Ishmael, Ishmael, Ishmael

When Jeff and I decided we were going to do a joint blog, I was really excited. We sort of talked about what we wanted it to look like. The idea is to pick a topic or verse and we would both do a separate post relating to that post. Because of his time restraints, we decided he would post first and then the next day, or day after, I would post mine. We are happy to be working on this together, yet separately.

Immediately after planning the way this would work, God spoke Ishmael to Jeff, so that is our fist topic. To be honest, I thought, Ishmael? Why not something easy like Revelation? (Just in case you’re not sure of my sense of humor – that’s a joke!) The topic of Ishmael can be complicated, deep and … But, since God spoke Ishmael to Jeff, Ishmael it is!

In a way, I feel bad for Ishmael. I mean he didn’t ask to be born to the circumstances he was, and he is forever known as the non-chosen one. Thousands of years later, Ishmael continues to remind us of what happens when we try to help God. Just think of how much better off we would be, if we’d only remember that God is capable of bringing His promises to pass, without our help. Examining the whole Abraham/Sarah/Hagar/Ishmael/Isaac situation should make that clear – that battle is still being fought today!

The thing is, when God gives us a promise, we should trust Him. His Word assures us of this. It says in Num. 23:19, “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” Of course the answer to these questions is a resounding “NO!” We have to determine if God’s Word is Truth. And if we determine that His Word is Truth, then that has to include all of His Word.

Now, I will not pretend that I am above trying to help God out a little. I’m just as guilty of doing that as Sarah was. But God, in His goodness and mercy, has covered me with His grace and has patiently shown me, or waited for me to figure out, that His way, and His timing is best. I’d like to say it happened only once and then I’d learned my lesson. I’d like to say that, but it’s not really true. The truth is that there have been many times I’ve had a promise from God or He has shown me what He’s doing in my life and then in my exuberance and haste, I sort of take over. And it never works out the way I’d like it too. Honestly, I don’t mean to take over and I certainly don’t mean to tell God (in not so many words) that I’m better capable of handling it than He is (‘cause that is soooo not true), but really that’s what I’m doing when I take matters into my own hands.

The amazing thing though, is that even when we doubt, meddle, or are unfaithful to Him and His promises, God is faithful to us. Always. We are assured of this in 2 Tim 2:13, “If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is.” When I meddle and try to help Him out a bit, I don’t mess things up for Him, I mess things up for me. But even then, God is bigger than my meddling and if I just get out of His way, eventually His will for me, or His promise to me, will come to pass. He can accomplish what I cannot. He can open doors that no man can open and close doors that no man can close (Rev. 3:7-8). If I will let it, His purpose for my life will prevail.

The key to all of this goes back to trust. Do I trust Him to bring it to pass? Do I trust Him to work it all out? Do I trust His timing? Even when it seems to take a long, long, long time? Once more the Bible assures me I can. In Hab. 2:2-3, it reads “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” No doubt it can be discouraging waiting on something that God has promised us or that we want so badly, but if we don’t wait on God, it is then that we produce, or give birth to, an Ishmael instead of an Isaac.

It is easy for me to see in my own life where I did get an Isaac, when I very easily could have gotten an Ishmael. I was unmarried until I was thirty-three years old. I began to think I would never get married. Since I didn’t become a Christian until I was thirty and God had some serious work to do in me, that is really actually a good thing. But I was lonely and I wanted to get married badly. I had had several relationships that didn’t work out. I often say that I dated a lot of frogs (that could have become Ishmaels) but I finally got my prince (my Isaac). God allowed me to remain alone until the time was right, so He could give me the one He had for me – my Isaac, my Jeff. And in the end, he really was worth the wait.

I sincerely hope I’m through birthing Ishmaels in my own life, but I know that if I mess up, and go before God again, or try to help him out, God’s grace will cover me. He knows my heart is to be in His will, and He knows I know that my life works out better when He’s in charge, so He does forgive me when I fail. But I think I’m getting better at waiting on Him, and while I have not yet completely reached this goal, I am on my way!