God is the best foreman.
Genesis 11:1-9
Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.
3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”
8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
God is the best foreman. He’s given us all the tools and equipment we need to do life in His perfect way. He provides us with step-by-step instructions (in the correct language, edited for fluidity of reading), Allen-key, all of the planks, brackets, screws, nails, and plugs. He wanted us all to have the best chance to build the life he has planned for each of us. His linchpin of our plans is the hope, love, and dependence that we can find in Jesus.
But how often do we choose to swap out the stone for brick; or the mortar for tar; the physical nails for craft glue – and then convince ourselves that our life is stable, whole, complete, and content? It’s as if we try to put HIs instructions through google translate – translated them to Japanese, then back to English – held them upside-down and pretended we could read them. By ourselves, we can do nothing successfully.
Thank the Lord that He has so much grace. He could have killed the people of Babel in retribution to their self-conceit. Instead, He scattered them among nations and confused their languages so that they could no longer understand each other and collude against Him. He is clearly very angry at His people, because what they have done is such an insult to the work He has put in to give them the best life; but He does not give them the retribution they should have received.
I love that even in this Old Testament verse, it is foreshadowing the love that He manifests for us through Jesus. That, despite the fact that every human has fallen short of God’s perfect and unattainable standards, through God’s unwavering love and unending grace, He saves us from the punishment we deserve through Jesus’ death and resurrection on the cross.
Head: In what ways does your life currently reflect the love, hope, and dependence on Jesus?
Heart: Does God’s plan for your life currently trump your own desires of hopes for your life? In what way?
Hands: What are some ways you can lay down your own desires to follow God’s plan?
Prayer: Lord God, you are such a good provider and protector. Thank you for being so willing to forgive us when we fall short of your glory. Thank you that Jesus has taken all our punishment for the sin we continue to commit. Thank you that your love is stronger than your anger. We are sorry for when we think we know better than you do. We are sorry for when we put our own glory ahead of yours. Please Lord, help us to live our lives according to your plans, not our own. Please help us to realise and lay down those ungodly desires we’ve been holding so to. Please make it easy for us to follow you closely.
A song to listen to: I Surrender
Julia Mullin –
This Grow Daily was originally posted as part of the Bible in 10 series in 2017. During the School Holidays we take the opportunity to look back at the best of Grow Dailys over the years.