Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”
Genesis 21:1-7
During 2026, Peachtree Church is inviting everyone into Cultivate, a churchwide discipleship plan centered on the fruit of the Spirit and the kind of life God longs to grow in us. Throughout the year, we’ll explore how love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control take shape in everyday life through the Spirit’s work. Cultivate brings together worship, Scripture, group guides, and meaningful practices designed to meet you where you are and support growth in ways that fit your season. These twice-weekly devotionals are one way to stay connected, offering reflection and grounding for daily life with God. Whether you engage in many ways or just one, you’re invited to be part of this shared journey of becoming more rooted in who God has created and called you to be.
Devotional
In this passage, there is a phrase in the second verse that is important for us to remember, “at the very time God had promised.” There had been twenty-four years when he had not given a timeline to Abraham and Sarah, other than the constant reminder that they would have descendants, that they would be the father and mother of a mighty people. It was one of those promises that lacked anything tangible, since there was no way of knowing when the deadline might come.
And a shift occurred the year prior, as God told Abraham and Sarah that in one year, they would have their promised son. God’s promises are always fulfilled, and while this one took longer than they had ever thought possible, it occurred exactly when God had promised that it would. I need that reminder in my life. I all too often attempt to put my timeline on God’s plans rather than simply trusting him to have them come to fruition in the right time.
These times when we must wait without the clear understanding of the Lord’s timing are difficult; they require not only patience, but what allows us to have patience: trust. The two passages that we read this week are ones that point us above all else to God’s trustworthiness, which I hope and pray will help us all to grow in our understanding of what it means to be a patient people.
For Reflection
- How do you build trust in another person?
- What can you do in your life to show that you are trustworthy?
- How do you show God your trust today?
Prayer
Lord, we want to trust you. We want to believe that your word is always true, and that is always right, and that you are working towards a greater good for ourselves and for creation than we can comprehend. Yet we fail to trust you and to be people worthy of trust ourselves. Form us and reform us in your image that we might put our trust in you and become worthy of trust from others. Amen.
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