E100 5-Tower of Babel

So I didn't skip #4 (God's Covenant with Noah), I just wasn't paying attention and included it in my #3 (The Flood)

Genesis 11:1-9

So after God rescued Noah and his family, people began to replenish the earth. It makes sense that all of the people spoke the same language, that of Noah's family. Together they decided to build a great city, to make their name great, and to construct a tower to reach the heavens.

"One day, everyone was talking and they came up with an idea: 'Let's build ourselves a beautiful city to live in! It can be our home. And we'll be safe forever and ever.' Then they had another idea: 'And let's build a really tall tower to reach up to heaven!'
"'Yes!' they said. 'We'll say, 'Look at us up here!" And everyone will look up at us. And we'll look down on them. And then we'll know we are something. We'll be like God. We'll be famous and safe and happy and everything will be all right.'" (Jesus Storybook Bible)

Sounds a lot like me before God rscued me. Wanting to make a name for myself. Wanting to be seen as better than those around me. Wanting to prove that I could do life on my own. For me, happiness came in busyness; staying away frome home was priority #1 because home was not a happy place. I pursued athletics, academics, church attendance, maintaining a goody-two-shoes reputation, pretending to be confident, pretending we had a happy family, and boyfriend relationships.

But I was still empty.

Then God sent a rescuer. Not only did He provide for me eternal life, but He gave me a design for what my life should look like now--a way to please Him and bring glory to His name. God revealed to me that I had been building a tower in my own life.

"But God wasn't pleased with them. God could see what they were doing. They were trying to live without him, but God knew that wouldn't make them happy or safe or anything. If they kept on like this, they would only destroy themselves, and God loved them too much to let that happen. So he stopped their plans." -JSB

In scripture, we learn that God confused the languages of the people. In my life, mom and dad got divorced. There was no more pretending at least, but things didn't get easier. In some ways, it was worse. But God showed me very practically that living for myself would not be a good option. Not only would I not be able to earn my way to heaven, but I wouldn't even be able to earn true happiness in this life. My Junior year of high school, I chose Christ.

"You see, God knew, however high they reached,, however hard they tried, people could never get back to heaven by themselves. People didnt need a staircase; they needed a Rescuer. Because the way back to heaven wasn't a staircase; it was a Person.
People could never reach up to Heaven, so Heaven would have to come down to them.
And, one day, it would." -JSB