Read: Genesis 18:1-15; 21:1-3
At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son. (18:14)
Sarah knew the pain of unmet longing. For years, she had hoped for a child, only to be met with disappointment again and again. By the time these strangers came for a visit in the desert, Sarah was old enough to have lost all hope of childbearing. Of course she laughed when these men declared she would have a son! It would have hurt too much to take them seriously and get her hopes up, in case they were wrong after all.
Sometimes the promise of God seems too good to be true. Sometimes, we’ve had enough difficulty that we can’t bear to believe that good will come. And yet, just a few chapters later, we find that God fulfilled the promise: “The Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age” (21:1-2). Sarah finally had a baby boy of her own. She named him Isaac, which means “he laughs.” This time around, Sarah’s laughter came, not from disbelief but from joy.
Sarah had good reasons not to trust God. She was also honest about the pain and loss she felt. Trusting God, even in the midst of life’s longing and unknowns is hard. Can we still have faith that God is acting on our behalf? —Amy Curran
As you pray, be honest with God about your deepest desires. Bring to God any hope, frustration, longing, or disappointment.
About the Author
Amy Curran is a gardener, a reader, a runner, and an avid coffee drinker. She lives in Durham, North Carolina, where she runs a community garden and a farm-to-table café for Reality Ministries.
