4 December
Tower of Babel: Genesis 11
Reading today’s scripture makes me think of the comparison to my life before I knew Jesus and how I thought I could achieve whatever my heart desired through pride and worship of things other than Christ. These people who built this tower of Babel thought they could be the master of their own destinies. They were proud and arrogant and striving to be gods in their own rights. We know that this enraged God and he scattered them far and wide, gave them different languages so they couldn’t understand one another and couldn’t continue their quest. Things have not changed much today from those days-we still live in a broken world where we find ourselves battling our very own flesh on a daily basis and there are so many areas which could be referred to as towers of Babel in our own lives. It could be a person, a job, an organisation and it could even be the church. God instructs us to have one and only one King in our lives-that King is King Jesus.
Scripture teaches us that there is only one God, only one King and the only way to God is through his Son Jesus Christ (John 14 vs 6). We also know that God expects us to be humble before His throne (James 4 vs 10), not proud and all knowing. He is the only one who is all knowing. If we want wisdom we should ask Him, and he will give it to us (James 1 vs 5-6).
Bear in mind that pride is not something that only effects unbelievers. Experienced or long-standing Christians, who have a very real, living relationship with our Father in Heaven will experience temptations, desires to covet, to sin and to create idols in their hearts and minds. We need to be aware of our adversary who is like a prowling lion seeking for people to destroy (1 Peter 5 vs 8). It’s a daily battle which we need to be very aware of and constantly press into Jesus, asking the Holy Spirit to bind us up with the armour of God (Ephesians 6), give us discernment and draw close to God.
Prayer
Father in Heaven we thank you for your Word and the fact that it is sharper than a two-edged sword. As we approach your throne boldly but with humility, we ask you to send your Holy Spirit into our lives, plating us up with your amour to keep us safe from our enemy – the devil – and his attacks. Lord, we humbly ask that you give us wisdom and help us to understand if there are any areas in our lives where we have built or are building “towers of Babel”. We ask that you show us these areas and then remove them from our lives in Jesus Christ’s precious name we pray. Father we also ask that you draw close to us, help us to walk in unison with your Holy Spirit and make us more like King Jesus, in Jesus Christ’s precious name we pray. Amen
Andrew Welham
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