Scripture Reading: Genesis 18:9–15 (KJV)
9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
Devotional
Sarah “laughed within herself.” It wasn’t an out‑loud, mocking laugh; it was an internal reaction that said, “There’s no way. That can’t happen.” In her eyes, age, biology, and common sense all screamed “impossible.”
Yet God heard the silent laugh and answered with a question:
“Is any thing too hard for the LORD?”
We may not think we laugh at God, but we do something similar:
- “Lord, you’ve got the wrong person.”
- “That can’t be what You’re asking me to do.”
- “It’s been too long. If You were going to answer, You’d have done it by now.”
What Sarah did is what we often do: we take our experience, our limitations, and our fears, and we quietly decide what God can and cannot do. We put a cap on His capability. We believe what our eyes see and what our emotions feel more than what God has clearly said.
Still, notice this: Sarah’s doubt did not cancel God’s promise. God did not say, “You laughed, so I’m done with you.” He confronted her unbelief, but He kept His word.
The Lord knows when you are standing behind the “tent door” of your heart, listening, doubting, and afraid. And He still says:
“At the time appointed … Sarah shall have a son.”
He is not only able; He is faithful.
Reflection
- Where have you silently “laughed within yourself” at what God has promised in His Word?
- Which seems more real to you right now: your limitations or God’s power? Why?
Prayer
Lord,
You see the hidden places of my heart where I doubt You. Forgive me for the times I have quietly decided that Your promises cannot apply to me, or that my situation is too hard—even for You. Remind me today that nothing is too hard for You. Help my unbelief. Teach me to take You at Your Word, even when everything in me wants to laugh it off as impossible. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Action
Write down one area where you have essentially said, “There’s no way.” Beside it, write Genesis 18:14: “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” Keep that note where you will see it often today (wallet, mirror, phone case) and read it out loud at least three times.
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