04 May God Gets the Last Laugh
Genesis 18:14 – Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.”
In Genesis 18, three men appear to Abraham and since one is repeatedly called the Lord and Abraham worshiped Him, it was probably Jesus, before His birth to Mary, and two angels. The location at which Abraham is visited is the same place he had settled in 13:18, as he had apparently remained in obedience to God who called Him to that place. In this, we see a pattern that emerges as God reveals Himself in various miraculous ways throughout Genesis. They include speaking (1:3), visions (15:1), and angels (16:7).
Genesis 18 begins with God’s visit to Abraham at which time He again promised the birth of Isaac, this time within the year. Sarah was eavesdropping on the conversation between Abraham and the Lord and, like her husband did in Genesis 17, she too laughed at the Lord. She likely did so because, at this point, her husband was nearing 100 years of age and she was likely around 90, had been barren her entire life, and possibly had even completed menopause, all of which meant there was no possible way, humanly speaking, for them to have a child. God again kindly restated His promise that a son would be born within the year because nothing is too hard for the Lord.
God would, indeed, as He had spoken it and planned it, bring about the promised son, Isaac, later that year when Abraham and Sarah were 100 and 90, respectively. These circumstances seem absolutely kooky outside of God’s divine and miraculous plan for them. Even though they tried to take matters into their own hands, as Abraham had Ishmael with the maidservant Hagar just a couple chapters earlier, God was still faithful to provide and keep His promise to them. He will often do the same for us when we stray from His plan, giving us incredible grace.
What has God promised you that you thought was impossible, but it actually happened? Remember these times to help you have faith in the future.
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