October 2 | Genesis 18:1-15

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DAILY READING

Genesis 18:1-15

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REFLECTION

God Has the Last Laugh

by Katie Borden

Have you ever had someone lie to your face about something you know without a doubt is true?

I currently work with elementary school children. It happens to me all the time. 

My favorite is when a student knows I am actively watching them do whatever it is they are not supposed to be doing, and then they still have the gall to tell me, “It wasn’t me! I didn’t do it!”

This is probably why I get an absolute kick over watching Sarah try to argue with God that she didn’t do what she just, in fact, did.

If there were a Today’s Elementary School Version (TESV) translation of the Bible, I imagine the last verses of our passage would sound something like this:

“Why did Sarah laugh?”

…

“I didn’t laugh.”

“Yes, you did.”

“Did not.”

“Did too. I watched and heard you do it”

…

“Oh. Well.. no, I didn’t!”

Why would Sarah lie about something as seemingly innocuous as laughing? My guess is that she did not want to have to answer God’s "Why" question truthfully:

She laughed because she didn’t believe him.

And can you really blame her? Imagine that your husband has been promised by the God of the universe that his descendants will outnumber the stars, and then after years of infertility that eventually prompt you to find him a surrogate, someone tells you you’ll bear a child within the year. I have to imagine that the thought of that would absolutely be laughable.

But I wonder if it goes another layer deeper.

I wonder if Sarah's laughter was also a cover for a wounded heart.

After so many years of desperately hoping for the child she thought she was promised, she probably found it easier to laugh off the outrageous suggestion that her dream was going to come to fruition rather than dare to believe it could be true.

And yet, the fulfillment of this incredible promise in this unlikely way demonstrates the power–and faithfulness–of God. He takes the callous laughter of broken-heartedness & bitterness and turns it into the genuine laughter of delight & joy. He never–never–leaves a promise unfulfilled. We can trust his promises, no matter how unlikely they seem. I mean, who else could usher in new birth from a barren womb? Who else brings healing where there was brokenness? Who else can raise the dead to life? Only our God does this. And I think he does it with great rejoicing and delight.

I wonder if his rejoicing sounds like laughter.

PRAYER

God, give me the faith to dare to believe in your promises. Thank you for being faithful and true to your word. Amen.

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October 1 | Genesis 16:1-16 |

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DAILY READING

Genesis 16:1-16

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REFLECTION

I'll Have That

by Pam Mann

Hagar’s lot in life is rough. It’s not bad enough that she’s a slave. It gets worse. Her mistress Sarai decides that Hagar should sleep with her husband Abram so that the couple might have a child.

Wow, this is normal life in the ancient world. We think it’s terribly cruel to Hagar, but it’s not surprising for her time and place. It’s also not surprising that Hagar, once she’s pregnant, gets uppity with Sarai. This, however, is not Hagar’s smartest move because Sarai mistreats her. No surprise there. So, Hagar takes off. Again, no surprise.

The life-changing surprise comes in verse 7 when the angel of the Lord finds Hagar. God’s messenger sees Hagar and asks what’s up.

Isn’t it surprising that Hagar doesn’t freak out that an angel of the Lord chats with her? Hagar simply vents out her frustrations, as if the angel is a long-time friend.

It’s at this point in the story that you’re probably thinking you want that exact kind of contact with God. It’s like that moment before you order at a restaurant and a server passes with something luscious, you say, “I’ll have that!”  You don’t want Hagar’s awful life, but you want what God’s serving her.  You want her Rescuer. You want a God who sees you.

PRAYER

Thank you, Lord, that when life drags us down, You are not far off. You are near. You are not blind or indifferent. You see and You speak. Let us soak in Your presence and surprising grace.

September 30 | Genesis 15:7-21

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DAILY READING

Genesis 15:7-21

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REFLECTION

God's Faithful Promises

by Pr. Dave Mann

When God makes a promise, it is certain.  Even if God’s timing is not as we would like it, he will fulfill his covenant.

God made great promises to Abraham – a great name, a great nation, and a great land (Genesis 12:1-3; 15:1-6).  However, God also warned him in advance that his descendants would go through more than 400 years of slavery in Egypt.  This horrible, humiliating experience did not invalidate God’s promise. 

Have you sensed God’s promise in your life, but you feel that that promise has yet to be fulfilled?  Do you think that you have waited long enough?  Maybe our perspective needs to be adjusted.  Abraham was told that God’s promise was sure, but the fulfillment would be seen by his people many generations into the future.

Abraham may have also wondered about the timing of the promise of a great land.  He asked God for some reassurance of the reliability of this promise (v. 8) --“Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”

God gave Abraham a meaningful sign that we might find strange and incomprehensible.  In those days, there was a ceremony for the sealing of a sacred covenant between two parties.  They would slaughter animals and lay the halves of the butchered animals in two lines, with a passageway between them.  The two parties would then walk through the passageway.  This walk between the bloody flesh was to state in no uncertain terms, “If I do not make good on my promises, may I become like these slain animals.”

The set-up for such a ceremony was what Abraham saw in his vision.  But what was different in the vision from what was the normal cultural experience?  In the vision, there was only one party that passed through the gore, making his promises certain.  In verse 17, it was only God who passed through, not Abraham -- a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces (v. 17).  God was stating in unmistakable terms, “I, the Lord of the universe, will make good on my promise to give this land to your descendants as part of my promises to you.”

Do you have promises from God?  If God has indeed promised you life, forgiveness, and salvation, you can count on God’s faithfulness to make certain what he has covenanted to you.

PRAYER

Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for this amazing account of what you promised for Abraham and his descendants.  Thank you for being faithful to make good on what you have promised.  Even in my life, help me to trust in your good promises, even if your timing is different from mine, in Jesus’ name, Amen.