How should we respond when God's promises seem impossible, as in Genesis 18:11? Setting the scene: Sarah’s quiet laugh and our own doubts Genesis 18:11 lays it out plainly: “And Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years; Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.” From a purely human angle, God’s promise of a son looked absurd. We feel that tension too—doctor’s reports, dwindling finances, broken relationships. The gap between God’s word and what we can see or touch can feel huge. Recognize the challenge without denying the promise • Faith is never pretending the facts aren’t real; it is facing them honestly, then bringing them under the higher authority of God’s word (Romans 4:19–21). • Acknowledge the impossibility; then acknowledge the God who stands above it. Remember who is speaking • Genesis 18:14: “Is anything too difficult for the LORD?” • Jeremiah 32:17 agrees: “Nothing is too difficult for You!” • Numbers 23:19 reminds us He cannot lie. Shift from natural sight to supernatural certainty • Proverbs 3:5–6—lean not on your own understanding. • Isaiah 55:8–9—His thoughts surpass ours. • Luke 1:37—“Nothing will be impossible with God.” Move from doubt to faith • Admit the doubt (Mark 9:24). • Refocus on God’s character and track record (Psalm 37:5). • Choose praise before the evidence appears (Romans 4:20). Practical steps when a promise looks impossible 1. Revisit the exact promise in Scripture; write it out. 2. Speak it aloud daily—faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17). 3. Thank God in advance; gratitude shifts the heart. 4. Surround yourself with testimonies of God’s past faithfulness (Hebrews 11). 5. Obey any current instructions He has given; delayed obedience stalls fulfillment. 6. Guard your words—avoid rehearsing the impossibility. 7. Wait actively, not passively: keep serving, keep sowing, keep seeking. Encouragement from other “impossible” moments • Red Sea parted (Exodus 14:13–22). • Walls of Jericho fell (Joshua 6:20). • Virgin conceived (Luke 1:31–35). • Stone rolled away and a dead Man walked out (Matthew 28:5–6). Waiting well: patience and obedience • Hebrews 6:12—imitate those “who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” • Galatians 6:9—at the proper time we will reap if we do not give up. Living testimonies: the reward of faith • Hebrews 11:11: “By faith Sarah herself, though barren, received power to conceive… because she considered Him faithful who had promised.” • The laughter of doubt (Genesis 18:12) became the laughter of fulfillment when Isaac (“he laughs”) was born (Genesis 21:6). Takeaway When God’s promise seems impossible, refuse to measure it by visible limitations. Measure it by the unchanging character of the One who speaks. Doubt whispers “How?”—faith answers “Who?” |
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