- Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”
Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.”
But the Lord said, “No, you did laugh.” (Genesis 18:11-15)
- It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed[a] that God would keep his promise (Hebrews 11:11)
Sarah’s story shows us that the laughter of faith is the laughter of incongruity. But ultimately, like Sarah and Abraham, real faith casts us wholeheartedly upon the God who is free to act and to do as God wants, in God’s time, and in God’s way. Faith is the ability to answer “yes” to the God for whom nothing is impossible, even when our lives tell us the answer is “no.” More than this, faith is not dependent on us but is rooted in the God who time and time again proves faithful. The apostle Paul affirms this idea as he re-tells the Abraham and Sarah story in his letter to the Romans:
“That promise God gave Abraham and Sarah...was not given because of something they did or didn’t do....[I]t was based on God’s decision to put everything together for them. As we throw open our doors to God, we discover at the same moment that God has already thrown open the door for us.” (Romans 4 as paraphrased in 'The Message')
Upcoming Cougars' "Neighbor-Day" weekend:
As a group, I will be challenging you to reach out to a neighbor. To invite someone over to your home whom you have had little to no contact with. This is not an effort to 'evangelize' them on the spot, but simply an effort to begin REAL relationship with them. Be in prayer about whom God would have you invite. More to come.
* Make Space for unbelievers in your life.
* Post your stories of God's intervention on the blog.
* Look for ways to share Awe and Wonder with children - leave suggestions at CougarsDaily.blogspot.com
* Consider joining Life-Devotions (a group of about 100 catholics and protestants sharing their faith through daily devotions and discussion - strong pro Life content)
* Voice of the Martyrs
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