Psalm 127
1Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD guards the city,
the guard keeps watch in vain.
2It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives sleep to his beloved.
3Sons are indeed a heritage from the LORD,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
4Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the sons of one’s youth.
5Happy is the man who has
his quiver full of them.
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
1Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
Late in the first century, AD, Rabi Gamaliel’s students asked him what they should do about these new Christians that were all over the place. Gamaliel told his students to leave them in peace. “If this is not of God”, he said, “it will not succeed. If it is of God, nothing can stand against it”. I’m sure that Psalm 127 was in Rabi Gamaliel’s mind when he said those words.
1Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
There have been a number of times in my life and ministry when I set out, believing that I was doing what God had called me to do, only to find every door slammed shut and every avenue blocked. Through painful experience, I’ve learned that trying to soldier on when it has become clear that God is blocking the way is useless.
Answering God’s calls isn’t an exact science. We all get it wrong more often than we get it right. Sometimes we go farther than God needed us to go and we get stopped in our tracks. Sometimes we see what looks like a better route and grab the wheel away from God. And sometimes, we just get it wrong. The wonderful thing about following God’s call is that we do it in relationship with God and our neighbors. It’s not about what we do right and what we do wrong, it’s about honoring God in the attempt. After feeling like a complete failure more than a few times, I learned to hold lightly to my plans, leaving room for God to work (most of the time…).
Prayer: Lord God: Thank you for honoring us by sending us out to do your work in the world. Set us free from our need to be successful so that we can be useful to you in all things. AMEN