A Daily Devotion for Monday, May 5
- ontrakk
- May 5
- 1 min read
Genesis 21:6
Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.”
When I read this verse, I wonder why the word ‘laughter’ was even used. Why not ‘joy’ or ‘happiness’ or even ‘contentment’? There was evidently some humor, even in that day and age, in an elderly woman bearing a child. I have not read the book of Genesis recently, and bringing back all of the stories going on leading up to this verse was confusing. And I certainly was not seeing much humor. But life is complicated, and was certainly complicated for Sarah. God answered her prayers, and she thanked God with laughter.
Holy Lord, sometimes it is difficult for me to understand your Word. I feel pretty clueless reading some parts of the Old Testament. Help me to understand what I need to know, and to find humor where it is meant to be found. Amen
Becky, transforming
Genesis 21:6
Sarah was incredibly surprised and her first impulse was disbelieving laughter. Me? Pregnant? What a joke! When confronted with her disbelief she denied laughing, but God was gentle with her. After all, what mere human would respond any differently to news like this in circumstances like this? Who says God does not have a sense of humor?
Prayer - God of surprises, we sometimes forget Your sovereignty and overlook Your miracles, even small ones as being to good to be true. Let our laughter when such times come be of joy and thanksgiving, not of disbelief. Amen
TAA
Monday may 5th, 2025
Genesis 21:6
And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.”
Today, a similar situation would likely be viewed with a combination of surprise and a medical miracle . While medically feasible, a pregnancy at Sarah’s age would present significant risks and require specialized care. The story would be widely publicized, leading to discussions about aging, fertility, and the role of technology in modern medicine. This event would be viewed as a powerful symbol of faith, hope, and the possibility of God's blessings even in the face of seemingly impossible circumstances, plus a direct result of God fulfilling a promise to Abraham,that he would have an heir. The fulfillment of…
Genesis 21:6
Sometimes we laugh at good news. It just seems so unbelievable that we laugh and think, "Oh sure. I'm sure that was Sarah's first reaction and she is sure ll her friends will have the same reaction. But, and there is always a but, of course there weas joy as we understand it for tjhis miracle. One of my study books said that the name Isaac means, "he laughs." Maybe that is what Sarah meant.
Prayer: Gracious God, I wish it were easier to understand your stories. There is so much time, language, and culture we don't understand. AMEN
Genesis 21:6
Thinking along the same vein that Becky has posted…Does Sarah’s laughter equate to joy? Does the laughter of others equate to their making fun of or is that joy as well? There is certainly tremendous joy in having a child that was thought to be impossible and maybe Sarah’s expression of joy was laughter and others share that joy with laughter as well. It is an interesting scene to contemplate…
Heavenly Father, thank you for joy and for whatever reaction that manifests. Thank you for the surprises that delight us in our lives. Amen