Iron Rose Sister Ministries

Jesus took the road to redemption willingly, that we might be one with him again.

Written by Eliuth Araque de Valencia, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Colombia

“And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.” (Heb. 11:11)

I can assure you that both you and I have passed through a variety of seasons in our walk of faith. In particular, I have experienced seasons of fruitfulness and I have also experienced seasons of suffering where I did not understand how God could redeem it. And yet, He did.

In my family devotional life, each night we pray for our deepest needs; it is one of the most anticipated moments, opening our hearts, recognizing that we have our struggles. Each one participates giving their requests… that is the dynamic. My turn comes. I once again made a recurring and embarrassing request for a woman who longs to receive the praise of her husband and children, and at the end of a day with a hectic and busy schedule I said: “I ask that God work in my life as the woman He wants me to be, with a soft and quiet spirit pleasing in His eyes.” My son replied and said: "You have been asking for the same thing for a long time." And this was my starting point of affliction, of pain and anguish. "Yes son, it's time."

It is not that God does not always answer my prayers exactly the way I want Him to, nor how many times I manifest them, it was time to not stand there waiting for something magical to happen, but to trigger change and truly take advantage of every opportunity as a mother, wife, daughter and sister to show Christ, even when His very nature is to redeem.

And this is what I see today in this passage. Here Sarah, wife of the great patriarch Abraham, tends to be seen in a frame of dignity and honor. But reading the biblical description of her life, it is impossible not to notice that at times she acted very badly. She may throw fits and tantrums, be impatient, moody, scheming, fierce, mean, fickle, bad-tempered, jealous, erratic, irrational, a winner, complaining, and nagging. However, it has always been a reference or the perfect model of godly grace and meekness.

So, it's easy to start from praise, thinking that we're good Christians, that we read our Bibles, that we pray regularly, that we congregate faithfully and obey all the rules. This is an inaccurate version of ourselves. We fail daily, we are unfaithful every time we choose to sin, we are weak and easily distracted. We can have it all by appearance, but our heart tells the truth. When our life is not according to God's plans and purposes, all we experience is pain, misery, and much regret. At some point it can seem to work in our favor and at the same time be far from God, in slavery, stagnant, without significant changes.

Sara was a creature driven by carnal problems like us. There was one thing she wanted above all else, and that was having children. But she was barren from the beginning to the end of her childbearing years. In fact, this is pretty much the first thing scripture mentions about her in Genesis 11:30, obviously grieving over barrenness. Each episode of bad humor or conflict in her family was preceded by her failure due to her infertility. This consumed her. She spent many years dealing with the frustration and depression that her reality produced. Her desperate desire for motherhood was ended by accepting the fact of her barrenness (Gen. 16:2). She wanted her husband to have an heir so badly that she came up with a plan between him and her maid.
Conceivably, the aftermath of such a carnal alibi was nearly life-tearing and seemed to leave a permanent scar on her personality. Her bitterness infuriated her for thirteen years, until she finally insisted that Abraham expel the other woman, and the child they had fathered.

Her defects are notorious and enough, there is no doubt, she had fallen. Her faith weakened, her heart led her down a wrong path, flaws visible and unquestionable. And we wonder, could there be something more? Fortunately, yes, there was much more to Sara than that. She had both strong points and glaring flaws. The scriptures actually commend her for her faith and steadfastness. The apostle Peter points to her as a model of how each wife should submit to the authority of her husband. Her life is characterized by humility, meekness, hospitality, fidelity, deep affection for her husband, sincere love for God and hope in all trials.

After making this contrast and contradiction, I can conclude that Sarah was a woman who received redemption, because she learned what was valuable, she believed, giving birth to a son after the years of her fertility, being old, a precedent in Hebrew history. The most relevant aspects are her unfailing fidelity to her husband, her perseverance against incredible obstacles and the firmness of her faith; they became the main feature of his legacy. Indeed, the New Testament admires her in the hall of faith: "Because she considered him faithful who had made the promise." (Heb. 11:11)

The full spectacle of Sarah's faith is not fully appreciated until the many seemingly insurmountable obstacles to that faith are considered. The happiness of God's promise fulfilled, not because of Sarah's perfection in obedience or faith, but because God is faithful to His word. Some promises of God are conditional on us doing something. But others are unconditional and are fulfilled not because of what we do, but because of who God is.

“Look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth. When I called him he was only one man, and I blessed him and made him many.” (Is. 51:2)

Now, dear reader, a life of faith is what God appreciates. You and I are not perfect women, we cannot be. God is not indifferent, He sustains us. Today, believe despite your struggles by remembering Sarah. She, against hope, trusted that the impossible for her, that which caused her laughter, would become true. And because He is faithful, we who believe in Christ are justified and redeemed.

That is why God shows His love in that, even though we were sinners, Christ died for us, to enjoy righteousness, believing in Him; being rich in mercy, He not only had a redemptive plan with Sarah and her family but also a plan for us. With the name of Jesus, enjoy, laugh embracing the value of each moment in faith and redemption in the hope of the glorious gospel that sustains us.

#IronRoseSister #HIStories #faith #hope #Sarah #againsthope #trust #redemption #imperfectredeemed #blog

Jeremiah 31:4, 21-22

4 I will build you up again,

    and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt.

Again you will take up your timbrels

    and go out to dance with the joyful.

21 “Set up road signs;

    put up guideposts.

Take note of the highway,

    the road that you take.

Return, Virgin Israel,

    return to your towns.

22 How long will you wander,

    unfaithful Daughter Israel?

The Lord will create a new thing on earth—

    the woman will return to the man.”

Jeremiah 31 has quickly become the theme chapter for 2015 for Iron Rose Sister Ministries. Verses 11-14 will be used for our Destination Retreat, “In the Hands of the Divine Gardener,” October 1-4, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Verses 4, 21 and 22 present a unique perspective of hope and redemption in their reference to Virgin Israel.

Throughout the Old Testament, God compares his relationship with Israel to a marriage, with Israel being the unfaithful bride. He has Hosea marry Gomer, an adulterous woman, as a direct parallel of Israel’s adulterous relationship with God. Other prophets remind Israel of God’s faithfulness in spite of their infidelity.

However, in the prophetic words of Jeremiah, God welcomes Israel to a level of redemption that totally wipes the slate clean. “Virgin Israel” offers more than forgiveness.

Redemption is being bought back, but a reference to “Virgin Israel” is about being brought back to a condition before any infidelity. Can virginity be reclaimed? In God’s eyes and according to his invitation, it can!

After betrayal by a friend, trust is broken; the relationship falters on a shaky foundation in an attempt to take steps forward and mend the brokenness. As failed and flawed human beings, we recognize that things will never return to their original condition. One cannot glue back together a broken vase and restore its original, unblemished beauty.

But God can! Our relationship with God can be reinstated to its original, unblemished beauty.

That statement is beyond our comprehension.

How do you interpret the phrase “Virgin Israel”?

What does God’s redemption mean for you in 2015?

Buying a house can be a gamble, especially if it’s an older house.  Each day seems to bring about a new discovery of things that need attention.

Most recently, the dishwasher died, but not before it had leaked water under the laminate flooring and ruined what was an otherwise perfectly good-looking floor. The water continued to seep and the laminate buckled to the point that I was tripping as I walked through the kitchen. And I’m too much of a klutz to need to add more obstacles in my path.

Long story short, we pulled up the bad flooring and found much more damage under the surface than we expected.

Meanwhile, my mom is coordinating some remodels at their house and behind one of the walls in the kitchen, they found evidence of a fire that had been covered up.

Both houses were presenting an excellent façade, but until we dug deeper, we didn’t know what’s going on under the surface.

This is true of people as well. We put up a good front: the smiling face, “it’s all good” mask on Sunday mornings. But who are we really fooling?

God knows better than we understand from our limited perspective, exactly what is going on inside.

Once we allow Him to reveal what’s going on under the surface, God is able to help us address the issue, patch the brokenness, and heal the disease.

It can feel like a painful process, but think of the inner and outer beauty and strength that are obtained afterwards.

Psalm 103:1-5

Praise the Lord, my soul;

    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, my soul,

    and forget not all his benefits—

who forgives all your sins

    and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

    and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.