WHO IS BUILDING YOUR HOUSE?
PSALM 127:1
PSALM 127:1 NKJ
Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
OBSERVATION:
In the course of my life in ministry, this has been a very important verse. Important verses gain their importance by imparting a truth that is vital to us and has impacted our life.
I realize the entire Bible is important and I am not diminishing its value. It's just that there are verses that become foundational to establishing the values that we live by. Psalm 127:1 is one of those foundational verses for me.
Years ago, my father and I had a theological discussion. We did not have too many of those, so this conversation stood out to me.
We were discussing how we made plans for the future. My father said that he would make his plans and then ask the Lord to bless his efforts.
However, I had a different perspective. My strategy is to ask the Lord what His plans are for my future because His plans are already blessed.
This is the gist of Psalm 127:1. When we are following the Lord's plans, then He is building the house, and it will stand. When we operate on our own, we may get the house built, but it can be a real struggle.
The first church I started was in my hometown. It was my plan, not the Lord's, and in my case, we did not even give it a chance to fail. We shut it down. I knew in my heart that the Lord was not building that church, so I backed out. So, my first church launch was a failure; I just did not nurse that mistake for long.
The second church was the one I am pastor of now. The Lord has helped us and sustained us, and we are still going strong 26 years later. He is building The Ark. This church was His plan, and it is working.
APPLICATION:
If we will ask the Lord, He will help us. If we acknowledge Him in all our ways, He will direct our paths. (Proverbs 3:6) He will direct us into what His plans are for us. And His plans are so much better.
I don't want to spend the rest of my days on earth building my plans. I want to partner with the Lord and be a part of building what He wants. And please notice this verse applies to all of us, not just pastors.
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, show me Your plans for me. What do You want built because I know it will be better and blessed.