build the house, they labor in vain that buildeth." That's the way Psalm 127 begins. And the last part of that same verse reads, "...except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." Now you'll notice that there's a superscription over Psalm 127 that says, "...a song of degrees for Solomon." And because Solomon's name is introduced in the superscription, there might be some who are inclined immediately to interpret the building as referring to one of Solomon's projects, maybe his palatial home, or maybe the temple itself. But when we consider the very abrupt abrupt entrance of the children in verse 3, and that same kind of down through verse 5, we suspect that maybe we have to take another look at Psalm 127 with respect to the context. So going back to the first part, it says, except the Lord build the house. The Lord is seen building a house. I want to ask you, How does the Lord build a house? Surely it was his intent that the temple be built. No question about that. But how did he build the temple? God did not physically hew down any trees or cut out any stones. So how can it be said that the Lord built the temple? Well, how did he do it? He did it by putting a burning desire in the heart of Solomon to accomplish that purpose. And the Lord was building when Solomon was obediently following the desires and the direction that God had given. Now consider that as a definition of God's building. When is God building? God is building when those who are responding are doing so obediently to the desires and the directions that God gives. Going by godly desires, God-given desires. When we function with God-given desires, the result is God is in the process of building something. Now we have to ask ourselves, How do we identify, how do we recognize God-given desires? How do you know of God-given desires? If God is going to build in me and through me by God-given desires, how will I know that the desires are God-given? Well, first of all, God-given desires will never contradict the Scriptures. That's the first thing. God-given desires will never contradict the Scriptures. In 1 Timothy chapter 3, you're acquainted with that passage that speaks about the offices of bishop and deacons. And it says, if a man desires the office of a bishop, he desires a good thing. Now, from that text, as well as from the practice in the early church, we can very safely conclude that the desire to be a pastor is a legitimate desire for a man. The desire to be a pastor or a bishop is not a legitimate desire for a woman. If a woman has a desire to be a bishop or a pastor, she did not get that desire from God. It may have come from the flesh, it may have come from the devil, but it did not come from God. Why? Because God has already spoken on the matter. It's illegitimate. So I cannot say I have a desire to do something that contradicts the Scripture. God will never give you a holy desire that will result in building up somebody that will be in contradiction to His Word. He'll never give an individual a desire to brew booze, you see. He'll never give an individual a desire to be an expert at picking the ponies, you see. He'll never work contrary to His holiness and His righteousness. So one of the first things I have to ask myself, and you have to ask yourself, when you get a desire, you have to say, is it a legitimate desire? Is it something that God would allow and something that God would permit for me? Is it permissible? Now secondly, if there is a God-given desire, it will have as its goal the benefit that will accrue to many. It will not be a me-only desire. It will not be a desire that's bent upon furthering me and establishing a name for myself. If it's a God-given desire, it will be bent upon building up others and benefiting others. Christ Jesus came into this world to die for sinners. The entire life of our Lord Jesus Christ is an illustration of giving of self. He says, I do the will of my Father. To what end? That others might be benefited. All right, there are two characteristics of God-given desires. First of all, a God-given desire is one that will not contradict the Word of God, and secondly, it is one that will bring benefit to others. It will not be a me only. There's a third characteristic. And that is that it will be to the glory of God. God will get the glory for this action on my part. When I respond to the desire, when I do what I want to do because God gave me the desire, not only will others be blessed, but God is going to get the glory. Now these are just a few ways of recognizing the God-given characteristics of a—or God-given—the characteristics of a God-given desire. But through these, God causes us to function for Him, and through these, therefore, God is building. We read in Philippians 2.13, it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do with good pleasure. And this puts some light on verses like 1 Corinthians 3.9, where it says, we are laborers together. We are laborers together with God. So that when God puts into your heart a holy desire for a holy service, you see, you are working with God, but God is doing the building. You get the point? God is the one who's doing the building. Now if we can only wrap this thinking around all of our labors for Christ in the church and elsewhere, we'll discover that there's a real peace and a joy because He's in control, as we're going to see in the verse that follows. But wait a minute. We also discover that this verse has a wider application than just Solomon's building. We see that building goes beyond wood and stone. God can build individual lives. God can build families. God can build organizations, you see. But in each area of this building, it'll always be in response to what he does in life, giving a holy desire. Wherever you find happy individuals, wherever you find happy homes, wherever you find happy local churches, you find people who are submitted to the sweet will of God. Individuals who say, that's what God wants me to do, and that's what I want to do. And it's in keeping with his word, and it's benefiting others, and it brings glory to him. Now, because of what we read in verse 3, I like to focus in on the theme of the home. Children are introduced. I like to look at this with respect to the building of a Christian home. The building of that thing that is the basic unit society, the family. Going back to verse 2 for a moment. It says, it is vain for you, no, let's go back to the last part of verse 1. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. Not only does the Lord do the building, you see, and establishing the family, establishing a local church, but He is also the one who keeps it. We need Him not only for the initial building, but also for the keeping of that thing going on the way it should. Sometimes, when things are running smoothly, we'll acknowledge, boy, God has done wonders. Thank you, Lord, for bringing us this far. That's great, Lord. Now I think we can take over by ourselves. And so often, that's the way it happens in churches, it happens in families. Well, look where we are. You know, thank you, Lord, tip our hat to Him, but we can take it from here. And that verse says, hey, wait a minute. Not only does the Lord build, the Lord has to keep. And except He keep it, He said, you can do all you can to be alert and watch things and so forth, but it's going to fall, you see. So we need the Lord, beloved, not only to bring us to where we are, but also to keep us in that direction. Walking along without Him will cause stumbling and misery, not only for ourselves, but for others as well. Now in verse 2, very interesting, it says, "...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." Now this is in the context, in the context of concern over a life, or a family, or an organization that's foundering. You know, sometimes I think it's a dangerous experience for an assembly to be blessed so richly and then try to go on their own and then maybe find things are slipping. And then we sort of panic and do anything to try to get things going again. What can we do to work things up? This is really a curse to pastors. They find themselves guilty because things aren't going the way they think they should, or people think they should, and so they try to manufacture something to keep the dead thing rolling, you see. And the frustration can keep them up at night worrying. The same with family, same thing with your business. Your business is on the rocks, not going the way it should, and you're burning the midnight oil. You can't sleep in the morning, you get up early in the morning, and you go to sleep late at night, and you try to work things out. And he says, it is vain to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows. Now, the bread of sorrows. One of the marginal references refers to this as endless labor. The bread of endless labor. He said, when you are burning the midnight oil, is that you'll discover it doesn't give any peace. And you think that by putting in the extra hours and the extra work that you will be fed by, sustained by, the bread of labors. As a result of working so hard that God has to do something. After all, I'm working so hard. I'm putting in so many hours. I'm doing this. I'm doing that. God has to help my family. God has to help my business. God has to help my church. You see? And God says it's a vain thing to do. Why? Because the Lord keeps the city. And secondly, he says, for so he giveth his beloved sleep. He said, his beloved, he gives sleep. He doesn't want you up, frantically worrying about something that he alone can take care of. After you've done all your worrying, you're sleepless, what have you got to show for it? God wants to put you to sleep. Have you ever had one of those restless nights where, for one reason or another, you couldn't get to sleep? Now, if you drank too much coffee, that's your fault. But just suppose there's something that's on your mind. The business, the family, some other situation, and you can't get to sleep. He gives His beloved sleep. God wants to put His own to sleep. Well, how do you find sleep in a situation like that? Well, by simply submitting to God and waiting for His blessing. You say, that's too easy. That's the way God made it for us. Submitting to the will of God and waiting for His blessing. Say, Lord, I can't, all my worrying can't change a single thing that has happened or what might happen tomorrow. Laying in my bed, I'm just short-circuiting my brain and accomplishing nothing. Lord, here it is. I'm going to take it. I have no control of it. It's all yours, and unless you keep it, it's going to fall apart. There it is. You are in charge. You built it, and you will keep it. Why should I worry about it? Here it is, Lord. And beloved, if you work hard during the hours you have in the day, do your best, you can go to bed and say, Lord, that's it, that's it, that's all this weakling can do, and you'll have to do the rest, and go to sleep. and find rest and find peace. Now, we get to verse 3 through 5. Children are an heritage of the Lord. Now if you take the first part as referring only to the building of the temple or one of Solomon's palatial homes, well then you have to say, why is this introduced all of a sudden? But if you can see a suggestion of the building of a life and a home If you can see a man, if you can see a woman who have come together because of a desire to be with one another, they wanted to be there, it's a holy wanting, nothing illegitimate about their wanting to be together, and wanting to be together for a lifetime, and taking their vows and committing themselves to one another, you see, this is a good thing. And then from there, building a family. And then God says, the next thing that comes, lo, children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward. Children come from the Lord. When a couple, falling in love, seal their vows and are married, the normal thing, If we look at the history of the scripture, the normal thing is that over a period of time, they can expect that their relationship will result in children. And when the children come, they are not to be considered a burden, they are not to be considered something that's just in the way, but they are to be considered as something they've gotten from the Lord. Do you remember what Eve said when her son was born? I have received a man from the Lord. And every child that comes into our homes ought to be considered as that. Not as another tax deduction, all too commonly considered as a case in too much of America, but rather as a blessing from the Lord. Something that God has allowed to come our way. That little boy? God warned you to have a little boy. That little girl? God warned you to have a little girl. And with that, you see, the desire for both of you to have the child, here's the child now, God says, hey, this is yours and it's a blessing. Now God doesn't give a child to be a noose around a couple's neck. A child should be the result of mutual love, one for the other, and when a child comes, a child ought to be considered as God's manifold. Do you know there are couples that can't have children? You know that? There are couples that love to have children. And for reasons known only to God, they have not been able to have a child. Sometimes they will adopt, because there's a love to demonstrate concern for a little one. But when they come, You ought to thank the Lord for them. And when they come, the Lord's going to provide for them. Now, something else I want you to see in verse 4. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth. I thought about that. I said, Lord, how can you compare arrows and children? As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth. With all my heart, I believe what God is saying here is this. Children, like arrows, need to be directed. The arrow has to be placed in the bowl and then directed and pointed. I believe that here he's laying the whole responsibility of directing the lives of children into the hands of parents. Once again, in keeping with the fact that God is building. God is building your children and my children through the holy desires he gives us for them. We want their blessing. And therefore, we will do what we can to produce what is right in their lives so that God can bless them. The responsibility in all of life, beginning with couples and enlarging the family, the responsibility to allow God to do the building. to take our longings and our desires from God, holy desires, divinely given desires, and follow through with our young people, training them, directing them. So that gives us a responsibility to see how a child walks. So parents, one day we're going to have to give an account for how we have raised our children. I think of the young couples God has blessed us with in the assembly. And I pray for them because I know it seems to be more difficult all the time to raise children. Our generation thought that was difficult, but every generation discovered there are more things that come upon the scene to take their minds and to draw them away from the direction you would have them to be in. Because there is so much peer pressure, we try to shield them, we try to shelter them. We have a Christian school, and we feel, well, this is an effort to try to shield children from something. But, you know, you can shield them from everything. They'll have some classmates who may not be saved. They'll have some influences that may not be the best. And wherever they are in the community, they'll have influences like that. They need the day-by-day prayer support and prayer backing of their parents. You've got to pray for your kids all the time. From the time they're conceived, giving them to the Lord, saying, Lord, you're giving me this child, and you want me to build something in this life, but I can't build anything you don't give me, so you've got to give it to me first. I can't build into them what I don't have in myself. The whole responsibility rests upon God's people for building. How are you building? We've touched upon this theme a couple of times in the last couple of services together. Building. Are we building, or are we tearing down? Are we contributing to the wholesome development of those around about us, or are we undermining them? Husbands and wives, the little diggy things you say to one another, you know. You say, oh, I tease, and teasing hurts, you see. Are you building a family? Are you making it so your wife loves you more? You're making it so your husband loves you more? Or you're making it so that he says, I hate to go home tonight. Or she says, I don't even think I'll stay around. What kind of a family are we building? So often when individuals come to counsel their pastors, many of the problems have come to pass because somebody hasn't been building, consciously building, thinking about the pieces that go in. Have you ever seen a blueprint for a home? And of course, the more expensive the home, the more pages to the blueprint. But everything is there in detail. And the architect gives attention to every aspect of it because he wants to build something that when it's finished is going to look worthy of his experience and his background and of his skill. And so all those details are there, you see. And God is no less careful when He gives us details for our lives and details for our young people. But we're building. We're building. You can make or break your home or your life. I've talked with individuals who have had homes broken up around, falling down around their heirs. They've come and said, you know, when it all happened, I thought, well, it's all her fault or it's all his fault. Only to realize as years have gone by that I wasn't completely without blame. I could have responded this way. I could respond that way. But I didn't know I was young, foolish, ignorant. Things might have been different if I had known then what I know now. But beloved, we can't go back. You can't go back and start all over. You've got to start where you are. And wherever you are now, you've got to say, Lord, regardless of what has happened, the way I failed to build, maybe the way I tore down, that is wrong, absolutely wrong, and now I want to start building. And I want to build as you want me to build. Because unless you build my life, Unless you, through me, build my family, and unless you, through my family, build our children, and unless you, through us, touch other lives, our stay on this planet will mean nothing. Except the Lord build the house, may labor in vain that building. Let's sing a verse of the hymn in closing this evening. Let's turn to