Unless the Lord Builds the House

“Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman keeps awake in vain.”
(Psalm 127:1, NASB95)

It's no secret that I have been struggling with revisions for far too long. The main reason is that I needed to write totally new chapters at the beginning of the book, and whenever that happens, following those new threads through the existing manuscript can be difficult and usually makes for a lot of new writing in every single chapter. I'm thankful that this type of revision isn't a common occurrence for me because this kind of rewriting leaves me exhausted at the end of a work day. Both physically and mentally drained. I want to be done SO badly!! I'm getting there, but it sure seems to be taking an eternity.

Anyway … I came across Psalm 127 yesterday in my Bible reading, and it gave me reason to pause. "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it."

Goodness knows, I don't want my labor on this book to be in vain. It's been too hard to end up meaningless. But I need the Lord to build it. I want this story to be of the very best quality. I want it to be a story that pleases Him and that He can use. I want it to touch hearts and bring readers closer to Him. I want the same of my blog posts and my interactions with friends and strangers on Facebook and whatever else I write or speak. And for that to happen, I must allow the Lord to build the house.

I want the same for all of you who read this post.

Lord, build the house of my life. Whatever you want it to be, Lord, build it that way. Lord, build the house of my marriage. Make it the kind of shelter that You desire. Put its foundation down deep in Your word. Lord, build the house of my career. Don't let me compare myself or my work to others. Keep my heart and mind looking at Jesus. Lord, remind me again that a good harvest in this life is not due to endless toil but to Your blessing. Even while I sleep.

“It is vain for you to rise up early,
To retire late,
To eat the bread of painful labors;
For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep."
(Psalm 127:2, NASB95)

Amen and amen.

~robin

Comments

[TC Avey]

This touches me today. As I am about to send out a new batch of query letters, (and feeling a little discouraged) it is nice to be reminded that I am not laboring in vain. I truly believe God is building this house, it is just taking longer than I thought but I am learning amazing things along the way.
Thank you for posting this today.

[Robin Lee Hatcher]

So glad it touched you, TC. Warm regards, Robin