Tuesday, April 3rd
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. 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. (Psalm 127:1-2 ESV)
In this Psalm of ascent we find a word of challenge, a word of comfort and a reminder. The challenge and comfort are one and the same; our best efforts amount to vanity, unless the Lord makes them profitable.
Our most clever devices cannot provide our needs, so the Psalmist reminds us that a house built by human strength is built in vain. Our strongest forces will not be enough to protect us, so the Psalmist reminds us that human vigilance guards in vain. Here we come to terms with a challenge to our deluded self-sufficiency.
At the same time, there is implied in these verses the potential for the Lord building and protecting. Otherwise why would the Psalmist mention the possibility? Here we see comfort. It is the Lord who provides our needs and it is the Lord who guards and protects. He does so in such a way that we are saved from vain toil.
Finally, the Psalmist offers a reminder. You and I can spend our lives on vanity, eating the bread of anxious toil as though our security comes form our own determination and talents, or we can trust in the Lord. The Lord gives us rest and sleep. He gives us rest to show us that even while we rest he works and protects on our behalf. We never really built our house. We never really guarded our city. It was the Lord. All we do, on our own, is toil vainly.
This is true of our new church home.
It is the Lord who will build it.
Make no mistake, we will invest heavily in the planning, building and resourcing but ultimately the Lord will be at work even when we sleep. He has already brought us to divine meetings with just the right people. We have seen His hand leading with creativity in the design process. He will stir each of our hearts to sacrificial generosity in giving to pay for the land and for the building costs.
Lord, you build this church building. Thank you for working while we rest. Guard us against ever believing that we are clever or strong. Thank you for allowing us to work at your behest.
