By 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. –Psalm 127:1
The principle here is that it is pride, arrogance, and vanity for us to do anything apart from the LORD. This includes building a house, protecting a city, establishing a family legacy, or watching over the souls of our children. It is all vanity to attempt this apart from God’s devine help and blessing.
Why do we think we can do everything ourselves? We are dependent upon God for our health, our breath, our food, our work, our shelter, our everything; yet we act as though we are completely independent and self sufficient. Why? Because at our core, we are filled with pride and vanity.
“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Jesus Christ came to destroy the works of the devil, and one of the greatest attributes of Satan is pride. There are two types of children in the world; children of God, and children of Satan. Which one is your father? You can tell be seeing which one you are most like. Are you laboring with the LORD to establish your house, or are you laboring in vain trying to seal every crack so that he doesn’t seep in?
Leading Family Devotions 