ONLY GOD (Psalm 127)

In 2020, a very dear personal friend went to be with Jesus. He was a great Christian man, and his life motto came to mind so many times in the weeks following his passing. He always said, “Only God.”

I think that if you wanted to summarize Psalm 127 in two words, you could use that same phrase.

This psalm is designated as a song of degrees for Solomon, which is very significant to me because there are not many psalms which have such a specific purpose attached to them. We believe that this is a psalm of David, which means that it was written for the distinct purpose of helping his son so he could prepare for the future and the work of the Lord could continue.

His message: Only God. David had made many preparations, and Solomon had much potential, but only with God could anything really be accomplished.

Verses 1-2: “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.”

You can work as hard as you like, but without God, it will not get done. No matter how diligently you keep watch, the enemy will still find a way to get in if the Lord is not overseeing it.

The message of verse 2 is that it is pointless to live a restless life trying to work things out on your own. You cannot do it. Only God.

Three times, the expression “in vain” is used here. What was the keyword Solomon used when he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes? “Vanity.” It sounds like Solomon did not listen to his father’s words as closely as he should, and he learned from personal experience how much in life is vain.

Life apart from empty. You will learn this either from the truth of God’s Word or from your own great failures. Where is the Lord in your work, in your plans, or in your thoughts today?

Only God.

Verses 3-5: “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.”

What is the hope of the next generation? Only God.

What do children need? Only God.

What is our hope for the future of our nation? Only God.

Children are given to us by the Lord, and our assignment is to prepare them for the battle. Notice the example of the arrows in verse 4. Arrows are meant to be sharpened and then shot. This is a picture of warfare to be used to advance the cause. Our children are meant to have influence beyond us. I am praying that my children will extend beyond my life to show God’s truth to the next generation.

Arrows must be aimed; they require direction. Arrows are active, not passive. You don’t have them just to keep them in the fort or in your quiver. We have them for a period of time, but we are preparing to send them out.

Verse 5 states, “they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” This is front-line work, engaging with a lost world and sharing the message of Jesus Christ.

Solomon’s greatest work was not the temple. It would eventually fade away. His greatest work was supposed to be done in his home. He finished the temple but failed in his home. Look at his children, starting with his son, who succeeded him on the throne.

Just talking about this puts me under such conviction. Our greatest work should always be at home. We cannot shelter them forever. We should stop playing defense and prepare them for the battle. It is coming whether they want it or not. Stop entertaining the army and start equipping it.

Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against” His church. We are to be teaching our children and preparing the next generation to advance the message of Jesus Christ — to carry it on beyond our lifetime.

I have three arrows in my quiver to use the terminology of Psalm 127. My wife and I are very grateful for our three children, but I don’t want to simply be grateful. I want to prepare them for the work that God would have them do. As for my needs or theirs, the answer is the same.

Only God.

That is the hope of this world. As Solomon learned the hard way, it does not matter what you know, how much you have, or what others think or say about you. You need God. That is really the great message of the entire Bible.

Recently, we considered Psalm 124, which began with the phrase, “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side.” If it were not for Him, all of us would be in Hell or on our way there. Our homes would be in total disarray, and our lives in chaos. Unless we recognize that every day that we live, the devil will get a foothold. Our victories will disappear, and we will lose the next generation. We desperately need God.

My friend to whom I alluded at the beginning of this study, upon his passing, closed his eyes in this world and opened them immediately in the next. Guess what he saw?

Only God.

The life of a Christian from beginning to end is all about the Lord. Paul stated it this way: “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)

Sit down today with your family and those you love the most. Remind them of the simple truth that it is only God.

In my Bible, I have marked three words in Psalm 127: “house” in verse 1, “heritage” in verse 3, and “happy” in verse 5. Only God can help you build a house, leave a heritage, and truly be happy.

Only God.