Then Abraham said to God, “Why not let Ishmael be my heir?” – Genesis 17:18
Ishmael exists, Ishmael makes sense, and Ishmael even means “God listens”.
But Ishmael wasn’t what God had promised.
Everything God promises comes to pass, no matter how much He appears to have forgotten about them or missed the mark.
And when you’re tempted to trade your promise for a compromise, remind yourself:
It isn’t Ishmael. It’s Isaac.