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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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Have you ever felt stuck in a specific season in life? Maybe you were not sure which college to choose, what to major in, if you should change careers after 10+ years, or even waiting for a global pandemic to end after a year and a half of being stuck in it. All the unanswered questions and unfulfilled desires can lead us to doubt God’s plan for our lives.
If you have ever questioned God’s plan for your life, be comforted that you are not alone. As far back as Genesis, Sarah and Abraham battled with questioning God’s promise to give them children. Sarah even tries to take this matter into her own hands (Genesis 16). In today’s reading, God visits Abraham and promises a son by the following year. Sarah overhears this and laughs to herself in doubt.
It is easy to doubt God’s plans when they seem impossible. God answers Sarah, saying, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” We see in Genesis 21 that God fulfills God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah.
It is hard to see past our current situations, but nothing is too hard for God. No person is so broken that God cannot heal and no dream is so far away that God cannot reach. Even when things do not go according to our plan, today’s reading shows us that we can trust God and God’s plan for us. God is faithful.
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Heavenly Father, thank you for your plan for our lives. We know that you hold our future in your hands and that nothing is impossible for you. Help us remember these promises. Keep us steadfast in times of doubt and hold us close in times of trouble. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
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Written by Ashley Butler
Director of Media and Communications
abutler@stjohns-springfield.org
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