“Big Al” my friend for life! He visited us in The Woodlands a couple of weeks ago.

Genesis 9 – 11

Since I’ve committed to daily time with God, I find that sometimes I go through dry spells. I’ve been reading these chapters this week without much to say about them. Consequently, not much to reflect on and apply to my life. It’s probably a combination of scriptures without devotional meat plus, just mentally, I’m a little spiritually flat. However, we do find the story of Babel in chapter 11. This is a reminder again of the danger of pride and doing what seems right for ourselves —– even when God clearly says no. Doing our own thing; making our own rules; wandering from God’s principles and rationalizing it.

What’s so bad?

The post flood mandate from God was “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth,” 9:1.  In chapter 11, the people together and determine they want to stay together (not fill the earth), build a city and build a tower. To the casual reader, this seems somewhat innocent. After all, we build houses or buy houses to live in all the time. What’s so bad about that?

GO, don’t stay

First, this was a different era. There was a calling upon their lives to fill the earth. I’m not exactly sure why that was so important to God, but it was. It’s probably the same principle of God that produced the statement Jesus made when He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.”  Secondly, in building their city and tower, they planned to exalt themselves. They said, “Let us build for ourselves a city and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the earth.” God said scatter yourselves aboard and multiply.  The people said, nah. I believe in lofty goal setting but in this case, they set a goal to build a significant structure that would honor themselves and would defy God’s directives. I’m driven toward success. It’s the way I’ve been wired. But I have found over and over again that my drive must be surrendered to God daily! When my drive is surrendered to God’s plans and His guidance, good things happen. Really good things! That is, good things in the eyes of God.

Surrendered goals

Note to self: include God in your goal setting! Seek His will, pray for His guidance and then go big after His plans for you. 

God was disappointed in their self-seeking efforts. He looked into their hearts and saw pride growing at a fast pace. God looked at them and sarcastically said, “Nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible to them.”  In their pride, they felt invincible. Over and over and over in the Bible we see this principle emerge: God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Once again, let’s submit to God, seek His face and His plan for our lives and surrender afresh daily. Amen