Some Housekeeping:

Want One of our new matthew books?

Starting on Monday, 8/21, we will begin reading through the Gospel of Matthew. Each particular day’s passage is short—less than 5 minutes). I’ve divided Matthew into 3 parts, and Part 1 runs for 4 weeks. The Part 1 books are out now. Asburians can pick them up at church this week.

Live out of town but want a book?

Email Sandie Tomlinson ASAP and she’ll mail you however many copies you want. If you live in Dallas, please let Sandie know—we’ll arrange a central pick-up spot in the M Streets (East Dallas) for East Dallas folks.

what about the psalms?

All along, I’ve intended the psalms daily reading to be something that carries on, indefinitely, from now until forever: one psalm a day, every day—when you reach Psalm 150, start all over again the next day with Psalm 1. There is a simplicity and a clarity to that plan that’s been helpful to me these past 4 years I’ve been doing it.

So, we’ll keep reading through the psalms every day. BUT, once we get to the end of this batch of psalms, I won’t be posting daily commentary on them. The Matthew reading plan will overlap with the Psalms for a couple of weeks, and I’ll just post that day’s psalm at the bottom of my Matthew commentary.

Clear as mud?

Now, back to our program.

It’s a Waste of Time to Do This

Psalm 127

A Song of Ascents.
1 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.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
    and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
    for he gives to his beloved sleep.
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
    the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
    are the children of one's youth.
5 Blessed is the man
    who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
    when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

SONGS OF ASCENTS=ROADTRIP MUSIC

Psalms 120-134 each have the same superscription: “A Song of Ascents”. These psalms were sung by the Israelite pilgrims as they made they way “up” to the Temple Mount for the big religious festivals every year. (To the Israelites, you always go “up” to Jerusalem, even if you are coming from a higher elevation. Mount Zion was spiritually the highest point on earth, so to speak.) So, these psalms were roadtrip music.

No doubt the boy Jesus sang these songs as he made the 3-week journey from the Galilee to Jerusalem every year!

What are you listening to as you make your journey through life? With what are you filling your thoughts?

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.
127 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.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
    and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
    for he gives to his beloved sleep.

The Lord is the ultimate source of all strength and success, and unless we are building on his principles, what we are doing will be both exhausting and ephemeral.

A good question to ask yourself today:

In what areas of my life am I exhausted or feeling as if my actions never amount to anything? Whatever areas you name are good indicators that you are not working with the Lord, and therefore you are working in vain.

What would it look like for you to partner with the Holy Spirit today in whatever it is you are doing?

3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
    the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
    are the children of one's youth.
5 Blessed is the man
    who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
    when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

The psalm switches to speaking of legacy and the importance of family. And though the obvious and immediate sense is of literal, biological children, I think the psalm also applies to all of us who are building up and building for the next generation—spiritual parents, so to speak.

Family is How We Fight.

Building up and building for the next generation is a form of strength.

P.S. The gate (v. 5) was the part of an ancient city where important discussions and trials and conversations took place. So, a person who is building up and building for the next generation can feel secure wherever he goes.