Today’s Reading: Psalm 94 & 127
Unless the Lord builds a house,
the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the Lord protects a city,
guarding it with sentries will do no good.
It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones. – Psalm 127:1-2
When we became parents, we wanted to do everything right. We read the books and asked others for advice. Our love for our daughter and for God caused us to want to get this parenting thing right. We had prayed for so long for the opportunity to be parents, and it was the desire of our heart to please God in the way we raised our little girl. We wanted to be the perfect parents with the perfect family.
When our oldest daughter started to crawl, we began to babyproof the house. When she started walking, we quickly looked for every sharp corner that could be a danger to her and put gates up to keep her from falling down the stairs. As our family grew and our girls got older, our concerns for their safety multiplied. No matter how hard you try to push away the what-ifs of this world, they come crowding into the space of your heart that longs to protect your children.
ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS ABOUT BEING A PARENT IS TRUSTING GOD WITH THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN.
It is easy to let the possibilities overwhelm you. The news of car accidents and school shootings bring you to your knees; the statistics of suicide, substance abuse, and mental illness leave you crying out to God for protection over your family. You want your children to have everything they need, so you work long hours to have the financial means to provide for your family. But consider these first two verses of Psalm 127 again — Unless the Lord builds the house, unless the Lord protects the city, and unless God gives rest to his loved ones, our efforts are in vain.
Who will protect me from the wicked?
Who will stand up for me against evildoers?
Unless the Lord had helped me,
I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave.
I cried out, “I am slipping!”
but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.
When doubts filled my mind,
your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. – Psalm 94:16-19
I am thankful today for a God who watches over us. I am grateful for a God who has me in His arms in both life and death. When fears press in, I can go to Him for comfort; when it seems evil is winning in this world, God reminds me that the victory is His! God is our Provider and our Protector, even in the most difficult of situations. The children we have been blessed with are a gift from Him, and we can trust the One who sees through the eyes of eternity. That’s worth repeating.
WE CAN TRUST THE ONE WHO SEES THROUGH THE EYES OF ETERNITY.
Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.
Children born to a young man
are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!
He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates. – Psalm 127:3-5
Father God, we place our kids in your capable hand once again. We pray for you to work out your perfect plan for their lives. God, please place your hand of protection on our children and watch over them. May they sense your presence and trust in you through life’s hardest moments. Lord, we pray for those parents who are even now walking through a terminal diagnosis with their child, for those who are sitting by the bedside of their son or daughter, for those whose most treasured gift is now in heaven waiting for them. We ask that you give them the strength to trust you with each day, knowing that you see through the eyes of eternity. Unless you build the house; unless you protect the city. Father God, we are trusting in you. We love you. Amen.