Abraham’s Story: Nothing is Impossible with God

Genesis 17-18

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There are moments in our lives when God shows up in a big way. It is unmistakable. Someone has said that God is never late, seldom early, yet he is always right on time. In our passage today, God reveals himself in a big way with his perfect timing. 

Abraham was ninety-nine years old when God appeared to him in Genesis 17. Thirteen years had passed since the covenant was made in Genesis 15, where God had promised that Abram would be the father of many nations. In today’s passage, he introduces himself as “God Almighty.” In Hebrew, this is El Shaddai, meaning “All-Sufficient One.” 

El Shaddai reiterates the promises of the Genesis 15 covenant (Gen. 17:5-6), changes Abram’s name to Abraham (“father of a multitude”) and Sarai’s to Sarah (“princess”), and, one more thing, establishes circumcision as the visible sign of the covenant (Gen. 17:11). Abraham said, “Wait a second. Noah got a rainbow. Can we talk about this?” Just kidding. This was a significant sign on the body, through which the seed would come, producing each generation. 

God once again promised that Sarah would have a son. In response, Abraham “fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, ‘Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?’” (Gen. 17:17). Abraham was certain that his descendants would come through Hagar’s son, Ishmael (Gen. 17:18). But God emphasized, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him” (Gen. 17:19). 

Abraham laughed at the thought of having a son at the age of one hundred. Now, it’s Sarah’s turn to laugh. 

It was the hottest part of a hot day when God appeared to Abraham again (Gen. 18:1). This time, God took on human form,[1] accompanied by two angels who also appeared in human form. Abraham was sitting in the shade by the door of his tent when he saw three visitors approaching. He hurried to meet them and bowed in proper honor and respect. 

Abraham invited the men to rest and eat. He instructed Sarah to bake bread and ran to his herd to select one of his finest calves. He moved with urgency to prepare a large meal. A note from the NET Bible suggests that “this was a banquet for royalty. Either it had been a lonely time for Abraham, and the presence of visitors made him very happy, or he sensed this was a momentous visit.”[2] 

During the meal, the men asked about Sarah. Moses, the writer of Genesis, makes clear that one of the visitors is God himself. He records, “The Lord said, ‘I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son’” (Gen. 18:10).

Sarah was eavesdropping on this conversation. Upon hearing the news of a future pregnancy, she laughed to herself and thought, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” (Genesis 18:12). God did not miss the moment. He asked, “Why did Sarah laugh…” (Gen 18:13). The Hebrew construction is literally “Why this?” and underscores God’s amazement. We could translate the verse, “Why on earth did Sarah laugh?”

Then God adds, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” The term translated as hard (Heb. pala) means “to be wonderful, to be extraordinary, to be surpassing, to be amazing.”[3] Is anything too wonderful, extraordinary, or amazing for God!? 

When sin entered the world in Genesis 3, God promised that he would send One born of a woman to crush Satan’s head (Gen. 3:15). This was God’s first promise of sending Jesus, our Savior. God chose Abraham to be the patriarch of the people through whom he would send the Savior. Hundreds of years later, an angel named Gabriel appeared before a young Jewish girl named Mary. When Gabriel told Mary she would have a baby, she responded, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34). After further explanation, the angel echoed the same reassurance God had given Abraham. “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). 

God worked the impossible. He allowed Abraham and Sarah to have a son, and the Jewish race began, the lineage through which Jesus would come. Generations later, God sent Gabriel to prepare Mary, and the impossible became reality through God’s intervention. A virgin was with child. The Savior of all humanity was on the way. 

I don’t know what you are going through, but I do know that God is writing his story in you. I also know two things that are true about your story. God never wastes your time. The page he is writing today is preparing you for the page he’ll write tomorrow. And I know this—nothing is too hard for God. You can trust him. You can always trust him. 

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Reading and reflection: Genesis 17-18. If nothing is too hard for the Lord, what step of trust or obedience might he be inviting you to take right now? How does believing God is El Shaddai reshape your expectations for the future?

Talking to God: Ask God to help you trust him more deeply in some of your most difficult situations. 

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One more thing: Don’t miss the Weekend Recharge. We’ll discuss “the angel of the Lord” on Saturday’s Recharge. On Sunday, I will share a mnemonic device to help us remember the big picture of the Old Testament. 

SAVE THE DATE: Bible Immersion trip to Israel: November 4-14, 2026.