The Story

One hot day Abraham was sitting in his tent door when he looked up and saw three visitors standing nearby. Abraham ran to meet them and bowed low. He hurried to have water brought so they could wash their feet and rest under the tree, and he told Sarah to make cakes quickly while a young man prepared a tender calf. Abraham set the food before his guests and stood by them while they ate.

Then the visitors asked where Sarah was. Abraham said she was in the tent. And one of them gave the wonderful promise: "Sarah thy wife shall have a son". Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him — and Sarah laughed quietly to herself. She and Abraham were both very old, far too old, it seemed, for a baby. How could such a thing happen?

But the LORD knew Sarah had laughed, and He answered with the question in our memory verse: "Is any thing too hard for the LORD?" Nothing is too hard for God! At just the time God had appointed, His promise would come true, and Sarah would have a son.

And God kept His word. The Bible says the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and Sarah had a baby boy. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son was born! Abraham called the baby's name Isaac. Sarah's sad, quiet laugh had turned into happy laughter, and she said, "God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me." Everyone who heard the news laughed along with her for joy. God had done the thing that seemed impossible.

There is one more part of the story. Sarah's handmaid Hagar had a son named Ishmael, and the time came when Hagar and Ishmael had to leave Abraham's tents and wander in the wilderness. Their water ran out, and Hagar wept, thinking her boy would die. But God heard them. His angel called to Hagar from heaven: "fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is". Then God opened Hagar's eyes, and she saw a well of water right there. She filled her bottle and gave Ishmael a drink. God was with the boy as he grew up — because God hears, and God cares, and nothing is too hard for Him.