Genesis 15; 18:1-22; 21:1-6.
ABRAHAM and Sarah lived in a tent in the land of Canaan. They had no little child. Abraham was a very old man, and Sarah was a very old woman. They were both much older than your grandfather and grandmother. Abraham was almost one hundred years old, and Sarah was almost ninety.
One night God said to Abraham, “Come out of your tent, and look up at the sky. What do you see?” The sky was full of stars, more than could be counted.
And God said, "You shall have a great many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and they shall have more children, and they shall have more children, till there are as many people as there are stars in the sky; and they shall live in the land of Canaan, and the wicked people shall be turned out of it.”
Now Abraham had not even one little child; yet he believed that God would do as He had promised. It was very right of Abraham to, believe all that God said; for God always speaks the truth, and keeps His word.
One day, Abraham was sitting in his tent. It was about twelve o'clock in the day, and it was very hot indeed, but the tent was under a tree. Abraham looked up, and he saw three men a little way off. He ran to meet them, and bowed down, and said to one of the men, "My lord, pray come and rest yourself, and let me bring a little water to wash your feet, and a little bread for you to eat, and then you can go on your journey." And the men said that they would rest themselves.
Who do you think these men were? They were angels, though they looked like men. They had come from heaven with a message from God to Abraham. For you know that God sends His angels on messages to men. Angels are often near us, though we cannot see them.
The angels sat outside the tent under the shade of a tree. Sarah was in the tent. Abraham said to Sarah, "Take some flour, and make some cakes, and bake them very quickly." Then Abraham ran to his cattle and took a fat calf, and said to one of his servants, "Kill it and roast it quickly.”
When it was ready, Abraham brought some butter, and some milk, and the cakes, and the calf, and spread the dinner under the tree. The three men began to eat, and Abraham stood by them.
While they were eating, they said to Abraham, "Where is Sarah your wife?" And Abraham said, "She is in the tent." Then one of the men said, "Sarah shall have a son.”
Sarah heard what the angel said, and she could not believe that she would really have a child now she was so very old; so she laughed to herself.
The angel said, "Why did Sarah laugh? She shall certainly have a son." Then Sarah said, "I did not laugh"; for she was afraid. But the angel said, "You did laugh.”
Then the three men got up, and went on farther. Abraham walked with them a little way, and then came back to his tent.
Do you think that God remembered His promise? The next year Sarah had a son. His name was Isaac. He was a good child, and God loved him. Abraham and Sarah were much pleased with their little son.
So you see that God kept His promise. He had said that Abraham and Sarah should have a little son, and He gave them a son. It was right of Abraham to believe God's promise, and God, too, was pleased with Abraham for believing what He said. Sarah did not believe at first; but she believed afterward; and God was pleased with her, too.
My little children, you should believe all God's promises. What has God promised? To give you the Holy Spirit if you ask Him. Do you believe His premise? Then pray to God to give you the Spirit. He will keep His promise; you may be sure that He will.