Abraham had the faith to leave his homeland and settle in an unfamiliar land (Heb. 11:8-9). But even though God had given him a promise that He would make of him “a great nation” by giving him offspring as numerous as the sand on the seashore (Gen. 12:1-2), his wife Sarah remained barren for many years (16:1).

Because of this, Abraham took Sarah’s suggestion to have a child with her servant Hagar (vv.2-4). But God reaffirmed His promise that He would give Abraham and Sarah a son of their own (17:15-22). They had to learn to wait by faith for God to fulfill His promise (Gen. 21:1-3; Heb. 11:11).

Believers in Christ face a similar test of faith. We know that God wants to produce spiritual offspring through us, but we may be spiritually barren—sometimes after years of knowing the Lord as Savior and trying to witness for Christ. It’s as if we say, “I am barren. I cannot have children.” We may become discouraged and have such little faith that we won’t even witness to others.

Speaking out for Christ is ultimately a matter of faith. The same God who promised Abraham he would have a child has told us to proclaim the gospel (Mt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). As we do that, we can trust Him for the results.