If GOD doesn’t guard the city, the night watchman might as well nap.
It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone.
Don’t you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves?
Don’t you see that children are GOD ’s best gift?
the fruit of the womb his generous legacy?
Like a warrior’s fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth.
Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children!
Your enemies don’t stand a chance against you; you’ll sweep them right off your doorstep.”
Psalm 127:1-5 MSG
Hearing God never gets old. I am always just as surprised as if it were the first time He spoke to me.
God put this verse in front of me, which lead me to read the chapter. And once again I am smiling at God face to face.
“If GOD doesn’t build the house, the builders only build shacks.
If GOD doesn’t guard the city, the night watchman might as well nap."
First of all, all this dreaming, striving for success, approval, and acceptance is worthless if it's not for God. My work is worthless if it's not for His glory.
"It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone.
Don’t you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves?"
Wouldn't it be nice if that meant we don't have to work because we are Christian? (Who am I kidding, I actually like working) But no, it's saying all of this early rising, working late , and stress is pointless without purpose >>to fulfill His will<<
And He can give us rest in that! REST! You know that stuff we daydream about all day?! But it doesn't just magically appear. God's rest comes from doing His work, its a reward for loving Him.
Kinda like how we reward our kids...which perfectly sets us up for the next part...
"Don’t you see that children are GOD ’s best gift? the fruit of the womb his generous legacy?"
It ain't no mistake He followed His gift of rest verse with children are a gift from God. It makes me laugh; They don't exactly go hand in hand. I think He knows we (momma's) beg, plead, bargain, and pray for rest...we may just be looking in the wrong place. Finishing all of our days work so that we can rest sounds logical but God didn't say to be logical. In fact we just saw if the day's work isn't God's work...well it's pointless and we won't find rest in it.
"Like a warrior’s fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth.
Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children!
Your enemies don’t stand a chance against you; you’ll sweep them right off your doorstep.”
Oh my Jesus, You know how to talk to me. Warriors need (or at least back then the needed) arrows to be warriors. But arrows are one of the hardest weapons to use with accuracy. You can aim for the target but even the best archer's arrow frequently misses their target.
I am trying to raise my "best gifts" from God to be respectful, Godly, loving, smart, successful people. But I am not in charge of "my" arrows, I point and aim and pray and where I think the target is may not be where my arrows land.There are so many things that guide them other than my hand and my will....there's God's will, my mistakes, their choices, my bow, the way the arrow is made (is it slightly curved, is it cracked, does it bend...), do I even know God's plan or their target?
And how does the warrior that rises early to build houses and goes to bed late with worry, needing to rest, shooting arrows, that are so cherished, and may or may not land on the perceived target find joy and rest?
Trust God, obey Him, and shoot the arrow.
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