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1The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. 2He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. 3He said, "My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. 4Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on — since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said." 6And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes." 7Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. 8Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.
9They said to him, "Where is your wife Sarah?" And he said, "There, in the tent." 10Then one said, "I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. 11Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?" 13The LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, and say, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?' 14Is anything too wonderful for the LORD? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son." 15But Sarah denied, saying, "I did not laugh"; for she was afraid. He said, "Oh yes, you did laugh."
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Your irresponsible friend (or brother-in-law or neighbor, etc.) will pay you back the borrowed money . . . when pigs fly. The boss said I could have a paid, two-month vacation . . . when pigs fly. A vaccine for COVID 19 will be found in a sunken ship at the bottom of the sea . . . when pigs fly.
The 90-year-old wife of a 100-year-old husband will have a baby . . . when pigs fly. I’m sure no one saw them, but evidently pigs did fly about nine months after ancient Abraham and Sarah got the news they were expecting. Of course, they didn’t believe at first when the three visitors brought the message from God. It wasn’t the first time they had been told they would become parents. God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of a multitude of nations years before, so long ago they had stopped waiting.
We have made and kept and broken promises, and we know too well the pain and disappointment of broken promises, but God never breaks a promise. God always keeps a promise, although it may take a long time. Abraham and Sarah laughed at the thought of becoming parents at such an old age, but God’s promised child finally was born. They kept laughing as they named the baby boy “Isaac,” which means “laughter.”
One of God’s promises that we lift up regularly at St. John’s is that God loves you, no matter what. Believe that promise; believe all of God’s promises. Keep faith in God whose promises will be kept even if it takes a while.
Watch out for flying pigs if you want to, but there’s a better hint of what will come in the days ahead than pork in the sky. The best sign of what will happen tomorrow is to look at what God has done yesterday. For God always has, and always will keep his promises.
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Heavenly Father, your Word is truth and your promises are kept. When we see quick answers to our prayers, we are thankful, but when we wait and watch, as days turn to months and years, it is hard to wait. Come to us then and bring back our hope that we may continue to trust in your promises. We pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.
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Written by Pastor Pam Mitcham
Pastor of Community Care
pmitcham@stjohns-springfield.org
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