God has given each person abilities and has breathed part of himself into each person. This is illustrated through the story of Ishmael from the Bible. Ishmael was cast out into the wilderness at age 13 with his mother Hagar. However, God still blessed Ishmael because he was from Abraham's seed. While in the wilderness, Ishmael became a skillful archer in order to survive. The author encourages the reader to not give up during difficult times, but to allow God to develop their skills and abilities so they can become what God intends for them. The wilderness can be a place where one either becomes what God wants or dies; the prayer is that each person searches their heart daily to discover God's

1. Bible Food For Christians who hunger after the Word of God
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th Newsletteri m e F o r C h a n g e !
Put Your Trust In God... Not Man Food for thought-2014-8
Too many times, we as people of God, do not see ourselves
any further than our environments or rearing has taken us. Our
thoughts and behaviors demonstrate what we are most connected
with or to. Rather it’s our parents, teachers, siblings, and or friends.
God has placed something within each of us. He has in us the
“ABILITY to do. Something, although we can’t do everything!”
When He breathed into the nostrils of man and he “BECAME” a
living soul, He also breathed some of Himself into us.
There’s a story in the Bible that talks about
the life of a young boy who was born from the loins
of Abraham by the name of Ishmael. Ishmael was
the son of Hagar and Abraham, his maidservant.
But after Ishmael turned thirteen he and his mother,
Hagar were put out the camp and thrown into the
wilderness to die. But God blessed Ishmael still,
simply because he was from the seed of Abraham.
After being in the wilderness for a period of time
the Bible says Ishmael “BECAME” a skillful archer.
He had to develop skills to survive the wilderness.
When you are in your wilderness place don’t give
up or throw in the towel; allow the God who created
you develop you, so that you can become skillful in
all that He would have you do!
My question to you is what are you becom-
ing in spite of your circumstances and situations? As
I previously stated, Ishmael, by the time he was 13
years of age, was put out of a place he had always
“Become Or Die”
known. He was accustomed to having servants, eat-
ing the best of food, and dressed in fine apparel, but
because of a choice Sarah and Abraham made, which
brought him into this unfamiliar place, their choice
caused he and his mother to be displaced from their
home and thrown into the wilderness. For Ishmael,
the wilderness was a place where he would either
“BECOME or die”.
My prayer for each of us is that we continue to search
our hearts daily and consult with The Lord about the
gift He placed within all believers, so that we can
“BECOME” what He has created us to be in order
that we can be a blessing to others as well as to our-
selves…
Elizabeth Jackson, Publisher
(Genesis 21:20 NASB)