So many people live their lives without giving God a second thought. They work, they play, they eat, they build, they buy and sell, all without ever thinking about their Creator. There are even those who deny that our Creator even exists. I love this Psalm because it is a wonderful reminder that without God all that we do is in vain and a waste of time. But when God is in the midst of even the most mundane of tasks, then those tasks give Him glory.
It also reminds me that even good works done without God are useless. Good works that are done for the sake of earning your salvation will not fulfill that purpose. Only good works that are done out of appreciation for the love and grace of Jesus as revealed on the cross are worthwhile.
Psalm 127
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of Solomon.
1 Unless the Lord builds a house,
the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the Lord protects a city,
guarding it with sentries will do no good.
2 It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones.
3 Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.
4 Children born to a young man
are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
5 How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!
He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.