"And Abraham said to God, 'Oh that Ishmael might live before you!' God said, 'No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac.'" (Genesis 17:18-19)
Although sometimes called the Father of Faith, Abraham seems to be faltering a little here. Abraham is old. He's dreamed of having a son all his life. God says he'll give Abraham something special (his own dream!), and Abraham, full of longing, says, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!"
What?!?
In other words, he's saying, "Isn't this good enough? You don't have to give me something better."
Or, "Here. This is what I came up with, I think I'd rather have the fruit of my efforts rather than Yours."
Does God settle for this "solution"? Of course not! God is not a God of second best or human effort. He is the God of all that's Best. And only He has the power to produce it.
So often we're like Abraham in this story. We're happy to settle for our product which is "good enough," but it never works very well. As we toy with mud pies of pleasure, God yearns to give us feasts of infinite delight. He might let us settle for our mud pies for a little while, but He's waiting for us to realize how silly they are and come to Him for something More.
Will we be quick to do so?
