ADVENT: Dec. 16

Read Genesis 18:1-15  Key verse: "...your wife Sarah will have a son," (Gen. 18:10b)

"How can this be?"


Christmas can come because of God's love, power, activity and also His Life.  He is the great life-giver.  Although Mary's pregnancy was the most unusual, spectacular, and important in the history of the world, there were other times when God intervened to bring life into a woman supernaturally.
We could talk about Rebekah(Gen. 25:21), Rachel(Gen.30:22,23), Hannah(I Sam. 1:19,20), and Elizabeth(Lk. 1:13).  But today let us think about Sarah.  She was about ninety years of age and had never had a child.  Abraham was about one hundred years of age.  The LORD made one of His pre-incarnational visits to Abraham and Sarah.(remember that God is active in His world and gets involved).    He told them that they were to have a child who would carry on the promise which would eventually lead to the coming of Christ.(Gen. 17:19)  Sarah actually laughed at this idea saying, "How could an old and barren woman like me have such pleasure, especially when my husband is even older?" and "Can an old woman like me have a baby?"   Sounds a little like Mary's "How can this be?"  God's answered clearly and emphatically,  "Is anything too difficult for the LORD!   


God's own name means eternal life(I AM Who I AM).  The LORD not only is life, He gives life.  He will come into the barrenness of your existence and produce life!  Past failures and even successes mean nothing for you right now.   We all need to know that we can have productive lives at any age.  Your track record doesn't matter.  "Nothing is impossible with God!"(Luke 1:37)  His supernatural life can infuse you with purpose, peace, and emotional prosperity.


God told Abraham and Sarah to name their son Isaac which means "laughter".   Humanly speaking it is a laugh that we might have effective and meaningful lives.  Christmas is a reminder that God can and God will make a difference.  The laughter that He brings into our lives is the sound of music in our hearts as we celebrate His coming into our hearts.