I planted toddler tomatoes today. My daddy started them for me and I potted them in planters in the magic spot from last year. In the few days it took me to get them repotted, they tangled themselves into a knot, much like my grandchildren when left unsupervised for half a minute to make their lunch or put something away. The mommas and the daddies can be sitting in the same room and they’ll tussle over the very toy they were just happily sharing, but at almost two and three, that’s to be expected.
When I see one of my grands heading for trouble, it’s usually easy enough to shift their attention in another direction, but not always, and it’s not as simple as gently untangling tomato vines and staking them heavenward, although the purpose and the trajectory are the same. I continually point them to Jesus and His Word because He’s the One who makes them grow in every way- in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:52)
God, our Creator who knit each of us together in our mother’s womb and watched over us as we were formed in utter seclusion, recorded every day of our lives in His book before one of them began. (Psalm 139:13-16) Does this mean that He dictates our thoughts and words and actions like a puppet master? By no means. We are created in His image, the pinnacle of the created order, and imbued with free will from day one. It simply means that He knows us completely- every thought, every word, every action, entirely known to Him from time immemorial.
So what does a loving Heavenly Father do when He sees His beloved children headed for trouble? We find the answer to this question throughout Scripture. From the Genesis to Revelation, His wrath buffered by His perfect love and mercy far exceed what we deserve. He contends with His creation in rebellious cycles over hundreds of years at a glance, a fact we often miss in a cursory reading of our Bibles. But as Peter so aptly states, a day is like a thousand years to the Lord and a thousand years is like a day. (II Peter 3:8)
““My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.
It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”
Isaiah 55:8-11 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/isa.55.8-11.NLT
God’s Word, seen in His creation and responsible for it, spoken through prophets and priests, and revealed in His Son, Jesus, is ours, a gift given to direct us homeward all the days of our lives. “Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.”
1 John 5:3 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/1jn.5.3.NLT
Not unless we lose our focus. We lose sight of Him when we tussle over things that are meant to be shared. We lose our way when we get tangled up the in the affairs of the world. We are not the first and we will not be the last. We exist in this world, one in a long line of humans bound by the curse until we find our freedom in Christ.
“This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.
For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.
He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.
This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.”
1 Timothy 2:3-6 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/1ti.2.3-6.NLT
“At last we have freedom, for Christ has set us free!
We must always cherish this truth and firmly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past.”
Galatians 5:1 TPT
https://bible.com/bible/1849/gal.5.1.TPT
God’s first directive to the first humans was simple. Multiply and fill the earth.
“So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!
And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.”
Genesis 1:27-28, 31 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/gen.1.27-31.NLT
Just a quick read away in chapter eleven but much further chronologically, we find Babel where God confused the languages of those who chose to settle down and make a name for themselves rather than spreading out over the earth. In a stunning redirect, God proved what Solomon observed:
“You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.”
Proverbs 19:21 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/pro.19.21.NLT
“We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God’s purpose prevails.”
Proverbs 19:21 MSG
https://bible.com/bible/97/pro.19.21.MSG
Even believers are capable of mistaking God’s plan, but we are incapable of thwarting it.
“A person may have many ideas concerning God’s plan for his life, but only the designs of God’s purpose will succeed in the end.”
Proverbs 19:21 TPT
https://bible.com/bible/1849/pro.19.21.TPT
“At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words.
As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there.
They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.)
Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.”
But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building.
“Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.”
In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city.
That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world.”
Genesis 11:1-9 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/gen.11.1-9.NLT
Scattered and confused to prevent them and us from doing the impossible- from thwarting God? Hardly! God’s purpose is unchanged. He jealously longs for relationship, rich and abiding, with His children. We were created to be with Him forever but we chose and keep choosing the temporal pleasures of this world over fellowship with the living God. He longs for faith in His people like that of Moses.
“It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.
He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.
He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.
It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger.
He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.”
Hebrews 11:24-27 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/heb.11.24-27.NLT
“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.”
Colossians 1:15 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/col.1.15.NLT
““This is how much God loved the world:
He gave his Son, his one and only Son.
And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.
God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was.
He came to help, to put the world right again.
Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it.
And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.
This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness.
They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God.
Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure.
But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.””
John 3:16-21 MSG
https://bible.com/bible/97/jhn.3.16-21.MSG
“And this Light -His Light- never fails to shine through darkness— Light that darkness could not overcome!”
John 1:5 TPT
https://bible.com/bible/1849/jhn.1.5.TPT
“Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends.
With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day.
God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness.
He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost.
He’s giving everyone space and time to change.”
2 Peter 3:8-9 MSG
https://bible.com/bible/97/2pe.3.8-9.MSG
God redirects. We repent. We stake ourselves God-ward and receive every spiritual blessing He chooses to give so that we can grow up into the fullness of Christ, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross. (Hebrews 12:2) Choosing God’s way over my own way, denying myself and following Jesus is a daily, sometimes hourly or moment by moment process. (Luke 9:23)
“Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.
For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.
And who can win this battle against the world?
Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”
1 John 5:3-5 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/1jn.5.3-5.NLT
(All photos with scripture notes are taken from the YouVersion app imbedded commentary on Genesis 11:1-9 The Passion Translation. I am so grateful for this app https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bible/id282935706 with its many Biblical translations and study tools available at no cost. Studying the Bible in depth is so accessible! Don’t take my word for it. Search the scriptures for yourself and find God through Jesus in the physical or virtual pages.)
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