Do you sometimes struggle to believe in God’s power?
“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Genesis 18:13
All-Powerful God,
Every time I read this awkward scene for Sarah in Genesis 18,
I cringe,
mostly because I recognize myself
in her struggle to believe.
The Lord has promised Abraham and Sarah
descendants as numerous as the stars,
and yet, “The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah” (Gen. 18:11),
and Abraham is a ripe 99-years-old.
So we can hardly blame Sarah for laughing
when she overhears one of the visitors,
“the Lord,”
say, “I will surely return to you about this time next year,
and Sarah your wife shall have a son” (Gen. 18:10).
Things get awkward when the Lord asks Abraham,
“Why did Sarah laugh and say,
‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’
Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
Sarah denies laughing, and the Lord responds,
“No, but you did laugh” (Gen. 18:14-15).
Oh Lord, you know the places of our lives
where we struggle to believe that nothing is too hard for you—
For new companionship to ease our loneliness
or for healing in broken relationships…
For healing of a chronic illness
or for belief that a terminal illness will lead to ultimate healing…
For a job that provides for our family
or a job that allows us to escape an abusive boss….
Help us to trust in you to care for us
in every detail of our lives
because you sent your Son in a virgin’s womb,
because you raised your Son from the dead,
that those who trust in him might live forever in your love.
In Jesus’ all-powerful name we pray. Amen.
Read Genesis 18
