After Abraham’s household had been circumcised (17:26-27), God visited again in the form of three men (2). In the heat of the day, Abraham, even at a hundred years old, hurried to welcome them (2-5), hurried and ran to served food (6-8a), and waited on them (8b). What gave him such vigor? It seems the promise of God regarding the birth of Isaac reverberated in Abraham’s heart, filling him with joy and spirit. Faith in God’s promise renewed his strength like a soaring eagle (Isa 40:31). Joyful faith is the secret of youth.

God had not come only to visit Abraham, but to address Sarah (9). Abraham had heard it before (17:19), but Sarah seemed to be struggling, even laughing at the announcement (12), just as Abraham had done (17:17). It was not a laugh of joy, but to cover a lifetime of pain, shame, and longing. God understood Sarah, and gave her one word to hold on to: “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” God would turn her embarrassing laugh into an endless source of joy for them at the birth of Isaac, whose name means laughter. In the same way, God understands each of us, and sent his Son Jesus to us to address the inner reality of our heart. We need only trust him and his promise and experience the joy of faith today.
Application: Father, thank you for healing my deep wounds and longings through Jesus. Help me to trust you today and experience the joy of faith.
One Word: Jesus came to heal our wounded hearts