Unrighteous laughter

Today's Readings: Genesis 18-21:7

Highlighted Verses and my thoughts:

"Then the Lord said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, Can an old woman like me have a baby? Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.' Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, 'I didn't laugh,' But the Lord said, 'No, you did laugh.'" Genesis 18:13-17

"The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham." Genesis 18:22

Sarah laughed, then Sarah lied to try to hide from the Lord. Laughing in itself is not wrong, but Sarah was laughing because she did not believe that she could have a child at her age, even with the help of the Lord. The Lord's response to her reminds me of that line from the film "Facing the Giants" and Luke 1:37 - "Nothing is impossible with God". [Coincidentally, the passage from Luke was in response to Elizabeth becoming pregnant in her old age.] God's power has no limits, but I believe his choice to use his power correlates with our faith that he will use that power. Sarah was fortunate -- the Lord did not require that she had faith that he would cause her to give birth after so many years, even after she lied to him. God is good.