Thought for June 24, 2024

•  1509: Henry VIII crowned King of England
• 1853: Franklin Pierce signs Gadsden Purchase acquiring parts of Arizona and NM
• 1901: Picasso's first exhibition opens in Paris
• 2022: Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade
• Born: Jack Dempsey, Lionel Messi
• Died: Lucretia Borgia, Grover Cleveland, Jackie Gleason

Thought:

Reading Psalm 127:1-2 this morning. This psalm is attributed to Solomon. David had prepared for the building of the Temple, but God wanted a man of peace to do the building. We are told it took 7 years to build  using 30,000 laborers, 70,000 to bear burdens, 80,000 to quarry stone and 3,600 overseers. Amazing as the Temple was 100 x 33 x 50 feet high, 3,300 square feet per floor. The Temple was dedicated in 953 BC and destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. 

We usually read this psalm when thinking about constructing houses or church buildings. But the truth of verse one applies to many other things--unless the Lord builds a marriage, unless the Lord builds a family, unless the Lord builds your life, we labor in vain. The Lord must provide the vision, the inspiration, the resources, the strength to build and the perseverance to continue despite opposition and trials. We read of the opposition that arose when Nehemiah and Ezra returned to build after the Babylonian captivity--the opposition was internal and external. 

I notice in reading this psalm that not only must the Lord do the building, we must call upon Him to guard the building. We have all seen this. Someone builds a good marriage, builds a close family, builds a business career, but then something happens. They take their eyes off the builder, forget the one who brought them this far, fail to seek Him for wisdom, guidance, provision, and turn to the world. Then the building fails. The Lord blesses with success and abundance, I get to thinking I am the one who did it, believe I am the one in control and that I can protect and grow it. Pride and ego get in the way, and the building, family, marriage, career starts to crack, break, teeter and fall. 

This is a picture of churches and nations as well. Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, tells me it is vain to labor in my strength. Laboring in the Lord's strength and for His glory results in building churches, nations, families, marriages and careers that are a blessing and blessed. 

Reading this again today challenges me to seek Him for vision, direction, and resources and to trust Him to guard and protect. 

Blessings

Larry