And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” Genesis 17:18

God told Abraham that he would have a son, but when it wasn’t happening, Abraham and Sarah took it into their own hands; they had Ishmael.  Fortunately, just because Abraham and Sarah were settling for Ishmael, God wasn’t. As the story goes on, God tells Abraham that they will be having Isaac so His covenant would be carried out through him. God didn’t say Ishmael was bad, he just wasn’t Isaac.

How many times have you settled for Ishmael when God has Isaac for you? You think God is either taking too long or He really isn’t going to come through with His promise, so you go off make your own version of the promise? You accept that position because you don’t see the bigger opportunity down the road. You go out with the guy with all the lines when the nice guy is waiting in the wings.

We do it all the time; settling for Ishmael when God has Isaac for us. My prayer is that we never get so consumed with Ishmael that there is no room for Isaac!