Psalms 120-132 When God's on the Workforce!!

July 9th, Psalms 120-132

       It's a great joy to read through the Psalms as more and more of them become a familiar staple in my life. Songs we sing, special meanings as we walk this road of life, familiar psalms we seem to read over and over and psalms that seem fresh and new.
       Psalm 127:1 is that familiar but new call for me this morning. The first half is embedded in my brain..."Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." the second half doesn't seem to get as much air time... "Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."
       The second phrase feels like a verse claimed doing All-Nighters in youth ministry. Staying up all-night for! what?!?!?! exactly!! The fact that the psalmist throws both of those back to back, the building and the watching, does have a stronger impact. The imagery of the watchman has a bigger impact in my head. I can stay up late and watch over a city, but the best I can do is wake people to tell them our enemy has arrived. When God watches over the city I can imagine a whole different set of scenarios. All of them are amazing.
       How much of my activity in my day is really done in vain, done without God. What places in my life are being built by me and what places are built by God. To me this is all about getting better at inviting the presence of God into our life, Watching, Building 
       I still have my work to do, the people are to build with God. The watchman is not told he can sleep on his watch, but to live in an awareness of need that God's watchful eye is more important than his own. All of our tasks this day are most productive with Christ alongside us. Thank you Lord for labor not done in vain!!