I’m impressed with Abraham’s hospitality in this story. There he is, sitting in the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. He unexpectedly sees three strangers and springs into action. He runs to them, bows down, and refers to them as LORD, and to himself as their servant. Abraham offers to bring them water and a little bread while they rest in the shade of the tree, and they agree. But Abraham does more. After telling Sarah to make bread using the finest flour, he has a servant prepare a choice calf. He adds curds and milk and brings it to them, standing by as they eat.
Then, something truly unexpected happens—one of the men says that Sarah will have a son. Abraham’s impressive hospitality pales in comparison. Sarah and Abraham are old, and this announcement strikes Sarah as absurd. She laughs to herself. Abraham and Sarah had wanted a child for so long that they’d stopped hoping for one. They’d assumed it was too late. But the LORD knows what Sarah was thinking. He asks Abraham, “Is anything too wonderful for the LORD?” He reiterates that soon, “in due season,” Sarah will have a son. Disbelief met with the gracious truth of an unexpected and abundant blessing.
Have you ever hoped for something so long that you’d lost hope? I imagine many of us have. While we know that all things are possible with God, we also know that it can be hard to wait without clear reassurance or results. How do we hold onto hope, yet live in the imperfect present? How do we accept what is now, and trust and be open toward God?
These questions brought to mind some familiar verses:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)
No, the unexpected and abundant blessings that God showers on us don’t always arrive according to our timetable. Nonetheless, God is with us. May we hold onto the gracious truth that nothing is “too wonderful” for the LORD.
Kimberly Dunbar is the Outreach Ministry Coordinator at Good Shepherd, Brevard, and is an approved Candidate for Minister of Word and Service through the NC Synod. She feels abundantly blessed to be the mother of 14-year-old Sophie.
To Consider
1. What are some of the blessings you’ve received from God that arrived when you didn’t expect them?
2. What helps you hold onto hope while living in an imperfect world?
Prayer
Gracious God, thank you for your presence in my life and the many ways you love and care for me. Help me to trust you as I wait for your plans to unfold. Amen.