The most peace-filled and joy-permeated people I have ever met are those who are nearing the end of life and know that they have been faithful to God. Read the exuberance of the Apostle Paul in his last letter: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord will award to me on that day..." (2 Tim. 4:7). When Paul wrote this, he was in a Roman prison expecting death. But, he had no regrets and no fears. He was not mourning a soon-to-come funeral. Paul was rejoicing at the wonderful future in store for him!.

The most anxiety-filled and fear-permeated people I have ever met are those who have hit a stage in life in which they believe that they wasted their lives—and they see no hope for things to change. Perhaps they once had possessed high hopes for a wonderful family or career when they graduated from school. But, years elapsed and they did not achieve the potential they had foreseen. Or, achieving their hopes, they found that what they had longed for brought no lasting satisfaction.

Today, we will meet that second kind of person. When we meet her, Sarah was in her 90s and was in despair. Her marriage was in shambles. She had never been able to have the one thing in life she wanted most—and she had no hope whatsoever of having it. She was mocked by her society, probably pitied by her family. She would describe herself as a worn-through piece of clothing that was beyond repair. Her life was in tatters.

A series of sermons called "Turning Points" would have been laughable to Sarah. She thought that life had passed her by. But, because of the grace of her unlimited God, she would soon discover that her own life could flourish. Sarah was to experience a turning point. Sorrow-filled Sarah would most certainly laugh—and her laugh would not be the laugh of cynicism. She would laugh the laugh of one filled with joy.

We will learn today that when we walk in faith with the omnipotent and loving God of the Bible, we need never despair. As God told Jeremiah (29:11), "I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

To His Glory,

Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor