Psalm 127:1-5
The endless demands of life bring worries, and fears, that quickly drain our energy and bring our faith to its low. So, as believers, we seek God’s blessings to relieve us of these negative things. Psalm 127 was written out of a spiritual realization, that without God, the things of this world will not bring us the greatest satisfaction in life. God makes his blessings available to His people, so that they may always be surrounded by the wonders of His glory. His blessings come in many forms, and in different levels based on our needs. Psalm 127 invites us to seek these three blessings, as they will greatly impact all areas of our lives.
1. God’s blessing of satisfaction from His work.
“1 Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves. 3 Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. 4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shamewhen they contend with their opponents in court.”
· Psalm 127 does not negate the importance of human work, rather, it affirms the necessity of pairing them up with the Lord’s work.
· God desires to be deeply involved in all areas of our lives so He can satisfy us with His blessings.
So, what do we do to be satisfied in this life?
· We must rely on God’s blessing for all our efforts.
· We must ask God for our specific needs.
· We pray for the welfare of others.
· We must keep in mind that God is able to direct our steps.
2. God’s blessing of rest from work.
“2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.”
· Perhaps, we think of so many concerns and worry about so many things that our hearts become troubled and makes sleeping well difficult.
· Proper sleep is not wasting time, rather, it helps us heal and recover to face the challenges of another day.
Why does God want us to stop worrying?
· Excessive worrying will rob you of peace and joy.
· It is not good for our mental and physical health.
So, what can we do to avoid excessive worrying?
· We need to surrender to the Lord the things that worry us.
· We need to completely believe that God can fully control everything.
· Meditate on God’s word. See Philippians 4:6-7
· Practice the daily renewal of the mind. See Philippians 4:8-9.
3. God’s blessings for raising godly children.
“3 Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. 4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.”
a.) Enjoying the blessing of raising godly children will require Word training.
· Read the Bible to them and be also a walking bible for them.
· Teach their children the value of God, the value of faith, the significance of having biblical moral values, the value of love and respect for elders and leaders as these will shape their character and impact all areas of their lives.
· Talk to your children daily about God through the ordinary things in life. E.g., when you walk in the park, talk about God creating those wonderful trees and birds.
b.) Enjoying the blessing of releasing (like arrows) powerful witnesses for Jesus.
· The Christian parents’ aim is to raise powerful witnesses for the Lord.
· Our greatest blessings are to release them into the dark world and to bring the light of Christ the Savior and only hope of the world.
· When our children are properly trained in the Word, we can be confident that God’s protection and purpose for them will be achieved.
· By their godly lives, those outside the church would be encouraged to explore our faith.