"Is there anything too hard for the Lord?"

Recently my small group had a bible study on Genesis 18. So quick overview of the excerpt-- God tells Abraham that his wife Sarah will have a son at the same time next year. Sarah overheard God telling this to Abraham and just laughed at how absurd it sounded. Sarah knew she was way past childbearing age and said to herself, "After I am worn out and my master is old will I now have this pleasure?" (Genesis 18:12) God asks Sarah why she laughed. Sarah lies and says she did not laugh, but God tells her "Yes,you did laugh." (Genesis 18:15)

I realize that sometimes I laugh at the promises that God makes for me. For every unanswered prayer that has been internalized into"God probably won't make this one happen," I believe that something inside of us changes. Our view of who God is can change because we start to categorize where He will or will not work. Our prayers can become more and more safe because we are afraid to get disappointed. And our fervor to do kingdom work decreases because we have lost faith.

I've seen this in my own life. My health has been sub-par for a while now-- there are good days where it's like "thanks God!" and there are not so good days where it's like "thanks... ....God." Seeing my own faith waver in accordance with my circumstances is like looking at unbelief in the face. I've seen myself settle for things that are less than what God has promised me. I've settled for the sick condition being the new norm and now it is hard for me to pray about my health.

But as I confront this barrenness in my life, I pray to be reminded and encouraged by these verses ...
as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"-- in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, "So shall your offspring be." He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old) or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.--Romans 4:17-21