“Let Faith Have the Last Laugh”

You may be familiar with the saying, “(s)he who laughs last laughs best.” While life is sometimes laughable, it certainly isn’t funny.  Maybe that’s what we find with Sarah in Genesis 18.  “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?” (Genesis 18:11-13 NLT) 

My translation, “Ha!  Are you kidding me?!?”  Many times, God allows us to face situations that not only appear to be absurd, but impossible!  In our finite thinking, we say, “there’s no way “that” can happen for me” (whatever your “that” is).  I believe that God does his best work in seemingly impossible situations.  See what he told Sarah: “Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” (Genesis 18:14 NLT) 

Let’s learn to wait on the Lord with hope and expectation—not with sarcastic doubt…like our girl, Sarah (she does come around, though).  “The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised.  She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me.” (Genesis 21 1-3; 6 NLT)  

At first, Sarah laughs in disbelief, but when we see her again, she’s laughing in awe at God’s faithfulness to his promise.   

Prayer:  Lord, help us to wait well in laughable situations.  Help us to learn, grow, and mature while you’re working on our behalf so that faith will have the last laugh in our lives.