Building in Vain…
Today, I opened up my bible app to my daily readings, and the first verse of today’s Psalm just jumped off the page at me:
Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Psalm 127:1a
The Psalm writer speaks of building a house. Unless it’s God who is doing the real building, our ‘building’ will just be labor in vain. Labor that is real, labor that is hard, labor that is, well, laborious, but it will not amount to what we set out to build. Imagine that.
I wonder: when you reflect on this – how does this Psalm address you? What are you building, perhaps without God, in vain?
It could be your faith that is being built. It could be your future. It could be your purpose. It could be your family. It could be a new life you’ve been forced to make for yourself.
Are you building it yourself, or, as the Psalmist intimates, are you asking on God to build it for you, with you, in you, through you? Big questions that, according to this Psalm, are the difference between laboring for nothing on the one hand, and laboring for a firm foundation, structure, and home on the other.
If you find yourself building it yourself, today is the day to ask God to be the builder.
When I read this passage, I think of our church (not the building, but US, as the body of Christ!). I know I can ‘get ahead’ of God and attempt to building without Him – and build and build and build and build – and I have experienced the vanity of such building.
So today, I’m praying that God would be THE builder, and we’d just put all of our labor into serving him and him alone. I’m praying that God would be the project manager, the architect, and the engineer. I’m praying that God would find the materials, the resources, and the supplies. I’m praying that God would be the Master of the details, and knit it all together perfectly for His purposes. I’m praying for all of the new building that we’re doing and will be doing (gazebo services, youth initiatives, service projects, building improvements, and more!) – as we’ve been promised by Paul in First Corinthians – that our labor would not be in vain*** because it would be IN the Lord.
And I’m asking you to pray that along with me.
Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58
***Also, if you are ever discouraged and in need of a reminder of the promises God has given us of our labor not being in vain, please listen to this song. In times of discouragement (which even pastors face!), I’ll listen to this song to remember God’s promises and on the right day, will bring me right to tears.