The best designed home will be a failure unless God crowns it with His favor.
He would have us keep our eyes upon Him in all the affairs of the family that we might avoid excessive care.
He would have us realize that our children are a trust from Him and will be most our honor and comfort if they are dedicated to Him.
Psalm 1
1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
Psalm 1 – J. Vernon McGee
Psalm 127 – “The LORD Hath Done Great Things for Us”
This psalm was probably suggested by Ezra’s efforts to rebuild the Temple. We cannot succeed apart from God, but must be His fellow-workers. See Proverbs 10:22. The bread of trouble is that which is hardly obtained, where labor is severe, and the results slow. Beware of needless anxiety. As builders, Psalm 127:1, look to God for plan, materials, and co-operation. As watchers, Psalm 127:1, commit all keeping to God’s watch and ward. As toilers, Psalm 127:2, have a little more quiet rest and ease of mind. As parents, Psalm 127:3-5, do not shrink from parental responsibilities; when you are old, your children will answer for you. —Through the Bible Day by Day
Psalm 127:2—He giveth his beloved sleep.
All day long we may have been fretting and fuming, running hither and thither, and doing our little best to build the house and keep the city. Sometimes we have turned to look to our faith, to see if that were in good condition, and sometimes to our friends. But we have not done much to forward matters. The weight of our anxiety is unrelieved, the heavy load presses still. Finally we can hold up no longer; with one last helpless look to God we fall back on his everlasting arms, and sleep. We rest long and deeply, till morning taps at the window. We spring up relieved; the storm has ceased, and there, beside us, given we slept, is the boon we had craved and yearned for. It has been given unto his beloved in sleep.
What an emblem of death! We may have been fretting and worrying all our life, have attempted much and done little, have questioned God’s love and care; then, tired and heartbroken, we shall fall asleep on the bosom of Christ, and awake to find the house built, the New Jerusalem set up, with her gates of pearl and walls of jasper, and the kingdom of God come.
Begone, dull, worrying care! let me rest; sweet Faith and Hope, close mine eyes and still my heart; Jesus, give me sleep, and in sleeping give me my heart’s desire, that I may awake and be satisfied. Curtained by eternal mysteries, guarded by angel watchers, resting on the lap of mother earth, our bodies (though not our souls) shall sleep until the sounding of the Archangel’s trump announce the advent of the new heavens and earth, and we shall awake, like belated sleepers, to find that God has been bringing redemption as we slept. —Our Daily Homily