We were created to live in communion with God. When Adam chose to sin, mankind became separated from the true knowledge of God and people sought live for themselves. God desires our fellowship because He knows that a life apart from Him is futile. Psalm 127 is attributed to one of the wisest men of the Old Testament, King Solomon. Solomon had everything an individual could wish for and yet he realized that life is vain apart from God. The first two verses of this Psalm highlight the need for God in three significant domains of our lives – our family, our security, and our work.

Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; for He gives to His beloved even in his sleep. (Psalm 127:1-2)

Perhaps Solomon was reflecting upon some of the failures of his own life as he drifted away from God. Solomon started out well, but his success ultimately led to his downfall. The book of Ecclesiastes is a testimony of the vanity of life apart from God.

The words translated vain or futile in this passage are the same Hebrew word. This word essentially means to be desolate or empty. It is used figuratively to describe the emptiness of idolatry. We can work hard and do good things, but if God is not at the center of our lives, then our efforts are in vain. When we commit our work to God, then it can keep us from sleepless nights because we know that God is in charge. The disciples were frightened during a storm at sea, but Jesus was comfortably sleeping in the back of the boat.

Solomon specifically addressed the basic building block of a society which is the family. Solomon provides an encouraging perspective to parents who may be in the throes of parenting. Raising children is a great responsibility that is time consuming and may seem overwhelming at times. We can take heart knowing that as we invest time in raising our children, it will pay rich dividends in the future:

Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate. (Psalm 127:3-5)

Our responsibility as parents is to fashion our children into fine arrows for God’s glory. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, reminds us that, “Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.”  We must not allow the many demands of life keep us from that which is most important.

Rick Higgins

Associate Pastor – Discipleship.  The Church at LifePark