Unless the Lord builds the house…

We like to think we’ve got it all together.

And sometimes, we can fool even ourselves. Until we realize that nothing we do can ever last unless God is with us.

It was the harsh reality that came on the people who were building the tower of Babel. What they couldn’t even fathom (what did multiple languages even mean?), God used in a moment. All their plans came to a sudden standstill, because God was not for them. His thoughts are way above ours, as are his ways above ours (Isaiah 55:9).

So, unless the Lord is with us, we are like a hamster running on a wheel and never going anywhere. It doesn’t mean we won’t accomplish anything. Obviously the people of the world can be wildly successful without God. But in the end, what are they building? Without God, what they have built will end up a heap of ruins. Some may say it was worth the fun, but don’t even realize it came with the price of hell.

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain (v. 1). That’s the house we want to build. We want to be a part of the eternal house and kingdom of God (Ephesians 2:20-22) that has been in the works since before time began. It is much more grand than any of our supposed well-laid plans. And when we have that mindset, that God’s story is more important than our own, we do not labor in vain. We can rest in peace knowing we are a part of a Family with a Father who is the architect and designer of an eternal Home (Hebrews 11:10).