Have you ever found yourself arguing with God?  Maybe questioning or pleading or even crying out.  Chapter 18 of Genesis includes 2 such encounters today we will look at Sarah doing it and tomorrow we will look at Abraham. 

And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth 3 and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant…  They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” 10 The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” 13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

Sarah argues with God because she feels guilty about her doubt.  She doesn’t truly believe that God can or will do what He has promised and she is wondering why He didn’t do it in the way that she would have expected.  That is often the way with God.  He often acts in ways that we wouldn’t have expected and brings us to places we would never go on our own.  I was incredibly honored by you all this past Sunday as I celebrated 10 years of incredible ministry at Advent.  The thing is Advent was never part of my plan.  If it wasn’t for a series of difficult and painful circumstances I would never have ended up here.  Yet, God had a better plan in a way that I would have never expected.  That’s what God does in our lives.  He brings us to places we wouldn’t go on our own in ways we would never travel.  God ends up using the unexpected birth of Isaac to increase Sarah’s faith and to build a great nation.  Be on the lookout for the unexpected great things that God is doing in your life today.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave