thisstory?
Sarah's decision to takematters into her own hands and

(08:23):
have Abraham conceive a childwith Hagar holds valuable
lessons for us.
Sarah's impatience in waitingfor God's promise to be
fulfilled led her to takematters into her own hands.
This impulsive decision teachesus the importance of trusting
in God's timing and notresorting to our own solutions
when things seem delayed oruncertain.

(08:45):
Patience and faith in God'splan are essential virtues in
our journey of faith.
Sarah's choice to use Hagar asa surrogate had unforeseen
consequences are essentialvirtues in our journey of faith.
Sarah's choice to use Hagar as asurrogate had unforeseen
consequences, leading totensions and conflicts within
her family.

(09:05):
It serves as a reminder thathuman interventions to fulfill
God's plans can bring aboutcomplexities and hardships we
may not anticipate.
When we try to manipulatecircumstances instead of
trusting God's sovereignty, werisk facing unintended
consequences.
Sarah's jealousy and feelingsof inadequacy in comparison to

(09:25):
Hagar highlight the danger ofcomparing ourselves with others
and the destructive nature ofjealousy.
Comparing ourselves to otherscan lead to resentment and cloud
our judgment, preventing usfrom seeing God's unique plan
for our lives.
Sarah's actions stemmed from adesire to see God's promise

(09:45):
fulfilled, but she failed totrust God's ability to bring it
to pass without her intervention.
The lesson here is to havefaith in God's provision and to
trust that he knows the best wayto fulfill his promises, even
if it doesn't align with ourhuman understanding.
Despite Sarah's actions, Godremained faithful to his promise

(10:07):
and eventually fulfilled itthrough the birth of Isaac.
Sarah's story shows us that,even when we make mistakes or
take wrong paths, God can redeemthose situations and bring
about his divine plan inunexpected ways.
Sarah's actions stemmed from alack of trust in God's ability

(10:27):
to fulfill his promise in hisown time and way.
Her story encourages us tosurrender our desires, fears and
doubts to God, acknowledgingthat his plans are higher and
more significant than our own.
Okay, so let's talk aboutSarah's laughter and doubt,

(10:47):
which provide essential lessonsfor us as well.
Her laughter and doubt remindus that even the most faithful
individuals can experiencemoments of human frailty.
God's grace is sufficient tounderstand and address our
doubts and fears anduncertainties, though with
compassion and with love.
Sarah's laughter serves as atestament to the importance of

(11:11):
honesty in our relationship withGod.
God knows our hearts, and weshould feel free to express our
doubts and questions to him.
Rather than pretending, we canapproach God with authenticity,
knowing that he welcomes ouropenness.
God's response to Sarah'slaughter reflects his patience
and understanding.

(11:32):
He didn't condemn or punish herfor her initial doubt, but
gently reassured her.
This teaches us that God iscompassionate and patient with
us, meeting us where we are andleading us toward greater faith.
Sarah's laughter turned fromskepticism to awe when she
witnessed God's promisefulfilled.

(11:53):
It shows us that God's word hasthe power to transform our
doubts into faith, and hispromises are never empty.
Sarah's journey of doubt andfaith illustrates that God's
faithfulness is unwavering evenwhen our faith wavers.

(12:14):
We can draw strength from God'sconsistent character and trust
that he will fulfill hispromises, no matter how
impossible they may seem.
Sarah's doubt was rooted in theapparent impossibility of her
situation.
Her story challenges us totrust in God's unseen hand at
work in our lives, even whencircumstances seem improbable.
God's ways are higher than ourunderstanding and we can rest in

(12:38):
his wisdom.
Sarah's laughter didn't markthe end of her faith journey.
She continued to follow Goddespite her initial doubts.
Her story encourages us topersevere in faith even when we
face moments of uncertainty.
We can learn from Sarah'sresilience and commitment to
God's plan.
Sarah's experience teaches usthat God is a God of miracles.

(13:04):
When we encounter situationsthat seem impossible, we can
look to Sarah's story as areminder of God's ability to
perform miracles and bring aboutthe fulfillment of his promises
.
Okay, so I've included a fewdiscussion questions for those
using this study in a groupsetting.
Plus, there's a journalingsection filled with deeper
reflection questions forindividual use.

(13:26):
You can download your resourcenow at faithbuildingclub.
com.
So grab your pen and paper orstylus and embark on your
personal journey of discoverywith God.
I hope today's discussionbrought you inspiration and
insight.
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(13:47):
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See you on the next episode ofSound Wisdom.
Until then, keep your Biblesopen and your coffee mugs ready,

(14:10):
adding a little fuel makes ourscripture journey even more
delightful.