"Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is useless.
Unless the Lord protects a city, gaurding it with sentries will do no good.
It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.
Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.
Children born to a young man are like sharp arrows in a warrior's hands.
How happy is the man whose quiver is full of them!
He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates."
Psalm 127 NLT
Foot notes from the Life Application Study Bible...
127:1 Families establish homes & sentries guard cities, but both of these activities are futile unless God is in them. A family without God can never experience the spiritual bond God brings to relationships. A city without God will crumble from evil & corruption on the inside. Don't make the mistake of leaving God out of your life. If you do, all your accomplishments will be futile. Make God your highest priority, & let him do the building.
127:2 God is not against human effort. Hard work honors God but working to the exclusion of rest or to the neglect of family may be a cover up for an inability to trust God to provide for our needs. We all need adequate rest & times of spiritual refreshment. On the other hand, this verse in not an excuse to be lazy. Be careful to maintain a balance: work while trusting God, & also rest while trusting him.
127:3-5 Too often children are seen as liabilities rather than assets. But the Bible calls children "a gift from the Lord," a reward. We can learn valuable lessons from their inquisitive minds & trusting spirits. Those who view children as a distraction or nuisance should instead see them as an opportunity to shape the future. We dare not treat children as an inconvenience when God values them so highly.
3 comments:
Some weeks ago this verse really helped me when I was working so hard at fundraising. I felt like I was spinning my wheels. Thankfully I found rest in the Lord.
I appreciate you sharing these Kathy.
Boy is Randy's quiver getting full:)
I LOVE this Scripture! Thanks for reminding me of them!
Children are a GIFT! So many times, in our society, they are treated as a nuisance... even in many churches (a little pet peeve of mine:)
Thanks, Kathy!
Great words, and the part about children is SO true. People don't like children these days. They treat them as nuisances and inconveniences. Especially here in the richest country in the world- People consider how many children they can "afford" before they consider the fact that ALL are gifts and we should be welcoming them by the boatload! God will provide! The poorer countries tend to view children as blessings. How arrogant and backward we are in the US! I wonder how much longer He will stand for it!
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