Genesis 21:1-7 "And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age."
We are truly blessed when we have confidence in the simple truths of this first verse. God came to Sarah exactly when He said He would, and He did to Sarah exactly what He said He would do. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Yes, I know that the verse in Hebrews says “Jesus Christ,” but what is true of Jesus Christ is true of God, because Jesus taught us “I and my Father are one (John 10:30).” Since He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, we can rest assured that the LORD still today comes to us exactly when He says He will and does for us exactly what He promises to do.
At ninety years old, Sarah had a son. It was a miraculous birth, not only because of Sarah’s advanced age, but also because she had been barren all her life up to this time. However, the LORD was still the same all those previous years that Sarah was barren. He was with her all the years that she was unable to have a child. We tend to forget that God is just as much God in our barren days as He is in our fruitful ones, and as God, He deserves as praise and honor.
Abraham called his son Isaac, which means laughter. Abraham laughed with joy when the Lord promised him a son (Gensis 17:17). Sarah had laughed in doubt at hearing that same promise (Gensis 18:12). Yet, in keeping with that promise, we find Abraham circumcising the promised son according to the token of the covenant that God had made with him.
Here we find Sarah laughing again, but there was a difference this time. The first time the scripture records Sarah laughing, she was laughing within herself (trying to hide it from God) because she doubted God’s word. She was trying to hide that doubt from God, but neither she nor we are ever successful in hiding things from Him (Gensis 18:12-15). This time, she had no desire to hide her laughter.
On this occasion, God made Sarah to laugh. She was made to laugh for the joy of holding the son she had born to Abraham. She was made to laugh for ever doubting God. She was made to laugh in amazement at the wonder of God’s love. Sarah was confident that this news was such that all that heard it would laugh with her for the same reasons.
Proverbs 17:22 tells us that “a merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” Sarah’s merry heart was a healing balm to her. Beloved, I pray today that we may be blessed to look over our lives and realize how faithful and loving God has been, is, and will continue to be to us. Let us laugh together for the joy of the LORD. God has given us this day: let us rejoice and be glad in it!