A stained glass window with an image of Jesus

People wanted to build something big…God built much bigger

God’s gift seemed small but, in the end, it will grow beyond what we can imagine

What people wanted

People did not want to scatter and repopulate that earth after the Flood. They wanted to stay together and be powerful. They centered this effort and dreams of grandeur around a great building, the Tower of Babel. It would be a monument to their power, their creativity, and their greatness. It would last forever or as long as buildings last.

God scattered them and ended their dream.

What God gave

In the place of their grand, frustrated plans, God gave a promise. A promise that met their and our real needs

He picked one man and told him to move to a land the he would give him. He promised him many descendants. He would be blessed and through him the world would be blessed. There were no large buildings, in the beginning, only tents.

It started small and grew

It took two hundred years of slow growth and four hundred years of slavery to produce a nation from this one man and his wife.

And will grow beyond what  could have been comprehended

In the Kingdom Parables of Matthew 13, the images of leaven and a mustard seed are used for God’s kingdom. It will start out small but grow beyond expectation. There were 120 in the upper room in Acts 1 but soon 5000 and 3000 are added to the young church.

In Revelation 7 John is given a vision of the end times. There is crowd beyond number with God in heaven.

The 120 at Pentecost will grow to the vision of the innumerable stars Abraham sees in Genesis 15.

God’s gift seemed small but, in the end, it will grow beyond what we can imagine

Questions for consideration:

Can you think of your achievements or your children’s that would astound your grandparents or other ancestors now deceased?

Can you think of things you started decades ago that have had surprising fruit?

Share This