Psalm 127: Unless the Lord

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.
In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat -
for He grants sleep to those He loves.
Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth.
Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.
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Some scriptures sneak up on me, weaving their truths into the fabric of my life gradually. Slowly, the truth sinks in and begins to make sense to me. Other passages, though, are like a brick dropping from the sky -- I can hardly miss the point they make. Psalm 127 is in the latter category.

"Unless the Lord builds the house" ... "unless the Lord watches over the city". What an amazing reminder that our best efforts are pointless - in vain - without the divine touch of God. All the marriage counseling in the world, the best national defense systems ... are a waste of time without God's intervention.

This Psalm lays out before us a picture of what the Puritans called "Common Grace" - the unmerited favor God bestows upon believer and unbeliever alike. It's a term used to refer to the character of God revealed in Matthew 5:44-45: "But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

In God's common grace, He builds houses, guards cities, provides food and sleep, and fills households with children who can protect parents. He doesn't just do this for people who love and follow Him. He doesn't have to do it at all. But He does - and it shows His character. He is a gracious God.

As you look across the landscape of your life, what do you see that wouldn't be there "unless the Lord..."? Unless the Lord reached down and touched me, I would still be an emotional wreck. Unless the Lord intervened, my marriage would not be the touch of grace that it is. Unless the Lord had stopped the explosion, Times Square would have been filled with death. Unless the Lord gave you tremendous insight, you couldn't have taught that lesson in another language. Unless the Lord ...

What circumstances have you burdened and overwhelmed today? "Unless the Lord" steps in, the weight will be too much for you to carry. But with His grace flooding your circumstances, your load will be lifted. Ask Him to wrap His chains of mercy and grace around the weak vessel of your life today - and pull you to a place to which you would never arrive ... unless the Lord.