God’s Promises: No Laughing Matter

Hello Friends,

Can I ask you a question? Do you like to laugh? Do you enjoy making other people laugh? I love to laugh….I enjoy laughing at funny jokes, funny movies and T.V. shows, funny things people say, and sometimes I even laugh at myself. I also love to make other people laugh. Sometimes the jokes I tell really get people laughing and sometimes they don’t (but I still laugh anyways). Laughing is something that we should try to do every day because, believe it or not, laughing is good for our health and our faith. As a matter of fact, the author of the Book of Proverbs tells us that a “cheerful heart is good medicine.” So, when was the last time you laughed?

Speaking of laughter, did you know that there is someone in the Bible who laughed at God? Yes, someone actually laughed at God. Sure, we laugh at our parents sometimes, our siblings sometimes, our friends sometimes, and even our pets sometimes; but it is not too often that we laugh at God. After all, God is the one who allows us to laugh and helps us laugh, so why would anyone laugh at God? Do you know who I am talking about? I am talking about Sarah–the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac. Let’s explore this story; and to help us explain the why Sarah laughed, I have called upon some help from those at Sermons 4Kids. (sermons4kids.com)

Every week, we come together and study the stories we find in Bible. When you think of the Bible, do you think of a book full of laughter and humor? Probably not. Well, today’s Bible lesson is one that caused the main characters to laugh. It is the story of Abraham and Sarah from the first Book of the Bible, Genesis.

The story begins when Abraham was 99 years old. (Can you imagine living to be that old? As of today, the oldest known person alive lives in Spain and is 115 years old. That’s more than a hundred years older than most of you.) God spoke to Abraham and told him that his wife, Sarah, would be blessed and have a son. The Bible tells us that Abraham fell on the ground laughing and said to himself, “Can a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” God reassured Abraham, saying, “Yes, you wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac.” Isaac means “laughter” in Hebrew. I don’t know about you, but I would probably laugh at this news too: I would laugh in disbelief.

Sometime later, Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent. He looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw the men, he went to them and said, “Please, stay a while with me. I will bring some water to wash your feet. You can rest under the trees. I will get some food for you, and you can eat as much as you want. Then you can continue your journey.” Abraham, not knowing who these men were–probably should have yelled “Stranger Danger”–was kind to them and showed them hospitality by offering them rest, food, washing their feet. To wash one’s feet is a sign of respect. Remember, Jesus’ feet were washed by a female in the New Testament. The three men answered, “Do as you wish.”

So, Abraham went to Sarah and told her to bake some bread and they prepared a meal for the men. Abraham brought the food to the men and was about to serve them when they asked, “Where is your wife Sarah?” Abraham answered, “She is in the tent.” One of the men said, “I will come again in the spring. At that time, your wife Sarah will have a son.”

Sarah was listening in the tent and heard what the man said. She laughed to herself and said, “I am old, and my husband is old. I am too old to have a baby.” Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Sarah laughed and said she was too old to have a baby. Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will come again in the spring, just as I said I would, and your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah said, “I didn’t laugh!” Then the Lord said, “That is not true. You did laugh!” Then the three men got up to leave.

The next year, the Lord came back to visit Sarah just as he had said he would. When he returned, Sarah had been blessed with a son, just as he had promised. Abraham and Sarah named their son Isaac just as God had told him. Do you know what that name means? It means, “He laughed.”

What do we learn from today’s lesson? We learn to have patience that God will keep his promises—even if it takes a hundred years! We also learn that nothing is too difficult for God—even when his promises may make us want to laugh, God still fulfills his promises. Lastly, we must remember that although we may laugh at what God is telling us to do or what is going to happen, that God hears our response; and from our response, God will do what he can to convince you that everything is going to be okay, and that we need to trust him.

Sarah’s laughter, much like our laughter, was a sign that she heard God. She might not have believed him at first–because she doubted God’s promise–but in turn she believed because she loved God. It’s okay to laugh. It’s okay to let your laughter be heard. It’s okay to not fully understand what God is telling you. What matters is that you continue to trust God and believe in the promises he has for you. Let your laughter be heard!

Let Us Pray: Dear God, help us to trust in you and to remember that you will keep your promises to us, just as you kept your promise to Abraham and Sarah. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Your Friend, Holy Spirit!