She laughed

Remember Sarah. I think I was judging her too harshly for her laughter.

I've been reading and rereading Hebrews 11 this week and the second time through this verse jumped out at me.

By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Hebrews 11:11

Are you past the age?

Or do you maybe just feel passed over?

Genesis 8:11 in the KJV says it like this:

"Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age."

OUCH! I feel like that was accurate but hardly necessary.

I relate. I've woken up feeling stricken with age.

That sets a pretty good picture of Sarah's heart when she overheard from the tent that this time next year she would have a son. Genesis 18:12 says she "laughed to herself saying, 'After my I am worn out and my Lord is old, shall I have pleasure?'"

She laughed to herself. I've done that, it's easier than crying...again.

Have you ever laughed like this?

It's painful laughter. I am pretty sure that if you had asked Sarah the one thing she wanted she would have said a son. It must have felt cruel to her heart to bring up that hope.

But something shifted in Sarah. Fast forward a few chapters and there is a phrase I love in Genesis 21, "the Lord attended to Sarah" in the BSB, or "the Lord was gracious to Sarah" in the NIV. The word used here in Hebrew is descriptive of "looking after" or "paying attention to". I love picturing how God atteneded to Sarah's heart. I think He tenderly peeled back the years of disappointment to reveal new hope. I think God came near to Sarah because she needed her heart to be held and healed. I think before her belly even started to grow; Sarah changed from the inside out.

She arrived in the Hebrews "Hall of Fame" as one who "considered him faithful who had promised". It says that "By faith, Sarah herself received the power to conceive," The power came by faith, so she believed first.

I needed this reminder that Sarah chose to take her eyes off of what she could see to focus on what she couldn't see. She could laugh in doubt but recalibrate in faith. We don't always, or honestly, often get it right the first time. Faith takes recalibration.

It takes practice to believe the promise before the proof. God loves welcoming us to try again. Hebrews 11 is the proof that Sarah took Him up on that.

After Isaac was born, Sarah said, "God has made laughter for me".

See that word consider that I underlined, it's the Hebrew verb hegesato meaning to lead; to think. Faith always has to lead your thoughts. Sarah led her thoughts to a faithful God.

Where do you need to consider Him faithful?

How can you lead your thoughts to faith?

The One who called you is faithful; he will do it.

1 Thessalonians 5:24

God, thank You that You welcome us in our doubt and give us more chances at belief. Help us remember that all those heroes of the faith in Chapter 11 make up the great cloud of witnesses that are recorded as cheering us on in Chapter 12. Help us practice belief in the promises before we see the proof. Remind us that, like Sarah, we can recalibrate our faith when we fail to exercise it. Keep our eyes on You.