Day Interrupted

GETTING STARTED

Not everyone likes the surprise drop in of friends or neighbors. We tend to want to know in advance that we will have a visitor. Why? To be ready, of course! Who wants the chaos and mess of their home life exposed? This is what makes the following account of Abraham and Sarah so relevant and inspiring. When the Lord (yes, God in human skin) showed up unannounced, Abraham scrambled much like we do before answering the door—giving directives to nearby offspring, slinging dirty dishes into the sink, and quickly plumping all those pillows on the couch! But Sarah’s unpreparedness was less superficial, more deep-rooted. Rather than laundry piles, her visitors walked in on disbelief and a cynic’s heart.

READ THE WORD: GENESIS 18:1-15 (ESV)

^18:1 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. ²He 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 ³and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. ⁴Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, ⁵while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on— since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” ⁶And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” ⁷And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. ⁸Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

⁹They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” ¹⁰The 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. ¹¹Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. ¹²So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” ¹³The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ ¹⁴Is 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.” ¹⁵But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

DIGGING DEEPER

RESPOND TO GOD

The Lord came to give Abraham and Sarah the very thing they had waited a lifetime for. He wasn’t there demanding hospitality. And isn’t that true in our lives right now? He’s knocking, and we’re too busy scurrying frantically about doing stuff he hasn’t asked us to do, or cleaning up our dirty messes, or hiding how we really feel, or even doubting he’ll show up at all, and we miss the blessing. The blessing that God came to visit us today to tell us something we’ve been waiting to hear. Whatever is going on with you right now, answer the door and let the Lord in. He’s not coming to judge your housekeeping skills, or put one more item on your “to-do” list. He is coming to encourage you with good news and to remind you that nothing is too hard for him.