"The Vital Need for God’s Blessing" Psalm 127:1-5,

The Vital Need for God’s Blessing
Psalm 127:1-5,
March 20th , 2016

[Introduction]
Solomon’s declaration of this perspective is in reflected in the phrase,  “Under the Sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:14 (ESV)
14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

Ecclesiastes 2:11 (ESV)
11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

Perspective is the angle from which we see things.
We need God’s perspective: what is important from God’s view?
We need God’s Presence and Blessing; God’s work in and through us for His glory and our ultimate good.

Human effort without God’s perspective,  presence and blessing is ultimately meaningless.

Negatively: Human effort in life is useless without the Lord’s  blessing.
Positively: The Lord’s blessing is vital in Work and Family

God’s presence gives meaning and purpose to work and family.

I. . Work [1-2]
A.  A firm foundation and protector (1)
1 Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
 Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 

“In vain” means meaningless, purposelessness, uselessness.

[illustration]
The Lord led Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He organized, planned, and led the people. He set guards.
But unless the Lord was watching over the process, which He did, it would have been a wasted effort.

God’s presence gives meaning and purpose to work.

B. Useless of labor without God’s blessing (2)
2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. 

Hard work does not make up for God’s presence.
We need to work hard, but more importantly we need God’s blessing.

God’s presence gives meaning and purpose to family.

II. Family (3-5)
A. Children are a heritage.  (3-4)
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. 
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. 

Children are a heritage, a reward, a gift.

Unfortunately, too many people see children as an inconvenience.

[application]
At times Attitude can be more important than action.
While I would never tell anyone that they had to have children to obey God, I would say that you should call a blessing what God calls a blessing.

God calls children a blessing.
We too should call children a blessing.

God’s presence gives meaning and purpose to family.

B. Flourishing legacy                 (5)
5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!
 He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. 

Children of those who seek the Lord are a flourishing legacy.
It is an encouragement to children to go on and serve the Lord.
That is a terrific legacy.

[Conclusion]
Seeking God’s blessing, presence, in our work and family may not give us the results that we perceive as success.
The Lord may use a bad experience at work to lead us in a different direction.
He may use it to teach us patience or something else.

His presence and blessing give purpose and meaning to work.
Seeking God’s blessing, presence, in our family may not turn out the way we want.
Our children may make poor choices. But a godly legacy is of great value.

While proverbs are not promises, they describe what generally happens.
Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)
6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
A godly legacy is a great gift that we can give to our children.

Even if we don’t have children, our godly influence is a great gift we can give to those we know.

Don’t just see things from a human perspective, only “under the sun”, but seek God’s presence and purpose to give meaning to our lives.
God’s presence is vital in our work and family life. May we seek His blessing in all that we do.