As for Ishmael...I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants... I will make him a great nation. Gen.17:20
Abraham and Sarah had God’s promise of a son, but they took matters into their own hands, and Abraham had a baby with Hagar, Sarah’s maid. Ishmael was a mistake and brought extreme strife to their home. Yet, God spoke to Abraham that even though it was a terrible mess, He would make Ishmael great. And amazingly, it was descendants of Ishmael who came along at precisely the right moment and kept Joseph, Abraham’s great grandson, from dying in the pit when his brothers betrayed him (see Genesis 37). The mistake of Abraham became the miracle of Joseph, who helped save the rest of their family.
That’s how amazing God is. He knows how to bring good even when we fail and make a mess. God doesn’t turn His back when you make mistakes — just the opposite. He’ll not only help you clean up the mess you made, He’ll take it one step further and make miracles out of those mistakes.
“Father, thank You for being the amazing God who can take our messes and mistakes and turn them into miracles. Thank You that You never turn Your back on me. I believe that You are working all things together for my good. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
Love in Christ, Pastor Joe