Sarah pushed for her servant, Hagar, to hook up with her husband, Abraham, hoping Hagar would get pregnant so Sarah could technically call the child hers – enabling Sarah to leave the stigma of being barren behind! The sad part is Sarah knew God “restrained” her from bearing. So, she devised her own plan to get away from the ugly word “barren.” Tensions rose quickly between the two women after Hagar had Ishmael. Suffice it to say things were t-i-g-h-t in the Abraham household!
The other day, the Lord dropped the following thought in my heart: Are you pushing for Ishmael when you need to wait for God to give you your Isaac? I was also reminded that Ishmael and Isaac aren’t always people. Those names can represent titles, jobs, actions, situations, seasons, etc.
You can push for and get an Ishmael season – a time when you decide to go on and set things up yourself to console yourself- that’s your idea. Not God’s plan for you! But He will let you have your way. What is interesting to me is God granted Sarah her desire (at the time) – to her own sorrow. You can go out and corral that thing and say, “Since God didn’t give me what I wanted when I asked for it, then this is the consolation prize – better than nothing.” And to your regret, you have to deal with the fallout. Don’t worry – there will be fallout.
Whereas if you wait for your Isaac season – a time when you decide, well, God didn’t give me what I wanted, and you resign yourself to “this is how it’s going to be.” Out of nowhere, God blows you out of the water with a miracle that only He could do. You had nothing to do with it – you just were a shocked recipient.
There’s no tug of war with two seasons having to co-exist. If Sarah could have let things alone, there wouldn’t have been an Ishmael to taunt Isaac. But God is good and merciful while teaching us through our Ishmael and Isaac seasons.
Help me, Lord, not to muddy the waters with an Ishmael “consolation prize.” But help me to wait for my Isaac to come in Your way and in Your time.
Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.3 And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee.6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thine hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face. Genesis 16:1-6 (KJV)
And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken.2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age. Genesis 21:1-7 (KJV)
In the Master’s Service,
Author/Pastor Michele D Robertson
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Matthew 11:28-29 (KJV)