Unless
Scripture Reading: Psalm 127:1-2
Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Learning to understand and live out the truth of these verses is more difficult than it might seem at first. We might misread the text and think that the author is suggesting inactivity and laziness. We might take it to mean that we don’t do anything except trust God.
A little thought would show us this can’t be the correct reading of the text. He can’t be saying don’t build and don’t watch the city.
Reading verses one and two together allows us to see what the author is getting at. The phrase “anxious toil” is key. It is not the act of labor that is the issue. It is the act of faithless toil, toil that believes it all depends on our effort that is the problem. The one he is describing is the person who builds and watches without faith. They can’t rest, they get up early and go to bed late because they think that unless they build and unless they watch it won’t happen.
What he is pointing us toward is a life of faith wherein we work and watch in faith. We build, but we build with our eye on the Lord, knowing that our success depends on His help. We watch, but we watch with the Lord, knowing that our security depends on Him.
Do your work, and protect your home, but always know and believe that your success and security come from the Lord. Then, trust Him with it and for it and rest in Him.
