Chosen Grace

Hey Friends! Happy March! I pray all is well with you! Let’s get into this blog post!

One of my favorite movies is The Jacksons: An American Dream. This mini series takes a look at the iconic family singing group, The Jackson Five.

Growing up, I watched this movie faithfully with my family. With the help of my grandpa, I eventually learned all of the songs and sang them around the house.

Now that I’m an adult, I watch this movie with more of an adult perspective. Yes, the singing is good and I love the storyline, but I see more things that resonate with me.

As I was watching it the other day, I observed how the father, Joe, knew in faith that his kids were gonna be stars. Even when Katherine, their mom, did not understand- Joe was convinced that his children were going to succeed and he was right.

As I watched this scene, I asked myself: “What if Joe would’ve quit? What if he would have settled? There would be NO ‘Jackson 5’.

And this leads me into our topic for today: let go of your Ishmael.

You see, Ishmael was the son between Abraham and Hagar, his slave. As the story goes in Genesis 16, Sarah (Abraham’s wife) got tired of waiting on the child God had promised them. Sarah decided to handle things her own way and gave her slave, Hagar, to her husband. This union resulted in a child, Ishmael. But, God had promised a child between Abraham and Sarah- not anyone else.

Well, in Genesis 17 God reminds Abraham of this promise along with giving both Abraham and Sarah new names. Through this encounter, Abraham plead with God:

 “And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.

– Genesis 17:18-19, NIV

I love this encounter that Abraham has with God for two reasons: honesty and assurance.

You see, Abraham was honest and vulnerable with God in how he felt about his son, Ishmael. Abraham loved his son and while he did believe God, he also wanted God to acknowledge and see the son he already had.

Abraham is a lot like us. Maybe God has promised us something and we just can’t see the fruit of it yet. Because of this, sometimes we get tired and weary. And because of that, sometimes we create our own Ishmael’s.

These “Ishmaels” can be anything: a job we’ve rushed into. Our imaginations that we let run freely. Or someone we’ve gravitated to because they’re convenient for the time being.

And while these ‘Ishmaels’ are not necessarily bad, they simply are not God’s best for us.

To be honest with you all, I’ve had my fair share of “Ishmaels”. I’ve gotten tired of waiting on God and like Abraham, I tried to force my will in exchange for His. And when this happened, God did not scole me. He did not reject me. And He certainly did not shut me out. Instead, He answered me a lot like he answered Abraham:

 “And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.

– Genesis 17:18-19, NIV

I’m reposting the Scripture because it’s so rich with God’s faithfulness. You see, when Abraham presented Ishmael, God lovingly reminded him that He has promised something greater for him: Issac.

God is so faithful and kind to us that even when we are fussy or confused, God assures us of His promises to us. God is intentional and serious with how He moves in our lives. Our Abba (Father) is very good to us that He will not perform anything mediocre in our lives. Ephesians 3:20 says that God is going to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all we could ask, imagine, or think. As our Creator and Father, it’s literally His job to blow our minds with all the beautiful things He has in store for us.

I would also like to note that God didn’t forget about Ishmael. Because Ishmael was Abraham’s son, He promised to watch over him and make him a great ruler of nations (Genesis 17:20). However- God was clear that His covenant would be established with Isaac (Genesis 17:21).

That said, our Ishmael’s are good, but our Issac’s are great.

I’ll say it again: Our Ishmaels are good, but our Issacs are great.

As this blog post comes to a close I want to affirm you in this: it is perfectly normal to get a little weary when waiting on God. But as Galatians 6:9 reminds us: don’t grow weary in well doing, you will reap a harvest if you faint not.

I also want to encourage you to pray to God and ask Him if there are any “Ishmael’s” in your life. It could be the very thing blocking you from your blessing.

Finally, God is not a mean and spiteful Father. He loves us so much that even when we’re struggling to let go of what we think is best, God will remind us that what He has promised us is indeed better than good. It’s excellent, holy, and pure.

And what more could you expect from The Creator of the universe?

With love,

Malaysia