Faithful, Fruitful, and Funny

Read Genesis 17:1-7,15-16

Really, we should start with the funny. Although just outside the reading for the day, verse 17 indicates that Abraham thought God was pretty funny. God had promised a 100 year old man and a 90 year old woman that they were going to conceive and bear a child – a son. Abraham laughed. But for God, it was no laughing matter. It was a covenant, a promise. If Abraham and Sarah were faithful, God promised that they would also be fruitful, regardless of their age.

Being faithful does not mean we sometimes do not have doubts. Abraham and Sarah’s doubts were perfectly reasonable. When we doubt, we must remember that Jesus tells us that with God all things are possible.

And, God’s promise was not just for a son. Abram was going to become “Father Abraham” – father to many nations. God’s covenant would be to all people.

When we are tempted to laugh at God we must stop and think. We must understand why God is leading us in a particular direction. If we are faithful, what fruits will we produce?

Prayer: Oh God, help me to laugh, but more importantly help me to be faithful. Amen.

Charles Z. Gardner