Psalms 127-128 Devotional

Thank you for joining me for discussion and devotional on 

Psalms 127 and 128.  As my regular readers are aware, I participate with a few other sisters to blog thoughts and prayers, to hopefully stimulate thought and discussion as well as enthusiasm, as we endeavor to read through the Bible cover to cover.  We each have our own styles and we all are authentic and genuine. Each post is unique like its author.

You can catch more from the series, here:

Staceylynn Wells @ Words From the Wheel

Angela G @ No Longer Lukewarm
Heart Tokens by Renee
In Pursuit of God by Renae

**WARNING**  these chapters strike a sensitive chord with me, and I am going to be real and sound off:

Tough Truths

Marriage is tough.  Life is not a fairy-tale.  Divorce rate is high.  Most young people enter marriage with out a clue about the determination, perseverance, and compromise that is necessary to make a marriage work at all.  SO MANY FACTORS...

I do not claim to have all the answers.  I will readily admit that long years ago, I gave up all pride and wishes to be a "role model" marriage.  Pff.  I just want a marriage that endures and has peace most of the time.  Now if you think that sounds pretty rosey, pretty picture perfect... all you have to do is arrange a good visit with my daughter and she can absolutely entertain you in funny skit about how NOT NEAR PERFECT her parents' relationship is....

Family Matters!

But the chord that these chapters strike in me is:  MARRIAGE MATTERS.  FAMILY MATTERS.  FAMILY is GOAL.

Think that is obvious?  I think not.  Why else do young men seek out women who "put out," and why do men and women so often give in to modern cultural mores and think that pre-marital sex is fine and moral between two consenting adults?

Carnal or Spiritual?

It may be acceptable by worldly and carnal standards but New Testament makes it clear that it is not acceptable by God's standards.  So why do even CHRISTIANS ignore this often?  Just sayin'.  Just askin'.

My husband and I do not lie to our children about our past.  We do both humbly acknowledge that it was/is a gift and a blessing that we found each other and God allowed that we married, and were blessed with two amazing children, and this year celebrate our 25 wedding anniversary.

In raising our children, we sought to uphold God's morality. We have, even against some family member's advice...  advocated EARLY MARRIAGE.  Having sexual relations?  Get married.  Not marriage material?  Stop it and GO in a different direction...

Don't thumb your nose at God's way.  His morality counts.  Not yours, if it is not God's way.

These chapters to me, speak to the rewards of God's way!  May we by the guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit, get stronger and wiser, and better at living God's way.  With our faith and hope in Him, aiming for obedience to His Ways, blessings will follow one way or another.

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Psalm 127 and 128

127 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.

2 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.

3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

5 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.

128 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.

2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.

4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.

5 The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.

6 Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel.

14 Questions for you:

What can families do to make God a builder in their home?  How can we be His beloved sheep?  For Christians I almost feel this is a rhetorical question, so I suppose my real point is, "You have a choice.  Choose God's ways!"

How many scripture above do you see rewards and positives pointed to?  Do you realize that in verse 3 of chapter 128, that is the profile of an abundantly blessed MAN?  Abundantly blessed man is NOT having the pick of women to lay with, and use them and break their hearts (or not).  Blessed is the man that lives GOD's WAY and God's way is in marriage and with family as goal.

Another thought:  Is there a way to have arrows from your quiver who you did not birth or maybe... arrows that landed at your feet and you shaped them, mended them, fixed their tail feathers and straightened their point, when they were left needing tender love and care and mentoring?  Are you ready to mentor whom God brings into your life?  Does doing God's work matter to you?  Are you living by or promoting God's way, or man's carnal way??

If you have to go against family or cultural tide to promote God's way, where will you begin?  Will you try to do it alone?  Will you utilize prayer? Are you in fellowship with believers who desire to uphold God's way in love and wisdom?

What is YOUR prayer after meditating on these scriptures?  Here is mine:

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Lord I am grateful for my marriage, my family, my children, the arrows from my quiver, those I birthed and those that I did not.  I am grateful that you revealed yourself to my husband and to me, and that we agree that YOUR WAY is our moral aim.  Thank you for your mercy and grace when we fail.  Thank you for the sweet rewards and blessings from you.  I pray for Your will to be done in our hearts, our family, our children's lives, and in all the world as in Heaven.  In Jesus's name I pray, amen.

Sharing can help others find Christian content.  Do you blog?  We are happy to have other like-minded sisters jump into the blog rotation with us.  If you do not know how to blog but would like to learn, text ME.  I actually LOVE to help ladies learn how to blog.