“And I will bless her [Sarah] and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.” Genesis 17:16 NKJV

One of the great discoveries in life is that we are never really in control. There are many things we’ll never achieve by our own efforts.

Maybe it’s a better career. A bigger home. A dream vacation. An Olympic medal. A Hallmark movie romance. Grandchildren.

Maybe you’ve prayed about something like this for years. None of these are bad desires…until they slowly creep into becoming idols…and we start becoming manipulative to get them.

That’s when I remember Sarah’s story in the Bible. I cringe when I see myself in her impatience and desire to be in control.

Sarah served as the faithful servant wife to her husband, Abraham, as God led them on a lifelong journey to Canaan. In the process, Sarah put up with Abraham’s lies when twice he presented her to local kings as his sister instead of his wife, endangering her life. She had endured the constant moving, living in tents instead of a framed home. Yet in submission, she obeyed Abraham and followed wherever he led her…for a very long time.

What she couldn’t accept was the despair of childlessness and the stigma it carried. She wanted a child.

Sarah knew about God’s promise, that Abraham and she would have a son of their own together. But why should she believe it? She was decades past childbearing. It’s no wonder she laughed when she heard the promise announced by an angel. Years of bitter disappointment had removed all hope.

In her exasperation with God’s tardiness, Sarah took matters into her own hands and encouraged Abraham to take her maid Hagar as a second wife and surrogate mother. The outcome, of course, was disastrous. Hagar’s ensuing pregnancy and birth of her son, Ishmael, created family strife and generations of hostility that extend to our current world.

But God—those two words in the Scriptures carry incredible power—never wavered in His promise. Sarah did become a mother, at a time when she and Abraham were ancient in age. God gave her His reward, the royal privilege of bearing and rearing the young man Isaac who would become an ancestor of the entire Jewish population, the ancestor of Jesus Christ, and the “faith ancestor” of all Christians today.

Sarah’s desert experience was long, tedious, and constantly heartbreaking. God’s promises did not fail her, though, despite her manipulation. He was faithful when she was unfaithful. His purposes and plans for her succeeded.

Sarah offers a good example of our human tendency take control when God is slow (in our opinion) about acting on our demands. We think we need make things happen on our own timing. But the truth is that God is in charge, not us. Unless we subject ourselves wholly to our Lord and His direction, we live under the manipulation of the devil’s schemes.

It’s so easy to let something or someone other than Christ become an idol, to worship it more than we worship God Himself. We abandon the Giver in our quest to obtain His gifts.

By His mercy and grace, though, we have the everlasting privilege as His children to approach His throne in prayer. He wants us to petition Him with our requests. While He may provide us with our hearts’ desires immediately, He may say “wait” for the fruition of His plans. And He may also say “no” and point our footsteps in a new direction. 

The key is to trust His overwhelming love for us and His loving purposes for us. We may never see how His hand is working for our good. But at least we can make wise decisions by following His guidance and will. He is faithful to show us when to act in His power and when to refrain from being controlling.

Friend, you and I can rest in contentment knowing that God is sovereign over our lives, not us. We can have greater joy in His abundant life all around us, the riches of His presence and our security in heaven. 

There is sweet peace, indeed, in living an out-of-control life for Christ. He’s in charge of the outcome, and He’s already won our battles for us. We can trust Him to be faithful for us.

Lord Jesus, how I praise You for Your promises! You have promised to “do a new thing” out of nothing. You will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert for me. Forgive me when I try to take charge of things that can only be gifts from You. Grant me patience, humility, and contentment to wait for You, to let Your Holy Spirit guide my every step. I humbly recognize You are in control and can supply all my needs. Thank You for blessings that I cannot yet see. In Your abundant name, Amen.

Nancy C. Williams is a Christian wife/mom with a writing career spanning more than 40 years in business and journalism. Williams is the author of the novel To Love a Falcon and the devotional book A Crocus in the Desert: Devotions, Stories, and Prayers for Women Experiencing Infertility. Her blogs are featured on Crossmap.com and AriseDaily. To follow Nancy’s posts and news, go to her home page at NancyCWilliams.com and subscribe at the bottom. 

© Copyright 2026 Nancy C. Williams (text and photography). Unless otherwise noted, Scripture verses are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. #faithjourney #Christianliving #faithoverfear #walkwithGod #kingdomlife #Christianencouragement #Biblestudy #dailydevotional #Godisgood #prayerwarrior #Christianity #Jesus #God #Christian #Bible #faith #trust #JesusChrist #Love #church #Christ #prayer #Bibleverse #trial #patience #hopefromdespair #desert #presenceofGod #controlling #childlessness #manipulation