Life-Giving Words of Hope & Encouragement

Some promises feel so impossible, so out of reach, that our first reaction isn’t faith—it’s laughter. Not the warm, joy-filled kind, but the startled chuckle that says, Yeah, right. Sarah knew that kind of laughter well. Twice in Scripture, she laughed at the idea of bearing a child in her old age—once from doubt, and once from overwhelming joy. Those two moments, separated by years, tell the story of a woman’s journey from disbelief to delight, and they reveal a God who is faithful even when our faith wavers.

Sarah’s first laugh comes in Genesis 18:12. The Lord—appearing as three visitors—announces to Abraham that Sarah will bear a son. Listening from inside the tent, she shakes her head at the absurdity. “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?” At ninety years old, she had long accepted that motherhood was not her story. Her laughter wasn’t cruel—it was protective, the instinctive shield we raise when hope feels too risky. How often do we stand where Sarah stood? Hearing God’s promise yet struggling to believe it could possibly apply to us?

But God didn’t scold or shame her. Instead, He asked the question that still reverberates through every impossible situation: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14). It’s the kind of question that confronts our doubts and dares us to dream again.

Years later, Sarah laughed again—this time for a different reason. In Genesis 21:6, she holds her miracle in her arms and says, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” Her laughter of disbelief had been transformed into a laughter of fulfilled promise. The impossible had happened. The God who had been questioned was now being praised.

The contrast between these two moments is breathtaking. Sarah’s journey mirrors ours: moving from “That could never happen” to “Look what God has done!” In her story we find four powerful truths:

1. God’s Timing is Perfect – Sarah waited decades for her promise. Delays are not denials; they are seasons of preparation.
2. God is Faithful Despite Our Doubt – Her disbelief didn’t cancel God’s plan. Our faltering faith cannot undo His steadfastness.
3. Doubt Can Become Joy – What began as skepticism became a testimony that still inspires thousands of years later.
4. Our Role is to Keep Trusting – We may not understand the “how” or “when,” but we can trust the One who holds both.

If you are in the middle of your “Genesis 18 moment”—fighting the urge to laugh at a promise that feels too far gone—remember that a Genesis 21 moment may be on its way. God specializes in turning doubt into delight, disbelief into praise. His promises are not bound by age, time, or circumstance.

Prayer:
Lord, thank You that Your promises stand firm even when my faith feels shaky. Help me to trust Your timing, to believe in Your power, and to keep my heart open to the miraculous. Turn my doubt into joy and my hesitation into praise. I choose to believe that nothing is too hard for You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.