Read Psalm 127:1-5

Reading this Psalm made me think of how many things that I have done or tried to do on my own without God’s help.  Webster defines vain as “having no real value, marked by futility or ineffectiveness.” That’s my life without Christ at the center. However, when I put Christ first, reading His word, praying, worshiping with my whole heart, things happen that I could have never imagined.

I remember early in our marriage, we were building a house. About two weeks after the foundation had been laid,  my husband had an accident at work, suffering a broken ankle.  I remember sitting with him in the emergency room as he was questioning what we were going to do. How were we going to continue to build with him unable to work at his job? As we were our own general contractor for the house, how was the work going to be done? Were we going to be able to get the house completed before winter? Many questions loomed larger than life. Yet, in the midst of all this chaos, I remember a calm that was only possible through Christ. I knew that, no matter what happened, it was not a surprise to God.

Many unusual things happened as a result of that situation. Friends and family rallied around to help with the building process. Subcontractors came ahead of schedule because my husband was at home. Because of the time of year, worker’s compensation checks were equal to what his regular salary would have been. We were blessed with an anonymous gift given through the church that paid for floor coverings.  We always knew that it was God’s love and provision for us.

Continuing on in the Psalm, verse 3 states “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.” In the middle of the situation with the broken ankle, we found out that I was pregnant with our second child. Not exactly what our time table was, but it was all in God’s timing. Early on, I had some difficulty, resulting in my needing to rest more, rather than working on the house. But that, too, was all in God’s hands as I learned to trust Him instead of working it out for myself.

As I look to the future, I ask myself the question, “Am I letting the LORD build my house? Or am I doing my own thing with no real value or effectiveness?”

How about you? Do you trust God to “build the house” that He has planned for you?

I pray that it is so.

Linda Joy Geiser