Ridiculous Faith

Sometimes God's promises seem ridiculous! When God, in the form of 3 men, visited Abraham and Sarah, God promised that in about a year Sarah would have a son (Genesis 18:10). That doesn't seem so ridiculous until we consider that both Abraham and Sarah were very old and past the age of childbearing. Also, this promise was not entirely new to them. In Genesis 12, when they were still known as Abram and Sarai, God promised to make Abram "a great nation" (Gen. 12:2). Imagine how their hope must have faded through the years. Doubt crept in. Maybe even fear. Fear that they had misunderstood, or worse - that God had lied to them. They had started out faithful taking a seemingly ridiculous journey to a unknown destination. They had been faithful. They had trusted. But the promise went unfulfilled. For years.

So when the 3 visitors came making the promise specific - in about a year Sarah would have a son - Sarah had to laugh at the absurdity. Now, after all this time, would God really keep this promise?

God did. God does. God will.

Be encouraged! Remain faithful, and continue to trust that God will do what God has promised. Not when it's convenient. Not when all the details have been worked out. Not when it makes the most sense. After all, we are reminded in Romans 5:8,

"While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Ridiculous!