Psalm 127

I began this blog mostly as a tool for myself. I am finding that the exercise of studying scripture, waiting on the Lord and learning from it important for my spiritual growth. The act of trying to put into words what I am learning is a good tool for myself. It helps me to internalize what I am learning. If someone else happens upon this and finds something in this meaningful, that is wonderful. My fear is that someone will stumble upon this blog and find it meaningless dribble. ;)

Anyway, this morning, part of my "Bible in a Year" reading was Psalm 127:

1 Unless the LORD builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.
2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.
3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth.
5 Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

This chapter spoke to me in so many different areas.

First, verse 1, "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain." Of course, this has special meaning since we are in the process of building a new home. We HAVE really tried to commit this whole process as well as the physical home itself to the Lord. We have prayed about our decisions every step of the way. It is "God's House." Perhaps we need to post this prominently in our home along with Proverbs 16:3 "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."

The second part of this verse says, "Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." This is a great reminder that no matter what we do or how hard we work, ultimately, the Lord is our watchman and our protector. Unless we look to Him for support first, our efforts are futile.

"In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves. " It is good to remember that God doesn't expect us to drive ourselved into the ground with work. Of course, He doesn't want us to be lazy either. But what a comfort to know He WANTS to give us rest.

I had to set this aside to attend to my family and never got back to it. I don't know if I will get a chance to finish it so I will publish it as is.