Apart from Me, You Can Do Nothing

Genesis 11:4, 8
Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” ...So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.

The story of the tower of Babel reminds me of the passage in John 15 about abiding in the Vine, Jesus Christ. He said, "apart from Me, you can do nothing."

The people in the land of Shinar had no interest in obeying God or abiding in Him. They wanted to be great. They wanted to thwart God's plan to disperse them throughout the earth. That's why they failed. God came, confused their minds, and that was it. Game over. They were forced to abandon their plan.

Think about a group of tiny, weak humans who looked God right in the face and said, "No. We're going to do what we want to do." They're laughable.

Until... I remember how often I stand in that group of helpless little beings on the plain of Shinar, looking up at my almighty Creator, and telling Him exactly what I'm going to do.

I can't do anything without Him. I'm laughable... crushable. BUT. He's good. He's loving. He doesn't stomp on His defiers. He thwarts their plans, shows them that He is in control. And He forgives them when they ask Him.