Post-menopausal women do not have babies.  That is why Sarah laughed when God told her that she would have a son (Genesis 18:10-12).  Then God said, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" (Genesis 18:14).  Of course, we know that the answer should be, 'No, nothing is too hard for God'.  But often it is hard for us to believe it and keep believing when everything is against us.

However, despite being almost 100 years old, and his wife 90, (Genesis 17:17) Abraham did believe.  Even though the Divine Word was against human logic and contradicted the evidence of their old age (Hebrews 11:11-12), Abraham believed God.  Although all hope was gone (he had despaired of his own ability to properly fulfil God's promise), Abraham believed God.  God’s promises gave him fresh hope that God would do what he could not.  That is real faith which trusts God to take action to fulfil His promise (Hebrews 11:1-2).

God first promised Abraham that his descendants would become a great nation (Genesis 12:2-4) after his father’s death.  25 years later God confirmed His promise that he would become ‘father of many nations’ (Genesis 17:3-6).  10 years later, Abraham and Sarah tried their own way of making God’s promise come true by Abraham making Sarah’s maid pregnant with Ishmael (Genesis 16:1-16).  It was a bad mistake which brought much painful conflict at the time and to the present day.  But God’s promise would still be fulfilled, against all hope, and even against Abraham’s preference for his own plan (Genesis 17:18).  But God’s Word brought Abraham back on track, and he believed that God had been right all along.

Alas, that story is echoed in different ways in many Christians' lives.  But God is not fazed.  He will fulfil His promise.  We may also come to a point when our hope runs dry.  But that does not stop God from taking action.  As we believe Him, He achieves the impossible, in His time.  One of the greatest miracles is for sinners to be born again, brought into His family with no fear of condemnation.  That is what Jesus promised to all who believe in Him (John 3:16).  And after that miracle, we need to take Romans 8:32 seriously, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"  Instead of worrying, or worse - taking matters into your own hands without His permission - trust in the Lord who acts in power to fulfil His promises!