God Promises Abraham a Son
Trusting God While Waiting
Original retelling based on Genesis 15, 17, 18, and 21.
Before You Read
Have you ever waited for something so long that you started to wonder whether it would ever happen?
Abram and Sarai had been waiting for years. God had promised a great family, but they still had no child.
This story is about honest questions, long waiting, and the faithfulness of the God who keeps what He truly promises.
The Bible Story
Years had passed since God first called Abram to leave Haran and travel to Canaan.
Abram had obeyed, traveled far, built altars, and lived in the land God had shown him.
God had promised to make him into a great nation and to bless all the families of the earth through him.
But one part of that promise still seemed impossible.
Abram and Sarai had no child.
Abram had many possessions, servants, and animals, but the promise of a family line still looked unfinished.
One day the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision.
God told him not to be afraid.
God Himself would be Abram’s shield and very great reward.
Abram answered honestly.
He asked what God could give him if he still had no son to carry on his family line.
Abram was not pretending that the difficulty did not exist.
He brought his question to God.
Trusting God did not mean Abram had to hide what confused him.
God answered Abram by telling him that a servant would not be the promised heir.
A son from Abram’s own family would carry the promise forward.
Then God brought Abram outside.
Above him stretched the dark night sky.
Thousands of stars filled the darkness.
God told Abram to look toward the heavens and count the stars, if he could.
Then God said that Abram’s offspring would be like that.
The stars were not magic.
They were a picture helping Abram imagine a promise far larger than what he could see in his tent that night.
Abram still had no child in his arms.
But he trusted that God was telling the truth.
Abram believed the Lord, and God counted his faith as righteousness.
Then more time passed.
Seasons changed.
Animals were born and grew.
Tents were moved, meals were prepared, journeys were made, and ordinary days continued.
The promise had not disappeared, but the waiting was long.
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, God again confirmed His covenant.
God told him that he would become the father of many nations.
Then God gave Abram a new name.
He would no longer be called Abram.
His name would be Abraham.
The new name was another reminder that God’s promise was still moving forward.
God also spoke about Sarai.
Her name would now be Sarah.
And God made the promise even more specific.
Sarah herself would have a son.
Abraham was amazed.
He knew how old he was.
He knew Sarah was also far beyond the age when people normally expected to have a baby.
The promise sounded impossible by ordinary human strength.
But God said the promised son would be named Isaac.
God would establish His covenant through Isaac and through the family that would come after him.
Some time later, Abraham was sitting near the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day.
He looked up and saw three visitors standing nearby.
Abraham hurried to welcome them.
He offered them water, shade, rest, and food.
Sarah helped prepare the meal.
Bread was made, food was served, and the visitors rested near the tent.
During the visit, the promise about Sarah was repeated.
A question was asked: Where is Sarah?
Sarah was inside the tent, listening near the entrance.
Then came the astonishing message.
At the appointed time, Sarah would have a son.
Sarah heard the words and thought about her age and Abraham’s age.
She laughed quietly to herself.
Her laughter was not a cruel joke.
The promise simply seemed too wonderful and too impossible to understand.
But the Lord knew Sarah had laughed.
The question came: Is anything too hard for the Lord?
The promise was repeated again.
At the appointed time, Sarah would have a son.
What Abraham and Sarah could not accomplish by their own strength was not too difficult for God to do if He had truly promised it.
Still, this did not mean that God promised to give every person everything they hoped for.
This was a special covenant promise in God’s rescue story.
More time passed.
Then the day finally came.
The Lord was faithful to Sarah just as He had said.
Sarah became pregnant.
At the time God had promised, she gave birth to a son.
Abraham was one hundred years old when the child was born.
They named the boy Isaac, just as God had commanded.
The name was connected with laughter.
Earlier, laughter had come from astonishment at something that seemed impossible.
Now the house was filled with a different kind of laughter.
It was the laughter of joy.
Sarah held the baby they had waited so long to see.
Abraham looked at his son and remembered the stars.
The promise was not finished, but one enormous part of it was now visible.
God had kept His word.
The waiting had been long, but God had not forgotten.
Isaac’s little cry was a joyful reminder that the God who makes true promises is faithful to keep them.
What This Story Teaches Us
1. Waiting Does Not Mean God Has Forgotten
Years passed between God’s promise and Isaac’s birth.
The delay did not mean God had lost track of His promise.
2. Faith Can Bring Honest Questions to God
Abram asked how the promise could continue when he had no son.
Trust does not require pretending that questions do not exist.
3. God Can Do What We Cannot
Abraham and Sarah could not make the covenant promise happen by their own strength.
God was able to accomplish what He had specifically promised.
4. God Keeps His Word in His Time
Isaac was born at the time God had said.
God’s faithfulness, not human power, is the center of the story.
5. God’s Promise Was Bigger Than One Baby
Isaac was deeply loved and long awaited.
He was also the son through whom God’s covenant family would continue.
How It Fits into God's Bigger Story
Isaac was the son God had promised to Abraham and Sarah.
Through Isaac came Jacob, and through Jacob came the people of Israel.
Many generations later, Jesus was born from Abraham’s family line.
The New Testament also looks back to Abraham as an example of someone who believed God.
Isaac showed that God had not forgotten His covenant promise. Jesus would later show how far God’s promise to bless the nations would finally reach.
Talk About It
- Why was Abram worried about God’s promise?
- What did God tell Abram to look at in the night sky?
- What new names did God give Abram and Sarai?
- Why did Sarah find the promise difficult to believe?
- What question did God ask when Sarah laughed?
- How did God show that He had kept His promise?
A Short Prayer
God, thank You that You are faithful and never forget what You have promised. When waiting feels long, help us bring our questions to You. Teach us to trust what You have truly said instead of depending only on what we can see. Thank You for keeping Your promise to Abraham and Sarah and for continuing Your rescue plan through their family. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Try This Together
Promise and Waiting Jar 10–20 min
You will need: A clear jar, Paper stars, Pencils or crayons, The printable Waiting with Faith
- Cut out several paper stars.
- On one star, write something you are thankful for.
- On another, write something that is difficult to wait for.
- On another, write a Bible truth you want to remember about God.
- Place the stars in the jar.
- Return to the jar during the week and read one or two stars together.
- Remind the child that this is not a wish jar. The purpose is to remember what is true about God while waiting.
Help children practice remembering what is true about God while they wait.
Memory Verse
“Abram believed the Lord.”— Genesis 15:6
For Parents and Teachers
Do Not Turn This into a Formula for Getting a Child
Abraham and Sarah received a unique covenant promise from God.
Do not teach that enough faith, prayer, patience, or positive thinking guarantees biological children.
Make Space for Questions
Abram speaks honestly about what he cannot understand.
Children should learn that faithful people can bring difficult questions to God and trusted adults.
Present Sarah’s Laughter Carefully
Sarah’s reaction comes from the apparent impossibility of the promise.
Do not portray her as foolish, cruel, or less faithful because she struggles to understand.
Handle the Three Visitors Carefully
Genesis 18 is theologically complex.
For illustrations, show three human-looking visitors without halos, wings, divine labels, or a physical depiction of God the Father.
For Families Affected by Infertility or Pregnancy Loss
Use especially careful language with children whose families have experienced infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, adoption, foster care, or child loss.
The main truth is God’s faithfulness to His covenant promise, not a universal guarantee of biological parenthood.
Waiting Is Not Passive
Biblical waiting can include prayer, work, worship, wise choices, and honest conversation.
Help children focus on the next safe and faithful action available to them.
