Sometimes it's hard to let go. Giving up our own dreams, our wants, our desires, and our plans can be just plain difficult initially (you will later see that God's plan is wonderful and perfect). When God gives us a promise, He has his very own unique way of fulfilling it that does NOT require our help. Our temptation is to sometimes think that we can help God along in fulfilling His promise, as if the Almighty Sovereign One needs our assistance. When God gave Abraham and Sarah the promise that they would have a son, they both realized that the task was completely out of their hands. Afterall, they were well beyond the age to have children. After much frustration and impatience, Sarah took matters into her own hand and had Abraham go into her servant Hagar, hoping that an heir would be born to them through an alternative method. Ishmael was born, yet God still confirmed to the couple that this would not be the heir that was part of his divine plan. Time passed. When Ishmael was still a young child, the Lord spoke to Abraham again and reconfirmed his promise to him concerning Isaac, "I will bless her [Sarah], and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations...And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!" (Genesis17:16,18). At this point, it is evident that Abraham and Sarah had long given up on the promise of God for their very own son. They already errored in taking matters into their own hands and trying to fulfill the promise of God on their own, but what was worse is that they were still willing to settle for less than what God had for them. Their plan may have slighlty resembled God's promise, but it was not the real thing. Ishmael, no matter how much embraced and loved, would never compare to God's plan and would never be God's plan. When the time came for Abraham to let go of his son and his mother, the bondwoman, Abraham had trouble letting go. As we read, he told God, "O that Ishmael might live before thee." Abraham at this point had come to love Ishmael and was close to him. He had warmed up to being a father. Everything probably felt so right to him, except for the little voice in the back of his mind telling him there was something more that God had for him and Ishmael was not it. Abraham probably wanted so badly for Ishmael to be the one, but the truth is, when its not of God, it's not of God. Nothing can change God's sovereign will, not anybody or anything. We see that Abraham finally came to terms with his mistake and eventually, once Isaac was born (aah, finally!), was forced to send Ishmael away with his mother. Sending him away, although painful, meant that God's plan of Isaac would flourish. Both plans, the one of the flesh and the one of God could not coexist.
Sometimes in our human or fleshly spirit, we birth things that are not of God. Sometimes in our impatience to see God fulfill a promise given to us, we produce something of our own will. We embrace it, we nurture it, and we hope that God will fit it into his plan for us. Our plan may feel like a bit of the real thing, but its' not the real thing. What is of the flesh is flesh, and what is of the spirit is spirit. The book of Romans, referring to Abraham and Sarah's ordeal says, "They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed, for this is the word of promise...(Romans 9:8). Galatians also says, "For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewomen. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh, but he of the freewoman was by promise....What saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman." (Galatians 4:23, 30) This scripture has many applications, but I would like to use it to show how what is born out of our own will cannot coexist with the promise of God. Just like Abraham, we must be willing to give up what is not of God to receive from Him what is. We cannot keep our own plan and have God's plan for our life as well. Sacrifices must be made so that God can fulfill His perfect will in our lives. His will is sovereign and nothing can change it. Our will can never be his will no matter how much we wish it. This will end in heartbreak for not only us, but for others who we involve. Ishmael and Hagar were hurt and damaged because of Abraham and Sarah's disobedience which is quite sad, but in the end, God's plan stood supreme. I have had my share of Ishmael's in my life, watered down versions of what God really wanted to do in me. Take this from a gal who has started three different masters programs for example. lol. Thank God he kept nudging me on to something better. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I would have allowed God to work perfectly through me instead of taking matters into my own hands. Yes, God is full of grace, as we see that he had mercy on Abraham and Sarah, but we must be careful with the consequences of letting our plan exist too long. What problems they could have avoided if they would have continued to trust in God and not have allowed their frustration and impatience to get in the way. I remember the testimony of Nona Freeman from years ago. She talked about her work in Africa and how much God used her and her husband for a special calling. Yet, she notes how as she looked back, she realized how much more God could have done through them if their wills would have been pushed out of the way completely.
My question to all of us is what Ishmaels do you need to release today? What is keeping you from receiving what God really has for you? Is it a job, a person, a dream, a plan of your own. In Jesus Name, I pray you have the strength to let it go so that God can work perfectly through you and release His dream, His desire, and His plan for you. You may not understand now what God is doing, but know that His plan is beyond what we can understand. It was through the promise of Isaac that we have salvation today. Imagine what this world would have missed out on if Abraham and Sarah would not have let Ishmael go. Hold on to the promise of God as if it is already fulfilled. Nurture it. Embrace it. Believe it. Let go of Ishmael and see God do a work in you that will have eternal blessings.
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