The Bible records a very brief account of an endeavor known as the tower of Babel. In a period after the great flood in which God destroyed the world that then was because of their sins, men banded together to establish a great city along with a high tower. Instead of spreading out to repopulate and settle the earth, these people evidently wanted to create great works for their own purposes.

God intervened to stop this by confusing their language to prevent their understanding one another. Why?

Mankind was beginning to venture into areas for which he was not prepared. Note this statement from God:

” ‘…and this is what they begin to do; now nothing will be withheld from them’ ” (Genesis 11:6).

These actions were outside of the plan that God was working out for mankind. We read the following in Genesis 5, verse 1: “…In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.” Then, in Hebrews 2 we are told: ” ‘…You have crowned him with glory and honor, And set him over the works of Your hands. You have put ALL THINGS in subjection under his feet.’ For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him” (verses 7-8).

Right now, God has given man the earth on which to live. We read in Psalm 115:16: “The heaven, even the heavens (which include space or the universe), are the LORD’S; But the EARTH He has given to the children of men.” We find this overview in Acts 17:26: ” ‘And He has made from one [man] every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings.’ “

We have more insight concerning the will of God for mankind in Isaiah 45:18: “For thus says the LORD Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited.”

However, in our time, mankind once again seeks to go beyond his appointed domain — thereby adopting, inadvertently, the spirit of Satan and his fallen angels who tried to leave earth to take God’s place in the third heaven. Jude 6 tells us, “And the [fallen] angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.” As the year 2004 gets under way, robotic spaceships have begun to land on Mars. The technology of our day seems limitless.

Now, ambitious plans for establishing colonies on the moon along with a quest to send men to the planet Mars are being embraced by mankind. The United States and Russia, long technological leaders in space exploration, now have competition from Europe, China, Japan and India. It appears that a space race is emerging once again.

The ominous worry is that space based weapons will proliferate among the nations. In fact, near space already is full of intelligence and communication satellites from which modern war becomes even more powerful in the hands of those nations who can wield such technologies.

Mankind is once again moving beyond the bounds and limits placed on him by God. This time, as before, God will have to intervene. Jesus Christ spoke of the end of the age of man’s self rule and the conditions occurring just prior to His return to this earth: ” ‘And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved…’ ” (Matthew 24:22).

However, there is great hope for mankind in the future that God has planned. As we read, Paul spoke in Hebrews 2:8 of the time when “all things” would be given to the sons of God. Peter adds the following: “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).

The sure promise of God is that man will indeed journey into all of His creation–beyond the bounds of this earth or the planets in this solar system. Indeed man will get to go where no man has gone before–just not yet!

Have you ever wanted something? Not just something that is a passing fancy, but something that is the entire focus of your being.

We read of just such an example in the account of Amnon and Tamar. 2 Samuel 13 relates the account. In verse 2, it states that Amnon was so “distressed” in his love for Tamar that he became sick. However, Amnon, in his obsession, actually ended up concocting a plan that culminated in his raping her. Verse 15 then continues the story: “Then Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her.”

Later on, Amnon was murdered for this disgraceful act by Absalom, Tamar’s brother. This event came on the heels of another despicable act of unrestrained lust on the part of king David. He had seen the beauty of Bathsheba, and with no consideration for the consequences, had defiled the wife of one of his most faithful servants, and, in order to cover up his adulterous conduct and to marry Bathsheba, he proceeded with killing Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah.

Through the prophet Nathan, God spoke this judgment to David: ” ‘Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife’ ” (2 Samuel 12:10).

Wanting something so intensely and, in a sense, so mindlessly as in the examples of Amnon and David led to tremendous frustration, suffering and even death!

That was true, likewise, for Adam and Eve. Note how Genesis 3:6 reports on their evil desire: “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.”

Once again, the results were catastrophic for both Adam and Eve and the rest of humanity that has followed along the same path of wanton lust for what is forbidden by God.

We find other, more positive examples in the Word of God that teach us what we should want. God explains it in a very straight forward way in Deuteronomy 30:19: ” ‘I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.’ “

Have you chosen life? Is eternal life the entire focus of your being?

If we say, “yes!” to these questions, then let us check ourselves out with this reminder from Jesus: ” ‘So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple’ ” (Luke 14:33). Simply put, we must want what God wants for us–and completely on His terms!

Indeed, God does set before us a choice. We get to choose life, or we can choose death!

What do YOU want?

Bold, brash, forward, hot-tempered, a natural leader–these are all words that might very well describe Peter during the early days of his calling to be one of Christ’s disciples. In fact, it was Peter who asked Christ to bid him to also walk on the water. We read of this account in Matthew 14:22-33.

Peter courageously took those first steps of faith and actually walked on the sea; however, we read that he then looked at his unbelievable circumstances and became afraid. He also started sinking into the water. It was at this point that he did something very right, he cried out to Jesus for help (verse 30)!

Indeed, he received that help–and a lesson from Jesus Christ. Jesus said to him, ” ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ ” (verse 31)

Doubt, fear, lack of faith–all are easy avenues of retreat when any of us are confronted with what seems to us to be insurmountable. That was the way a father who had a spirit-possessed son felt. Since the disciples of Jesus were not able to cast out the demon, the man pleaded with Jesus for help. We find this account in Mark 9. In verse 22, the father asks, ” ‘But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.’ “

We find the reply of Jesus in the next verse (23), ” ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ ” Continuing in verse 24, “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’ “

It is certainly true that as Christians we should be growing in faith. The more we plunge into this way of living with the added help of God’s Holy Spirit, the greater, too, should become our faith as we learn to trust God implicitly. We find this kind of total reliance on God in the example of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. After king Nebuchadnezzar threatened them with death, they replied, ” ‘If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18).

These three were saved. They had the kind of faith to fully believe that God would be able to deliver them. They were also willing to die in faith knowing that their physical lives were only a prelude to eternal life in the Kingdom of God. That is something that Jesus Christ also believed, and He died in order to bring about that great hope.

Jesus Christ died to save the world, and even He through Whom all things were created came to the ultimate test of faith. He willingly offered His own life in order that He might fulfill the supreme purpose of God. In the account of the death of Christ that is in Luke, we find this final statement from Christ: ” ‘Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit’ ” (Luke 23:46).

This statement is the culmination of the way in which He lived His life. Jesus always sought help from God: “who, in days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear” (Hebrews 5:7).

We all face the impossible, at least, so it might seem to us. We may falter in human relationships in which anger overwhelms us. We may face temptations and trials that cause us to stumble badly. We may even face situations in which our lives are on the line. When we do, we have this sure promise: “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen” (Jude 24-25).

Finally, when we do reach that point where everything seems hopeless, we need to turn to Him through Whom all things are possible with these words, “Lord, save me!” Along with this, let’s keep in mind some other words from Peter which he wrote near the end of his life: “Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, addresses maturity within the context of explaining faith, hope and love. This is the way he describes it: “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things” (1 Corinthians 13:11).

Consider that if one is mature, then that person has ideally reached full development and is spoken of as being an adult. There is an assumption that such a person is likewise emotionally mature.

Unfortunately, merely growing into adulthood does not guarantee that one has indeed put away “childish things.” Likewise, just starting on the path of Christianity does not automatically mean that we will reach the kind of spiritual maturity that God requires. Ephesians 4:13 presents this goal for us: “till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

We have been given the Holy Spirit to help us achieve this kind of development in our own lives, but we must still grow. In fact, we must overcome much if we are to come to “the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

Hebrews 5:14 cautions: “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age (mature), that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

Jesus Christ did not live in the flesh to become an old man. It appears that he died as a young man around thirty-three years of age. Yet, in His short lifetime He achieved complete maturity. He did this by His total obedience to God’s will (Hebrews 5:8-9; 2:10). He never compromised with sin. He recognized the evil, but He always chose the good.

Many among the modern nations, which embrace the idea of Christianity, also follow the very dangerous concept that all that is required of them is to “accept Christ.” If they truly did accept Christ, then they would also do all that Christ, both by example and by command, instructs. They would not simply become infatuated with the ideals of Christianity, but they would indeed begin and then continue to grow in the same kind of Christian maturity that holds the promise of eternal life.

Paul gave testimony to this end when he spoke of his own approach: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended (laid hold of it); but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14). Then, adding this thought in verse 15: “Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind…”

Maturity takes some seasoning. If we place spiritual maturity as our goal, then we must do all that is required to reach that goal. The examples from the Word of God that have been left for us also reveal that there is struggle and great effort along with great reward in the process of becoming mature Christians.

The path to maturity is summed up for us in Philippians 2:5: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Not much room for “childish things” in this process!