Today's Meditation
Read 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.
Although this Psalm is part of the Song of Ascents, it also has a Wisdom Literature feel to it, like Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. The author of this psalm gets right to the point and doesn't mince words about our labor, our work. Basically, we toil in vain if God is not part of everything we do.
Can we learn to go about our daily lives in our work and in our labor, in our volunteer activities and in our relationships with the knowledge that we do it all through God's work in us?
This psalmist would say that we labor in vain if God is not part of the equation. For what purpose does it end up serving? Our lives are to be for the service of God and for God's purpose to work itself out in our lives. When we change our focus this way, we change the motivation within us and we increase our joy. We no longer labor in vain, but rather we labor in glory, love and joy.
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