Genesis 11:1, 4, 7–8 CJB “The whole earth used the same language, the same words. … Then they said, ‘Come, let’s build ourselves a city with a tower that has its top reaching up into heaven, so that we can make a name for ourselves and not be scattered all over the earth.’ … ‘Come, let’s go down and confuse their language, so that they won’t understand each other’s speech.’ So from there Adonai scattered them all over the earth, and they stopped building the city.”

The Bible is not a random spiritual book; it is God’s recorded history of His dealings with humanity so that we can know Him, be reconciled to Him, and live with Him forever. The Tower of Babel is one of those moments where God pulls back the curtain and shows us the true problem with the world—and it is not Him. It is us.

At Babel, people were united, but their unity had a rotten center: they wanted to make a name for themselves, to rise up without God instead of bowing down before God. The result was judgment, confusion, and scattering. That pattern has repeated across history and in every man’s life.

We like to blame God for our pain, but Scripture consistently shows that human sin lies at the root of most of our troubles. It is man who steals from man, man who abuses man, man who kills man. It is our selfishness, pride, lust, greed, and rebellion—ours and others’—that create much of the chaos we live in. God seems distant because from the beginning we chose to distance ourselves from Him, and when we were more unified, we used that unity to collaborate against Him instead of with Him.

If most men were honest, the majority of their struggles can be traced back to poor decisions—our own or those of others that fell on us like debris from an explosion we didn’t start.

The good news is that God’s answer is not to abandon us but to invite us back. The temporary solution in a fallen world is peace with God—being reconciled to Him through Jesus so that His presence becomes our strength in the middle of a broken system.

His nearness:

• Sustains us when we suffer from other people’s bad choices.

• Transforms our thinking and desires so we make fewer destructive choices ourselves.

• Anchors us in the promise of a future earth where Jesus returns, rules from here, and everything is finally right—fully just, fully good, fully healthy, fully joyful.

Until that day, the marching orders do not change: love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself—even when your neighbor is unjust, unkind, or unloving. This is not weakness; it is how a man lives with joy, peace, and gratitude in a world shattered by rebellion against a loving God.

Run Today’s Play: Stop Blaming, Start Bowing

Today’s play is not to blame God for a world we helped break, but to humble ourselves and align our lives with Him.

• Own your part.
  Ask God to show you where pride, self-reliance, or a desire to “make a name” for yourself has driven your choices—at work, at home, online, or in secret. Confess it honestly. Stop pretending your problems are all “out there.”

• Pursue God’s presence, not your platform.
  Spend real time with God today—in His Word and in prayer—asking not for a bigger name, but for a bigger heart of obedience. Ask Him to help you love difficult people, forgive real wrongs, and act with integrity where others cut corners.

• Choose love where you want revenge.
  With one specific person who has hurt or wronged you, decide today to respond in a Christlike way: pray for them, speak kindly, refuse to retaliate, or take a step toward reconciliation if possible.

Brother, the men at Babel tried to rise without God and ended up scattered and frustrated. Do not repeat their mistake in your own life. Run today’s play: stop building your own tower, bow before the true God, and let His presence—not your pride—define your purpose, provision, and priorities.