Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.”

So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.

Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?”

So he said, “Here, in the tent.”

And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.”

(Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”

And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”

But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid.

And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”

—From Genesis 17:15–21; 18:1–15; 21:1–6 (NKJV)

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

—From Hebrews 11:1–3 (NKJV)

Reflection

Faith, defined in Hebrews 11:1, is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This 11th chapter of Hebrews is a litany of the faith of Noah, Abraham, and those who came after them. The phrase “by faith” appears almost twenty times in that chapter alone. By faith Sarah experienced the impossible, after a lifetime of not-always-patient waiting. Despite Sarah’s impatience, which led to her husband’s first son, born of her servant Hagar, God’s promise was fulfilled, in his time and his way. Sarah had added heartache because of her impatience, but it did not influence God’s faithfulness. Advent is a time of waiting. You may even be in a time of waiting now—a prodigal child, an achingly empty womb, hope for an end to loneliness or illness, need for financial sustenance. Reflect today on God’s promised faithfulness. How can you wait by faith?

Celebrate Together

Gather the family for today’s Celebration in our book, The Joy of Advent. Laugh with Sarah in joy and wonder, explore the Jesse Tree symbol of a tent, discover the history behind today’s carol, and enjoy a family conversation (or private journaling) about impossible promises.

Inspiration

Music

The First Noel reminds us of God’s faithfulness as the world awaited Jesus’s birth. [Play Video]

The classic carol Away in a Manger celebrates the promised Child who fulfills the promise of Abraham. [Play Video]

Visit our Joy of Advent YouTube playlist for featured videos, our Ultimate Christmas playlist for all our favorite carols, or our sing-along carols to enjoy karaoke style.

Prayer

Merciful Lord, the Comforter and Teacher of Thy faithful people, increase in Thy Church the desires which Thou has given, and confirm the hearts of those who hope in Thee by enabling them to understand the depth of Thy promises; that all Thine adopted sons may even now behold with the eyes of faith, and patiently wait for, the light which as yet Thou dost not openly manifest; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

(From Ancient Collects, and Other Prayers, William Bright, 1902)

Resources

• Do you know that St. Nicholas Day is tomorrow? Find out more about the many ways (and reasons) to celebrate in our Complete Guide to Celebrating St. Nicholas Day. In our family, the children line their shoes up by the door so St. Nicholas can come in the night and fill them with gold (chocolate) coins. Assuming they’ve behaved themselves, otherwise they might find lumps of coal!

• The documentary, Becoming Santa, is an enjoyable and touching exploration of our many Santa traditions. Inspiring for teens and adults.

• These coloring pages show Sarah's life including her laughter.

• Would you like to make Jesse Tree ornaments to accompany your readings? Find tutorials and ideas from simple to advanced at our Jesse Tree Ornaments Pinterest board.

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