As I mentioned in my previous post, I’m currently embarking on reading the book of Genesis. Tonight, I came to the story of Abram or Abraham. You may already know the story, but God drew my attention to one part of the story and I never took much notice of.

God had promised Abram that he will have descendants as many as the stars in the skies, but he was still without child at about 90 years old. Thinking that they will help God along, Abram slept with Hagar, his servant, with the consent of Sarah, his wife. Consequently, Hagai became pregnant and gave birth to Ishmael. But it brought unrest in Abram’s household as Hagai began looking down on Sarah.

Then one night, God again reaffirmed His promise with Abram, that he will have a child with his wife Sarah. God even went so far as to change Abram’s name to Abraham as a promise that he will be the ‘father of many nations’. Of course, Abraham reacted like any of us would do. “How is that possible, Lord, I am already 90 years old.” Then let’s read the Bible to see what happens:

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”

Then God said: “No, Sarah, your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Issac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.”
             Gen 17:17-19

Did you notice that Abraham was very much like many of us? The man whom God had called faithful. Abraham saw that Ishmael seemed like the very solution to his childless problem. Doesn’t matter what God thinks, it seems almost obvious that Ishmael should be his descendant. Already at 100 years old, it was almost unthinkable to have another child and here before him was Ishmael. Seems like the perfect solution isn’t it? Thus, Abraham asked God, why can’t Ishmael be the descendant you promised?

Abraham, for a moment, had fixed his eyes on what he could see and he was content to accept what he knew was not God’s best plans for him. How many of us are like that? How many of us may have fallen into this same trap? We are presented with a solution to our problems, maybe its debt, maybe its a relationship, we know its not the best solution, but it seems like the easiest and most workable solution. Though deep-down, God may have already convicted us to wait and be patient, but our earthly eyes sometimes preferred to accept God’s second best instead of trusting in Him.

So let’s not force God to accept our man-made solutions as His best plans for us. Let’s remember to continue trusting and waiting for what He has promised us. If you know that God has promised you with a happy marriage, running to another woman may give you a brief respite from the daily troubles at home, but it’s not God’s solution to you. Are you accepting the ‘Ishmaels’ in your life as though they were God’s answer to your prayers? But rather, seek Him with all your heart, have faith and wait for His time.