Towering Faith

For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. —Psalm 95:3-5 NIV

Overlooking Puget Sound from the top of the Space Needle on an unusually clear day in Seattle, I saw the late morning sunlight glinting off the water as tiny sailboats glided by. In the distance, Mount Rainier’s massive, white peaks stood proudly in the haze. Not only was the height of the Space Needle overwhelming, but the beauty I was able to consume was arresting … like I was looking down from Heaven.

Not surprisingly, towers like the Space Needle capture the hearts of people around the world, so much so that millions of people visit them each year. But the novelty of a high tower in a city isn’t so new after all. Genesis 11:1-9 talks about the original “tall tower” in a city of people who wanted to make a name for themselves and rebel against God’s directive in Genesis 9:1 to populate the earth.

Now all the earth used the same language and the same words. And it came about, as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. Then they said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks and fire them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. And they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let’s make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of all the earth.”

Now the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the men had built. And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they have started to do, and now nothing which they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”

So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth; and they stopped building the city. Therefore, it was named Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. —Genesis 11:1-9 NASB (emphasis mine)

What a common sin problem we have with those who built the tower of Babel. Trying to get to greater heights apart from God, we use man-made bricks instead of “The Cornerstone,” Jesus, to build high towers (or climb corporate ladders) so we can be our own god. Thankfully, God loves us too much to allow us to get very far without Him. By His grace, God humbles His children, sparing us the destruction man-made towers inevitably bring because no one can survive being God but God. Nonetheless, like Nimrod (Genesis 10) and Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3), we tend to climb to the top of the highest tower and say, “Look at all I have done!” Oh, that God would humble me way before I become self-important.

In contrast, Psalm 95:6-7 reminds us to bow down and worship. In other words, let’s get as low as possible so our understanding of God is as big as possible. Verse seven beautifully encapsulates a life of lowly surrender: “for he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care” (NIV). How faith-building is that?! We are not the kings of our own castles. Instead, we are stubborn, lowly sheep who need a shepherd, and we are under His care. This convicts me of the sin of pride and viewing myself as greater than I am. I want to trade my desire for control for a towering faith in the God who cares for me. I don’t need to see everything, control everything, or be anything other than His child. What a joy it is to know that God is seated on the highest of heights in Heaven with Jesus by His side, enveloping His kids with His Spirit who whispers, “You are mine.”

Father, I confess my desire for exaltation, to be lifted by my own abilities, in my own strength, instead of bowing down and worshipping You. Give me a heart of humility and a desire to worship and exalt You alone. Fill me with a sense of awe and wonder and the reality of Your love and my need to be cared for by You. I choose to humble myself before You so that You will lift me up in due time if only to kiss Your face.

Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.
—Psalm 95:6-7 NIV

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and
peace in believing, that you may abound in hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13 NJKV).

Marlene McKenna

Sweet Selah Ministries

Vision
To inspire a movement away from the belief that “busy is better”
and toward the truth of God’s Word that stillness and knowing
Him matter most—and will be reflected in more effective work and service

 Mission
To offer biblical resources and retreats that help women pause (Selah)
and love God more deeply as they know Him more intimately (Sweet)

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