Psalm 127:1–2 Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep tothose he loves.
There is a Hebrew phrase that Jews around the world have repeated for thousands of years, “With the help of God.” It is something that is said daily, multiple times. From the big stuff to the smallest issues, everything they do requires the help of God. Psalm 127 was written just after King David was informed that he would not be the one to build the House of God. It had been David’s dream to build the Temple in Jerusalem, but it was a dream that he would never realize. Instead, David’s son Solomon was given the task: “He is the one who will build a house for my Name…” (2 Samuel 7:13). David accepted God’s decision with grace. In this psalm, David shares with us the clarity that allowed him to accept God’s will and move on. David writes: “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” In other words, no matter what we do or how hard we try, we will never succeed at something that is not the will of God. If God didn’t want David to build the Temple, then no matter what David did he would never succeed. Our success depends solely upon God and His will for us. When we are successful, we must acknowledge that it is only because of God’s help. We must remember to thank God and enjoy our successes humbly. On the other hand, when we fail, that is also the hand of God. We must accept our disappointments like David did with humility, acceptance, and grace, knowing that God’s will reigns supreme and everything He does is for the very best.
