Psalm 127 "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. 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." vv. 1-2

As I have prayed through this Psalm, God has opened my heart to the possibility for a peace that is only possible when we truly trust Him. Anything that I can attempt to build, if God doesn't do it through me, it is in vain. At first, this seems like a negative statement, and it made me question all of my various pursuits and wonder if God is with me in them. But God has revealed the flip side to me, and I am praying that it sticks.

I realize that if I am just willing to put myself out there as a tool for God, then I don't have to worry about the results. If I will just love people, enjoy people, be willing to open my mouth and look like an idiot, I don't have to fret over results. If I cultivate and nurture a Godly love toward my children, and discipline them lovingly, and teach them what I can... God is going to lead them where they need to go. I am going to mess up in my parenting, in my relationships, in my witnessing, but if I just DO IT ANYWAY, maybe God will allow me to be involved in the great things that He is doing. Sometimes I am so paralyzed by the fear of doing something the wrong way that I don't do it at all.

This passage also has reiterated to me the importance and power of prayer. If anything is going to be done for the Kingdom of God, HE is going to do it. As individuals, and as the church, we should be devoting ourselves to prayer. All of the planning and the organizing and talking in the world cannot measure up to an hour in prayer!

God, help me to be able to lay my head down each night knowing that I was an instrument in your hands. Help me not to fret over results, but to leave them in your hands, that's where they are anyway. Help me to open my mouth and speak, even if sometimes I don't say the perfect thing, and love people and not be so afraid of looking stupid, and then show me YOUR great works.