I remember where I was sitting in the cramped living room of our apartment when Miska told me she was pregnant with our first son, Wyatt. I must have sat mute for several moments because Miska asked, “Are you okay? What are you thinking?” In theory, I wanted to be a dad someday, but it had seemed like a distant possibility. But here it was . . . I was going to be a dad, and I was dumbstruck.

Abraham was in a very different situation. He was an old man, and for decades he’d wanted to father a son with his wife, Sarah. But of course, now it appeared to be too late. His body was withered and Sarah, at age 90, was advanced in years as well. It seemed that there would be no children for them.

God appeared to Abraham, however, and told him the most ludicrous, unexpected news: “I will bless [Sarah] and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants” (Genesis 17:16). Abraham “bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief” (Genesis 17:17). God must be mistaken, he thought; the idea was preposterous.

Of course, before too long, Abraham and Sarah did indeed have a son—Isaac. God revived their withered bodies and made them fertile again. He kept His promise.

Do any of God’s promises—such as “eternal life” (John 4:14) and a “satisfying life” (John 10:10)—seem so wonderful that you can’t help but laugh? Do any of God’s good and hopeful words seem impossible? Has it been difficult for you to hold on to belief in His kind intentions? Have you ever read a verse that contains a clear promise from Him—and couldn’t contain the laughter? If God has spoken, then hold on because His promises are true.

NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Matthew 6:19-34