Devo 08: Psalm 127
Unless the Lord Builds the House
A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.
127 Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children[a] of one's youth.
5 Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.[b]
Devotional Thought:
This psalm reminds us that not everything is in our control, there’s so much of our lives that is in God’s hands…getting that interview, that audition, getting into that school, there are so many factors leading to the desired final result that is in God’s hands and not ours.
But instead of thinking of our God as some powerful but impersonal deity that we must appease to get what we want in life, this psalm offers a better view of God and better comfort. He knows we are finite and gives us what we need. We don’t need to always be at work, afraid of our efforts failing, but He’s the one who never sleeps, always fighting on our behalf, and rather He gives us sleep. He’s the one who looks after us and gives us a hope and a future, all the way down to important gifts like children.
With Him, the audition’s over, Jesus has achieved our salvation, and find our righteousness in Him. Because of God’s love for us found in His Son, we know we’re not just on our own in this world trying to politick ourselves to a better future, but we can ultimately leave that in God’s hands. Therefore we can trust Him to be at work in all the ways we need Him to be even though we can feel so powerless. We can work hard during the day and sleep at night peacefully, knowing our God is always working and never sleeps.
Prayer:
Lord, I confess I eat the “bread of anxious toil” because I put everything in life upon my shoulders. And deep down I know I’m not strong enough to do it all. Thank you for Jesus who accomplished everything before You that I failed in. Thank You for a God who doesn’t need me to build Him a house (2 Sam 7), but who built us a house through Kind David’s greater Son, Jesus Christ. By your grace, give me wisdom and trust in You to know when to work hard, and doing so as someone accepted You and not trying to earn your love. And help to know when to turn in and rest, because You are always at work on my behalf even when I’m sleeping.
