In the grand narrative of Scripture, few stories illustrate the tension between faith and flesh as powerfully as the account of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Ishmael. This ancient family drama isn't merely historical record—it's a mirror held up to our own spiritual journey, revealing the daily choices we face between walking by faith and living according to our natural desires.

The story reaches a pivotal moment when Sarah, at ninety years old, conceives and bears a son. Abraham is one hundred. By every natural measure, this is impossible. Their bodies have long passed the age of childbearing. Yet Genesis 21 opens with these profound words: "And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had spoken."

Here lies the first foundational truth for anyone seeking to live a spiritual life: God does what God says He will do. His promises never fail. They may be delayed—often in ways that test us to our limits—but they never fail.

The birth of Isaac, whose name means "laughter," represents the joy that comes when we finally see God's faithfulness manifest in the impossible places of our lives. Sarah's laughter is no longer the bitter laugh of doubt she expressed when first hearing the promise. It's the laughter of wonder, of vindication, of seeing that God truly is who He says He is.

Throughout Scripture, we encounter the concept of "set times"—appointed moments when God's purposes come to fulfillment. Isaac was born "at the set time of which God had spoken." Christ came "in the fullness of time." And for each of us, there is a set time when we will step from this world into eternity.

This isn't fatalism. It's the recognition that God operates within time even though He exists outside it. He has a timetable, and understanding this should create urgency in our lives. The most important set time you'll face is your appointment with eternity. What you do now—in this present moment—determines what happens after that set time arrives.

The sobering truth is that death often comes unexpectedly. Even those in their seventies and eighties don't typically anticipate their departure. This reality demands that we prepare now, while we have opportunity. Now is the day of salvation. Now is the time to learn to walk by faith.

The story takes a dramatic turn when Ishmael, now a teenager of about seventeen, begins mocking young Isaac during his weaning celebration. Sarah demands that Abraham send away Hagar and Ishmael. This seems harsh, even cruel, until we understand what Scripture reveals in Galatians 4—this is an allegory teaching us about two fundamentally different ways of living.

Hagar represents the flesh, the natural life, the way of human effort and self-will. Sarah represents the promise, the spiritual life, the way of faith. Ishmael embodies the works of the flesh, while Isaac represents the child of promise born through faith.

The conflict between Ishmael and Isaac mirrors the conflict every believer experiences. Within each of us, two opposing forces wage war. Part of us genuinely desires to follow God and obey His Word. Another part insists, "I want to do what I want to do."

This isn't theoretical theology. It's the battle you face on Sunday morning when your bed feels more appealing than church. It's the struggle when someone wrongs you and your natural instinct screams, "I don't get mad, I get even," while the Spirit whispers, "Love your enemies." It's the daily choice between asserting your rights and laying down your life in service to others.

God's instruction to Abraham is clear and uncomfortable: "Cast out this bondwoman and her son." For Abraham, who loved Ishmael and had raised him for seventeen years, this was agonizing. Yet it represents a spiritual principle we cannot ignore.

If we want to walk in spiritual victory, we cannot coddle our old nature. We cannot see how close we can remain to our former life while trying to live the new life. The New Testament puts it plainly: "Put off the old man and put on the new man."

This requires discipline. Living a saved life takes work. You're not saved by works, but living out your salvation demands intentional effort. Victory doesn't happen by osmosis. It requires being saturated in God's Word and making faith-based decisions to obey God even when everything in you wants to go another direction.

The separation must be decisive. Notice that Abraham rose early in the morning to send Hagar and Ishmael away. There was no lingering, no second-guessing, no keeping one foot in each camp. Spiritual progress demands clear choices.

Yet the story doesn't end with abandonment. Even though Hagar and Ishmael represent the flesh and must be separated from Isaac, God doesn't forget them. When they're lost in the wilderness, water exhausted, facing death, God hears Ishmael's prayer.

This is remarkable. Where did Ishmael learn to pray? He must have observed Abraham's faith during those seventeen years. Even in a difficult situation, even representing the way of the flesh, the influence of a life lived by faith had made an impact.

God opens Hagar's eyes to see a well of water. He promises that Ishmael will become a great nation—a promise He fulfilled through twelve sons who became the Arab peoples. God's faithfulness extends even to those in desperate circumstances, even to those who seem outside the primary line of promise.

This ancient account presents each of us with a contemporary question: Which path are we walking? Are we living by faith, or are we living according to our own desires, wants, and wishes?

The standard isn't what feels comfortable or what others around us are doing. The standard is God's Word. Living up to that standard isn't easy. It's a challenge, a task requiring daily commitment. For the believer, it means choosing moment by moment to walk in the light of Scripture rather than the darkness of self-will.

For the unbeliever, the message is even more fundamental: You cannot please God apart from faith. You must first accept by faith that God has provided salvation through Christ, promising eternal life to all who believe. Only then does the battle begin—the lifelong war against the flesh, the world, and the devil.

The story of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Ishmael isn't just ancient history. It's a living illustration of the spiritual realities we navigate every day. Two paths lie before us. One leads to spiritual maturity and eternal reward. The other leads to spiritual barrenness and judgment.

The choice is entirely yours. No one can make it for you. The question isn't whether you understand the theology or appreciate the story. The question is: What will you do about it?
Your set time is coming. That appointment with eternity draws nearer with each passing day. Are you ready? Are you walking by faith, or are you walking by sight? Are you putting off the old man and putting on the new, or are you trying to live with one foot in each world?

The God who fulfilled His promise to Abraham and Sarah, who provided for Hagar and Ishmael in the wilderness, who has been faithful throughout all generations—this same God is faithful to you today. He has given you His Word. He has shown you the way. He has provided salvation and the power to live victoriously.

Now the choice is yours. Will you walk by faith?