Abraham’s faith does not mean that he takes things, rather takes God, for granted.
God promised. He believed; but that would not stop him from asking. He seemed to look forward to Jesus’ advice in Matthew 7, “Ask, and it will be given you…for everyone who asks receives”.
Abraham sees that God’s representatives are here, these three men. O that we would treat people like messengers from God, which they can be, even when they have not-so-nice ulterior motives for visiting. You know what? When you completely surrender to God’s will, ill-intentions end up working for your good. If selfish people can put a bad spin on what they do, how much more can God transform the effects of their intentions in relation to the one who trusts in the Lord!
“Trust in the Lord”, the psalmist says, “And he will grant you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37: 3-5).
Abram practices hospitality. Indeed, in hosting strangers, we entertain angels, scripture insists. He gets his wife involved in the hospitality venture and Sarai prepares a meal for them.
They bless him/ them and put the promise into picture perspective. The time is around the corner (how deep the bend how long the turn, we don’t have to have details now) when Abraham’s wife Sarai will give birth to a son.
And she laughs. Is she being pragmatic? Or is this a sign of faithlessness? After all, there have been many years past, and no doubt, many efforts at conception which she links to the pleasure of sex. Good for her. But she’s given up on that after so much fruitless effort. Someone in her position might not blame her for laughing. I’m not even sure that God does. But she’s now scared out of her wits, “I did not laugh!” which means that from her perspective, things have changed.
How liberating it is when we can allow God to change our perspectives and make the liberating stepover from “I can’t” to “Through grace I will”.
Indeed, I can do all things [that I should] through the one who strengthens me”.