Laughter and

If you've been here a while, then you'll know that I really like studying God's Word. So, today we're gonna talk about Sarah, the wife of Abraham.

Oh, and did you know that she was previously called Sarai, but God renamed her Sarah, or Princess.

So we have Abraham, the father of many nations, which might as well make him a king, and Sarah the princess.

Look how God renames as He redeems!

Nevertheless, although Abraham and Sarah are well aware of the Lord’s promise of descendants, Sarah is... well...

Let’s just say she’s not jumping for joy.

At this point, she’s ninety-something years old and has already tried everything within her power (including forcing her servant, Hagar, to have a kid with Abraham) to provide children for her husband.

But obviously, Hagar’s baby, Ishmael, is not hers. And God has since clarified things; not only will Abraham be a great father, but Sarah will become a mother (Gen 17:17-22).

Yeah right (her response, I’m sure).

So when God appears through three desert travelers, declaring (again) that Sarah will have a baby soon, this old woman laughs.

And this is not a happy laugh.

You know how grumpy people have a tendency to laugh at their own misery? Yep, that’s what she’s doing here. In fact, the exact wording says that Sarah laughed “within herself,” implying that she didn’t make a peep, but sardonically, hopelessly chuckled in her head (Gen 18:12).

So it kind of makes sense, then, that God’s reply of “why did Sarah laugh?” freaks her out a bit (Gen 18:13). I mean, if the people next to me heard my internal ramblings and grumblings, I think I’d be scared too!

In her fear, Sarah denies her laughter, but the Lord knows her heart, her thoughts, and her silent chuckles of defeat:

“Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, ‘I did not laugh.’ But He said, ‘Yes, you did laugh’” (Gen 18:15, emphasis mine).

Now, God’s reply is really fascinating to me; in response to her fear, her doubts, her hopelessness… the Lord does nothing.

The text literally goes from “yes, you did laugh!” to “then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom” (Gen 18:15-16). And friends, in an odd way, God’s reaction (or lack thereof) reminds me of myself. Sort of. In a far-fetched way.

Sometimes when I get these pesky OCD thoughts roaming around my head like annoying little gnats, I decide to stop shooing them away.

Because I know they are ridiculous and nonsensical.

And because I’ve learned that swatting at them will only make them swarm faster (aka, it’ll validate the fear thoughts and reestablish the anxious patterns I’m fighting to break).

So I ignore them (or try to, at least).

I think, in a very loving way, that’s what God’s doing here—

The Lord has spoken His truth, proclaimed His promises again and again over Abraham and Sarah. And yet, Sarah continues to be filled with unbelief.

In this case, yes, her unbelief makes sense (I mean, 90 is a little old for a pregnancy), but the problem is, God is not bound by what makes sense. He is all-powerful and nonsensical in the very best way.

So when she questions Him and then denies said questioning, He doesn’t validate her unbelieving fear with a response.

He’s given her the Truth to believe in, the proof of His provision. Now, she has to choose to believe it. To believe Him (ponder that for a second, will you?).

But regardless of her fear, mistrust, and despair… the Lord is faithful. He makes her a mother, just like He said he would.

He meets His daughter’s fear with grace, and the very next year, Sarah’s laughter returns (the good, joyful kind, this time) with the birth of Isaac, the one who laughs.