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Drivetime Doxology

Drivetime Doxology

Episode 16: Ishmael and the God Who Hears (Genesis 21:17-19)

Sep 13, 2026 · 7 min · 5 segments

Out in the middle of the wilderness, with no water when Ishmael probably felt completely alone…God heard him! In fact, do you know what the name Ishmael means in Ancient Hebrew? It means: “God…

Out in the middle of the wilderness, with no water when Ishmael probably felt completely alone…God heard him! In fact, do you know what the name Ishmael means in Ancient Hebrew? It means: “God hears.” How cool is that? Every time someone said Ishmael’s name, it was a reminder: God hears. And guess what? GOD HEARS YOU TOO! Sometimes you might feel like nobody understands what you’re going through, maybe you're scared about something, maybe someone at school hurt your feelings, maybe you're worried about something happening in your family, maybe you feel lonely. You might wonder: Does God know? Yes. Does God care? Yes. Can God hear me when I pray? Yes! Psalm 34:17 says: “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them.”

Out in the middle of the wilderness, with no water when Ishmael probably felt completely alone…God heard him! In fact, do you know what the name Ishmael means in Ancient Hebrew? It means: “God…

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Speakers: Matt DoanHost

Top entities: Ishmael×26 Hagar×14 Jesus×19 Bible×9 Genesis 21×6

Getting Someone’s Attention0:05 – 1:12

0:05

Hey everyone, this is your daily podcast to help your family connect with God and with each other through a short but meaningful look into God's Word, the Bible.

0:13

My name is Matt Doan.

0:14

I'm a husband to Marie, a dad to Lily and Samuel and Seth and Eden, and a pastor at Calvary Church Santa Ana in Orange County, California.

0:23

And in our first season, we're going on a journey through the Bible to meet over 200 characters and to see how each of their stories is part of God's one big rescue story that points us to Jesus.

0:35

Here on day 16, my question for you is this.

0:38

Have you ever tried to get someone's attention, but they couldn't hear you? Maybe your mom was talking on the phone and you kept saying, mom, mom, mom.

0:47

Or maybe your dad was watching a football game and you had to say his name about 17 times before he realized you were talking to him.

0:55

Or maybe you were calling for someone from another room and they just couldn't hear you.

1:00

You might want to pause this episode right now and talk about this question in the car.

1:04

Have you ever tried to get someone's attention, but they couldn't hear you? Well, it can be frustrating when you really want someone to hear you and they don't.

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IshmaelPersonProphet
96%26 mentions
HagarPersonMaid ‧ Ishmael's mother
88%14 mentions
JesusPersonReligious leader
79%19 mentions
BibleBookReligious text
71%9 mentions
Genesis 21Entity
63%6 mentions
Psalm 34Book
54%2 mentions
Biblical HebrewEntitySpoken language
46%2 mentions
SarahPersonAbraham's wife
38%3 mentions
CaliforniaAdministrative AreaUS state
21%1 mention
Orange CountyAdministrative AreaCounty in California
21%1 mention
Santa AnaCityCity in California
21%1 mention
Old TestamentBookBook
4%2 mentions

AbrahamReligion > Christianity > Characters
IshmaelReligion > Christianity > Characters > Abraham
TrustPersonal Development > Spiritual Growth > Understanding God
Community SupportPersonal Development > Spiritual Growth > Understanding God > Trust
FaithReligion > Christianity
Understanding GodPersonal Development > Spiritual Growth
FearPsychology > Emotions
Old TestamentReligion > Christianity > Biblical Stories
Spiritual GrowthPersonal Development
LonelinessPsychology > Emotions > Fear
EmotionsPsychology
Coping MechanismsPsychology > Emotions > Fear > Loneliness
Biblical StoriesReligion > Christianity
PrayerReligion > Christianity > Faith
Personal Development
CharactersReligion > Christianity
GenesisReligion > Christianity > Biblical Stories > Old Testament
Religion
ChristianityReligion
Psychology
God's PromisesReligion > Christianity > Faith > Prayer

Getting Someone’s Attention0:05 – 1:12

0:05

Hey everyone, this is your daily podcast to help your family connect with God and with each other through a short but meaningful look into God's Word, the Bible.

0:13

My name is Matt Doan.

0:14

I'm a husband to Marie, a dad to Lily and Samuel and Seth and Eden, and a pastor at Calvary Church Santa Ana in Orange County, California.

0:23

And in our first season, we're going on a journey through the Bible to meet over 200 characters and to see how each of their stories is part of God's one big rescue story that points us to Jesus.

0:35

Here on day 16, my question for you is this.

0:38

Have you ever tried to get someone's attention, but they couldn't hear you? Maybe your mom was talking on the phone and you kept saying, mom, mom, mom.

0:47

Or maybe your dad was watching a football game and you had to say his name about 17 times before he realized you were talking to him.

0:55

Or maybe you were calling for someone from another room and they just couldn't hear you.

1:00

You might want to pause this episode right now and talk about this question in the car.

1:04

Have you ever tried to get someone's attention, but they couldn't hear you? Well, it can be frustrating when you really want someone to hear you and they don't.