In The Word
Read: Psalm 127-129
Prosperity Comes from the Lord.
A Song of Ascents, of Solomon.
127 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.
2 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.
3 Behold, children are a gift of the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
5 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.
Blessedness of the Fear of the Lord.
A Song of Ascents.
128 How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
Who walks in His ways.
2 When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands,
You will be happy and it will be well with you.
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
Within your house,
Your children like olive plants
Around your table.
4 Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed
Who fears the Lord.
5 The Lord bless you from Zion,
And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
6 Indeed, may you see your children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel!
Prayer for the Overthrow of Zion’s Enemies.
A Song of Ascents.
129 “Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up,”
Let Israel now say,
2 “Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up;
Yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 “The plowers plowed upon my back;
They lengthened their furrows.”
4 The Lord is righteous;
He has cut in two the cords of the wicked.
5 May all who hate Zion
Be put to shame and turned backward;
6 Let them be like grass upon the housetops,
Which withers before it grows up;
7 With which the reaper does not fill his hand,
Or the binder of sheaves his bosom;
8 Nor do those who pass by say,
“The blessing of the Lord be upon you;
We bless you in the name of the Lord.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
In Psalm 127, Solomon addressed three important things to us all: our home, our security, and our dreams of a family. In each situation, we find that all three come from the Lord. We wouldn’t have any of these unless the Lord builds the house (Psalm 127:1) and unless the Lord guards the house (Psalm 127:1); children are also a gift of the Lord (Psalm 127:3). My favorite verse is, “For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep” (Psalm 127:2). This tells me that when you are in a position like this, God can be working on your behalf and you can be totally unaware of it!
Is this your situation right now? Are you living in the blessing shared in this psalm? In Psalm 128, we find the secret of having it all. “How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways…You will be happy and it will be well with you” (Psalm 128:1-2). So what are “fear” and His “ways”? This “fear” is a moral reverence and acknowledges God’s good intentions and relationship to us; it is a positive quality. This “fear” makes one receptive to God’s wisdom and knowledge and is produced by God’s Word. His “ways” are the path or journey He has given to you through His Word. Learning God’s path or ways can only be done by learning His Word. I have found that when I spend time with the Father, reading His Word, or journaling my thoughts and prayers, that I have this life that makes me happy and content in return. Yes, there are disappointments and hurts, but they are insignificant when compared to the blessings of the Lord. I choose His way!