Psalm 127:1
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh in vain
And yet it seems that houses are built and cities are successfully guarded all the time without reference to whether or not the Lord is building or watching. In fact, while it might be believed that the Lord is watching over the city, protecting it from invasions and disasters while the citizens sleep - they'd never know if he was guarding them because nothing would ever happen - but has the Lord ever built a house? Not htat I've ever heard.
Then the meaning here must be non-literal. Simply put, all that gets done must be done with the Lord in mind. Are you building a house (or a family)? Then check that you are doing things in accordance with God's will. Are you watching over the city (or your own soul)? Then be sure that God is at your side. You're wasting your time if He isn't.
But why is it a waste of time? Will the house collapse? No. Will the city be plundered? No there either.
It turns out, however, that you will have missed the point of building and watching. Your labour will be in vain because it should have been done for the Lord. This is like so many of my writing class students who write pretty decent essays but not about the assigned question. That question sometimes gets ignored.
As Rick Warren will tell you, we are made to serve God. If we forget him in our lives, we may suffer or prosper financially or physically, but we will diminish spiritually. We will have missed the point of our entire lives.
And yet it seems that houses are built and cities are successfully guarded all the time without reference to whether or not the Lord is building or watching. In fact, while it might be believed that the Lord is watching over the city, protecting it from invasions and disasters while the citizens sleep - they'd never know if he was guarding them because nothing would ever happen - but has the Lord ever built a house? Not htat I've ever heard.
Then the meaning here must be non-literal. Simply put, all that gets done must be done with the Lord in mind. Are you building a house (or a family)? Then check that you are doing things in accordance with God's will. Are you watching over the city (or your own soul)? Then be sure that God is at your side. You're wasting your time if He isn't.
But why is it a waste of time? Will the house collapse? No. Will the city be plundered? No there either.
It turns out, however, that you will have missed the point of building and watching. Your labour will be in vain because it should have been done for the Lord. This is like so many of my writing class students who write pretty decent essays but not about the assigned question. That question sometimes gets ignored.
As Rick Warren will tell you, we are made to serve God. If we forget him in our lives, we may suffer or prosper financially or physically, but we will diminish spiritually. We will have missed the point of our entire lives.
posted by Steven at 2:12 AM
1 Comments:
I always saw it as the non-literal meaning as well. That the point is that you put your trust in God for whatever you do and take direction from Him, because if what you do isn't His will, it will come to nothing at best, or ruin at worst.
I mean, people put their faith in man-made structures on a regular basis and believe in all our modern advances to keep them safe. But all it takes is a weather system sending a tornado, or a blizzard that causes a car crash or slipping on a banana peel to end your life or wreak havoc on your existence.
So if we don't have that foundation of faith, of the trust that everything works out for a reason, we're easily shattered by things that happen.
I remember years ago I saw a musical of The Dreamer, the story of Joseph and the one song was "Lead me along the path" with the one line "I trust enough to never need the why, you can take me to the where".
Now that is faith.
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