Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. (Psalm 127:1, NIV)
How good do you have to be at one aspect of your game in order to make up for deficiencies in other parts and still be competitive?
This interesting question came up in a recent conversation on PGA Tour Radio regarding the play particularly of those like Rory McIlroy, whose current form is remarkable in nearly every category but for one: putting. McIlroy’s putting has been so weak this season that in spite of his dominant strengths, he has won just once.
What I like about the question is that we can all ask it of ourselves. So what if I’m the longest, straightest driver of the ball in my foursome if, when the scores are added up, mine is never the lowest? What winners in golf commonly possess is a knack for getting the ball in the hole in as few strokes as possible.
Make God foundation-pourer, framer, and finisher, and your house can stand the test of time.Scoring success in golf and what we might call the equivalent in life come through balance. If we spend all day and all night at the toils of our job, we may provide for our family, but our children may not know us at all. In the fascinating documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, master sushi chef Jiro Ono admits that there was a time when he made an unusually late start on a Sunday morning and his young son exclaimed to Jiro’s wife, “Mom, there’s a strange man sleeping in our house!” The child was dead serious.
Psalm 127, where we have arrived in our survey of the Songs of Ascent, explores both the work and home of one’s life. It’s a bit of an awkward juxtaposition, with no smooth transition between the two, but together these themes comprise the majority of our lives.
The opening verse sets the scene, and we find there the possibility of double application. “House” may be both a physical structure and a reference to those who live and serve there (more completely, a household). Unless, the people ascending to Jerusalem would sing, God’s hands build your house, all other work on it is worthless. But make God foundation-pourer, framer, and finisher, and your house can stand the test of time.
Next, we are warned against too much work: “In vain you rise early and stay up late…for [God] grants sleep to those he loves.” Are you sleeping as you should, maybe even taking a nap at midday to recharge your system? You should be. This is part of the balance that sustains us.
And then there is the treasure of children—a “quiver full,” born when we are young. That sons were a parent’s defense was quite a literal idea when the worries of ancient culture included the reality of marauders and thieves. You may not feel that threat today, but what a contribution children can still make to our perspective and our priorities! David wrote in Psalm 8 that God ordains praise from the mouths of children; Jesus said we needed the faith of a child. No wonder a household is made richer by the presence of children. They display for us the characteristics we need to find full balance our lives: the worship of God and unfettered trust in him.
—
Jeff Hopper
August 8, 2018
Copyright 2018 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
OTHER DEVOTIONS IN THIS SERIES
Ascending: Common Complaints (Psalm 120)
Ascending: In God’s Care (Psalm 121)
Ascending: Joy and Peace in Fellowship (Psalm 122)
Ascending: The Mercy We Need (Psalm 123)
Ascending: How Great An Escape (Psalm 124)
Ascending: Stark Lines (Psalm 125)
Ascending: Sorrow and Joy (Psalm 126)
Ascending: ‘Blessed’ (Psalm 128)
Ascending: Set Free (Psalm 129)
Ascending: Finding Forgiveness (Psalm 130)
Ascending: Our Waiting, Impatient Soul (Psalm 131)
Ascending: Despite Our Sin (Psalm 132)
Ascending: Together in Christ (Psalm 133)
Ascending: Earth to Heaven, Heaven to Earth (Psalm 134)