Promise Keeping God,
You visited Sarah
just as You said.
At the time You appointed.
In the way only You could accomplish.
And laughter was born.
Isaac
not just a child,
but a sign that nothing is too hard for You.
You turned disbelief into joy.
You turned waiting into wonder.
You filled empty arms with the fulfillment of Your word.
Lord, I praise You
for every promise fulfilled,
for every season where barrenness gave way to fruit,
where sorrow gave birth to laughter.
But I also remember
not everyone laughed.
Not every tent was filled with celebration.
Hagar wept.
Ishmael cried.
Sarah demanded.
And Abraham he was torn.
Lord, how complicated it can be
when joy and grief share the same chapter.
I confess
There are times I’ve celebrated while others mourned.
And times I’ve mourned
while others laughed.
My heart has judged like Sarah’s.
My spirit has fled like Hagar’s.
My hands have trembled like Abraham’s
caught between love and obedience.
And yet
even in the ache,
You heard the cry of the boy.
You met Hagar in the wilderness.
Again.
You opened her eyes
to see the well You had already provided.
Lord, do that for me.
When I feel cast out
open my eyes to Your provision.
When I feel forgotten
remind me that You still hear.
You are not only the God of Isaac,
but the God of Ishmael.
You do not abandon those caught in the in between.
You do not withdraw Your care from those
who feel pushed to the margins.
You promised a nation for Ishmael.
You kept Your word.
Because You are the God
who sees,
who hears,
who provides.
So whether I’m holding joy in my arms
or walking through the desert
I trust You.
And when laughter comes
real, honest, full hearted laughter
I will say, like Sarah
“God has made laughter for me.”
Not the kind born of mockery,
but the kind born of miracle.
You are the God
who fulfills what You promise
and stays near when it hurts.
In the name of Jesus,
the true Child of Promise,
whose birth brings joy to all who believe
Amen.