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Today's Readings from the Revised Common Lectionary:

  • Genesis 21:1–7
  • Psalm 116:1–2, 12–19
  • Hebrews 3:1–6

(For more on the daily cycles, you can follow the PC(USA) Daily Devotion resources).

Reflection

Have you ever waited so long for something good that you stopped believing it was possible?

We all know people trapped in the "waiting room" of life. Maybe it’s a parent praying for a wayward child, or a family stretched thin by economic anxiety and the daily grind of just trying to stay afloat. As June hits its stride and the chaotic end-of-school routines transition into summer, the weariness of waiting for relief can feel especially heavy.

Sarah knew that heaviness. Decades of hoping had turned into weary resignation. In earlier chapters, when she first heard she would have a child in her old age, she laughed, but it was a bitter, cynical laugh. It was the laugh of someone who has heard one too many empty promises and seen too many letdowns. Is anything too hard for the Lord? Yes, she probably thought. Some things are simply too late.

But in today's reading from Genesis 21, the narrative flips. God brings forth life from the barrenness of old age, and Sarah says, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." The cynical chuckle of disbelief is transformed into the deep, breathless laughter of a joy so pure it feels like a miracle.

Psalm 116 echoes this journey: "I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy." It’s the testimony of an everyday person who has cried out from the depths and finally, inexplicably, been lifted out.

In our own daily lives, it is incredibly easy to settle for cynical laughter. We flip through the news cycle, see the ongoing struggles of those around us, and chuckle under our breath, Yeah, right. It can feel like nothing will ever change.

But the story of Sarah, and the reminder in Hebrews 3 to fix our eyes on the faithfulness of Jesus, invites us to leave room for the impossible. God is the author of unexpected joy. The breakthroughs might be small: a teen who suddenly uses a healthy coping skill instead of lashing out, a moment of deep connection with a friend, or a beautifully warm summer evening that reminds us the world is still good.

Let the waiting turn into hope today. Even when your faith wears thin, God remains faithful, ready to bring laughter to the weary.

Art for Today

If you'd like a visual to accompany today's reading, look up James Jacques Joseph Tissot's Sarah Hears and Laughs (c. 1896–1902).

Housed at The Jewish Museum, this vibrant gouache painting captures Sarah listening from inside the tent, partially hidden behind a curtain. What’s beautiful about Tissot’s rendering is how he captures the hiddenness of Sarah's initial reaction, the private, skeptical amusement of everyday doubt that God would soon pull into the light and turn into public, uncontainable joy.

Prayer
God of the unexpected, forgive us when our waiting turns to cynicism. When we look at the world and see only dead ends, remind us of Sarah's laughter. Open our eyes to the small breakthroughs around us today, and give us the faith to believe that you are still bringing life into the barren places. In Christ's name, Amen.