Psa 127:1 A Song of degrees for Solomon. 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.

The message of this psalm is, “We can do nothing at all without the Divine co-operation.” The psalmist gives two examples – a house and a city (v.1). If God deems that a house should not be built, those who build it will labour in vain. If God deems that a city should fall into the hands of the enemy, the watchman’s awake will still be in vain. An example is in the construction of the tower of Babel recorded in Genesis 11:1-9. The people wanted to build a tower that reached up to heaven and they began to build it. But God said NO. God confounded their language so that they could not understand one another’s speech. Frustrated, they left off building the city: “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it.” Nehemiah desired to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. The Samaritans tried to stop the work. They got the king to stop the project. But God was with the Jews. Nehemiah said: “The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build” (Nehemiah 2:20). They completed the project with God’s help (Nehemiah 6:15).                                                                                                                                     The psalmist is reminding us that the success of all our undertakings depends so entirely upon God’s blessing that it is in vain to attempt anything without His blessing on it. It is in vain to build houses and cities, or to endeavour to uphold families, unless He prospers the design. A rich man wanted to build bigger barns to store his goods (Luke 12:13-21). He has his life laid up nicely for himself. Unfortunately, he left out God in his plans. His plans did not take off because his life was cut short. Man proposes but God disposes. Put God in our plan. James wrote: “Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit". Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that"” (James 4:13-15, ESV). If the Lord wills - The people of the world plan far ahead, think every step in the plan quite secure, and boast accordingly. Today and tomorrow are quite safe. But today may be their last and there will be no tomorrow. Let us never say we will do anything before we say: “If the Lord wills.” Some will say: “But many beautiful houses and cities are built by those who deny God.” The psalmist doesn’t mean that the unbelievers of this world can’t build houses or keep cities safe. But when they do, it’s because of the help of the very God they deny. Our Lord says: “He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). Our concern should be: What’s the point of a new house or a secure city if one does not have God? It is a question that concerns eternity. What’s the point of having wealth if one does not have eternal life in heaven? (Matthew 16:26). Unbelievers succeed because of God. But they will not succeed in the next life. David wrote about the destiny of the righteous and unrighteous: “But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble” (Psalm 37:38, 39). The richest man without God will be destroyed. Do you have God? Let us put God in our plans.