By Rae Lynn DeAngelis
My friend and I have been doing intensive Bible study together for the past few years. We simply pick a book of the Bible and start reading it verse by verse, and then we share our insight and inspiration through text message. Most days we only read 3 or 4 verses at a time. Slowing things down makes the Bible come to life!
I’ve done a lot of Bible studies over the years and have learned from countless teachers, but taking time to hear from God, alone, is growing me in ways I never expected. It’s like putting together a familiar puzzle but the picture God reveals is more beautiful than before. When we seek God with all our heart, He meets us where we are, and He tells us great and unsearchable things we do not know (Jeremiah 33:3). I begin by praying the following prayer, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9).
Recently our scripture focus took us to the story of the Tower of Babel. Here’s the Reader’s Digest version: After the flood, God told Noah and his family to be fruitful, increase in number, and fill the earth. In other words, make babies, spread out, and make more babies. Somewhere along the way, however, mankind dug in their heels, gathered in a clump, and settled in one place. Have you ever done that—settled? God had something amazing for your future, but you refused to move toward it?
I certainly have.
Not only did our early ancestors settle for far less than God’s original plan, they also tried to make a name (and way) for themselves. “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” (Genesis 11:4).
Spoiler alert: They didn’t want to move, so God made changes so they would have to move.
“‘Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.’ So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city” (Genesis 11:7-8).
Move or be moved.
Is there an area of your life where you’ve stopped moving forward? What’s keeping you stuck in that place?
I recently read a Bible commentary with an interesting take on what may have motivated the people of Babel to build the tower in the first place. They speculated that perhaps the people of Babel did not believe God’s promise to never again flood the earth; therefore, they took out a little insurance policy by building a waterproof tower for themselves. You know… just in case God didn’t come through on His promise.
What about you? Which of God’s promises are you struggling to fully believe and embrace? His provision? His protection? His peace? Something else?
Could it be that you haven’t moved forward to where God has called you to go because you’re still trying to make a way for yourself? You know… just in case God doesn’t fulfill His end of the deal?
Sweet sister, God is faithful. You can take His promises to the bank and trust Him with your life. He really does know what’s best for you, so keep moving forward (baby steps if necessary), walk in obedience, and fill your spirit with His unchanging truths.
“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17).
Move or be moved. The choice is yours.
