Over the past few weeks we here at the NBV have been studying the life of Abraham to see what we can learn about trusting God and the journey of faith.
In Genesis 18 we come across the story of Abraham’s wife Sarah laughing-off the absurd news that she’s going to have a baby in her old age.
A wild prediction
One of them said, “I’m coming back about this time next year. When I arrive, your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was listening at the tent opening, just behind the man.
Abraham and Sarah were old by this time, very old. Sarah was far past the age for having babies. Sarah laughed within herself, “An old woman like me? Get pregnant? With this old man of a husband?”
God said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh saying, ‘Me? Have a baby? An old woman like me?’ Is anything too hard for God? I’ll be back about this time next year and Sarah will have a baby.”
Sarah lied. She said, “I didn’t laugh,” because she was afraid.
But he said, “Yes you did; you laughed.” (Genesis 18:10-15)
Can you really blame her for being skeptical? She was well passed menopause. This was a ridiculous idea. She heard God’s plan for her and just couldn’t take it in. She could only laugh at the thought. But God turned Sarah’s laughter of skepticism into laughter of joy...
1-4 God visited Sarah exactly as he said he would; God did to Sarah what he promised: Sarah
became pregnant and gave Abraham a son in his old age, and at the very time God had set. Abraham named him Isaac (which means, ‘he laughs’). (Genesis 21:1-3)
I was like Sarah. I laughed the first time someone told me that Jesus wanted to change me, a dope-fiend, into a brand new person. It was so outrageous an idea as to be unbelievable. Ridiculous! So I laughed. After all everyone knew, once an addict, always an addict. I laughed when God told me I was going to be a pastor. No way! I didn’t go to seminary I studied psychology. I didn’t even know if I liked church all that much. I laughed!
The last laugh
Well if I’ve learned one thing over all these years it’s that God always has the last laugh… I’ve been clean and free from drugs now for forty-four years and I’ve been a pastor for thirty-six. It only proves that there’s nothing too hard for him. He’s done way more with my life than I could ever think to ask or dream of.
Have you ever laughed at God’s plan for you? Angels might not have shown up at your front door making predictions about your future but God’s plan may have come to you through prayer, or while reading the Bible, or through the words of a pastor or trusted friend, who said,
“I can really see you going… or doing… or becoming a…” Or maybe God’s dream for you is hidden within your deepest, unspoken dreams for yourself:
“Someday I’d like to…” Dreams that are so big and crazy that you can’t share them with others. Dreams that involve resources or skills you don’t have. Maybe like tired old Sarah, you look at yourself and laugh. The dream is too unrealistic, too big, too impossible. But if God said it… if he promised… if he’s called you to do it, he will.
Is anything too hard for God? We may laugh at God’s plan but God laughs at our obstacles.
Mike T
