Genesis 16: 2
And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
The custom of the peoples living around them had this practice of using a slave-surrogate to bear children for a barren wife. So Abram (Abraham) and Sarai (Sarah) thought they could accomplish God's plan for them using the methods of the World!
And today we see the results of this. Verse 12 says that, "his hand will be against everyone, (then) everyone's hand will be against him. And he will live to the East of his brothers." So Ishmael will provoke "everyone" to bring their response of being against him; and they do live East of Israel, and are the most passionate against Israel.
How often we want to do things the way the World says, instead of doing the hard thing God has asked us to do. The thing we are not able to do at all. But we want His plan to succeed, and decide that we can do it for Him.
That always comes back to bite us. Every time I try to do things my way, they always mess up my life. Only as I learn to lean upon Him and not my own understanding, as I do things His way, even it it seems crazy, then He will cause it all to turn out well (see Proverbs 3:5-6).
O my Father, teach me Your ways, keep me from being seduced by my own flesh to do things the way the World says to do them; but to always turn to You and Your Word for the way to think, to speak, and to act. Show me the deception in all the World's ways, as they have taken Your good principles from Your Word and taught that we don't need You to follow them.
But I know that You alone are wise, that the World's wisdom is foolishness, and Your ways seem foolish to the World. But I want to do all I do according to Your ways, and trust You to bless others through me as You bless me.
Then You will get the credit, not me. You will receive the glory, and the honor, and the praise for everything You have done.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
