One of my favourite activities to do when my children were young and unable to read was to take time to read books to them. We had hundreds of books, but over time, it became apparent that there were some favourites. Many we read every day. Also, after a time, I would get tired of reading the same book and the temptation was to hide the book would become strong. Alternatively, if that were not an option, I would try to skip a page or two – sort of give my Reader’s Digest version. Of course, that did not work either. They knew something was missing even if they could not read it. As I have gotten older, you treasure those family times.

Of all the families in the Bible, the first family of faith, Abraham and Sarah are probably the most interesting. Their lives are displayed in Genesis 11 to 22. It is quite a saga, with twists and turns along the way. Abram and Sarai, as they were then called, move from Babylon to Horan, where they received a promise and a call to leave their extended family and comfortable place to a place that God would show them.

Faith in God means receiving a promise not yet fulfilled and going to a place, you have not yet seen. The promise was that through Abram and his offspring would come a great nation. Through that nation and land, all the families of the earth will be blessed. Did I mention that Abram was seventy-five and that they had no children?

The adventures of Abram and Sarai are too many to be told in a few paragraphs. When you read their story, we see their ups and downs, high points and shortcomings. Yet through it all, you wonder, as they did, how is God going to fulfill a promise of an heir to this aged couple? But along the way, there is a bit of a laughing fit that I would like to focus on. A three-year-old would remember that and not let you skip it.

In Genesis 17:17, we have Abraham falling on his face, laughing. Abraham is now ninety-nine years old. Sarah is not far behind. Not only is the fulfillment of this amazing promise laughable to Abraham, but Sarah as well. This storyline gives us a great opening for a spiritual essay on laughter, its types and uses.

One of the frustrations of watching television is when a program ends with the words, “to be continued.” When you read up to Genesis 17, it is easy to get impatient for the promise God made to this couple to be fulfilled.

I can see myself, actually any of us, in this story. We want a blessed life, and we want it now. How many of us sign up for seminars on the seven necessary steps or buy the book that after reading leads to the blessed life? Just tell me how, right?

But we sometimes forget the process matters to God. The journey helps us towards our destination. For Abraham and Sarah, the same is true. We overlook one of the most important details of this story. This story is first and foremost about the LORD of eternity appearing in time and space. We do not learn how God will complete the promise and fulfill our hope.

This passage reminds me of the beginning of the book of Genesis. There the Hebrew writer does not explain God or God’s plan. Rather, we hear: “In the beginning God…” This statement alone should lead to our worship, and our lives impoverished when we neglect Him and His role in our lives.

When God appeared to Abraham, He would have filled the screen of his life. To hear, “I am God Almighty,” would have been frightening and awe-inspiring. It is also important to note that it is God who always takes the initiative. Even the command “to walk before me and be blameless” is not possible without God’s power and mercy. The covenant promise is unilateral: “I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” It is not dependent on human response rather it demands our worship.

The reality of our limitations is seen clearly in this old couple. God made a promise to them that was outside of their ability to fulfil. How else could they respond but in worship? To worship is to bow down before the greater reality of a God who is not hemmed in by our limitation. Where there is no way, God makes a way.

This is the story of Genesis 17. It is not essentially about our bowing down or laughing. It is more than about a man and woman beyond child-bearing years. It is easy to apply it to our lives saying, “My God shall supply all your needs and wants!”

The Christian gospel speaks a saving word to all conditions of human life, but it is about none of them. To preach about God is to proclaim that where there is no way, God makes a way. The Lord speaks, “I am El Shaddai.” To dwell on God’s nature requires a response.

But before the emphasis on God’s giving the promise of salvation, or in Abraham’s case, the fulfilment of His promise, we need to pause. We need to let the image of God we see here fill the screen in our lives. Being created in God’s image, it is not so much God’s blessing or salvation for which we hunger. The deepest desire of our heart is for the Lord who makes our salvation, redemption, and preservation possible. As John Piper points out, making Jesus our Treasure is of utmost priority.

Abraham’s hope is not in his ability to fulfil the promise; it is only in the Lord, who chooses to appear to Him. The promise is only as good as the one who makes it. The Lord who was faithful through Abraham and Sarah’s barrenness promises, “I will cause you to be exceedingly fruitful.” The covenant is established “forever”. So what does that mean for us today?

When we think back to the many people we have known who have come to faith, in Christ, we witness the power of God at work in regeneration and transformation and we witness the promises of God fulfilled. This is about His love spreading throughout the world. This is God. So as we think about this, let us remember it is not us doing things for God, rather it is God working in and through us. Like Abraham and Sarah, we need to see God as He truly is, the Almighty One!