A song of ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.A Song of Ascents. By Solomon. Unless Yahweh builds the house, they who build it labor in vain. Unless Yahweh watches over the city, the watchman guards it in vain.A Song of degrees for Solomon. 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.A Song of Ascents; of Solomon. Except Jehovah build the house, They labor in vain that build it: Except Jehovah keep the city, The watchman waketh but in vain.
3 sermons cite this verse
… A couple more verses for you. Psalm 127, verses one through two. You've heard these before, but I want you to think about them in light of the sovereignty of God. Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain then for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows. Translation, be all stressed out, for so he gives his beloved sleep. So does that mean we don't build or we don't guard? No, we do it with all that we have. But then at the end of the day, we lay our heads down on the pillow knowing I gave you my best today. And I'm so grateful that you have it all under control. He gives his beloved sleep. And the one who is kept or keeping themselves in his love. that even though they don't know what the product of today will be, they don't know what tomorrow holds, they really know the one who not only holds tomorrow, but the next day and the day after that and the day after that, and we can trust him. …
… And not only are there 66 distinct books in the God-inspired library, but the book of Psalms, we just quoted Psalm 127, verse 1. The book of Psalms has 150 different Psalms. That's kind of like 150 books or songs within a larger book. The book of Isaiah, 66 chapters, all of them worthy of your reading and of your meditation. So when God gives us a book, sometimes we can just think, oh, a book, come on, a book? You're going to have me read a book? I don't need a book. That's not going to change my life. I'm not just saying this is a book. I'm saying the voice of the living God speaks through his library. He wants to tell you about the creation story. He wants to meet you every place you are emotionally in the Psalms, in your highest days, in your lowest days. He wants to give you four accounts of the life of his son in the flesh among us. He wants to tell you what it all means in books like Romans and Hebrews. …
II. Secondly, it is certain that WE CAN ONLY GATHER WHAT GOD GIVES. However eager we may be, there is the end of the matter. The most diligent bird shall not be able to gather more than the Lord has given it—neither shall the most avaricious and covetous man! "It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so He gives His Beloved sleep." "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman wakes but in vain." What God gives you, you will be able to gather. But if you set about to heap up what your avarice lusts after, no blessing will attend it. What a difference is often seen in two men placed in the same position in life, with the same work to do and very much the same possessions! You see one of them working cheerfully, happy as a king, sweetening his bread with content and joy in the Lord—while the other murmurs and repines, envying those who are richer and filled with harsh thoughts of God. What makes the one happy and the other wretched? Truly, only that the one has the Grace of God to give him contentment and so is full—and the other has a brutish hunger and greed and so, is left to be his own tormentor. As it is with the poor, so is it with the rich—the heart has more to do with making us happy than our possessions have. He whose soul is full of God, faith and contentment, is a truly rich man! The reflection that we can, after all, gather no more than God gives, should make us restful and contented. It teaches us our dependence upon God and tends to lessen our self-confidence, to moderate our desires and to abate our cares. …