Except the Lord Build the House

Psalm 127:1 – “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.”

One of the most devastating evidences of the spiritual decline in any culture can be seen in the home and family. A nation’s homes will, in many ways, determine the condition of Churches, communities, and entire societies. We have witnessed tremendous changes, mostly not for the better, in America’s families. There are no more important human relationships than those formed and fostered in the family.

In looking for reasons for the decline in the average home, one needs only to seriously consider today’s Scripture. Without God, our families will never be what they were planned to be. As our society has rejected the authority of God and His Word, the effects have become obvious. It is not possible to experience God’s best in our families without the help of God. This Bible passage gives us assurance that God is interested in our homes. “Except the LORD build the house” teaches us that God can build our families to be what He wants them to be.

To see Him work, we must be willing to follow His guidelines for the home, beginning with Scriptural order. God has clearly established that the husband or father is to lead the home. There is confusion in many families because of a lack of biblical direction. This does not mean that the husband is to be a dictator or a tyrant, but rather should provide loving protection and leadership. The wife is to be in submission to the husband, recognizing and respecting his God-given position; and the mother’s priority should be the home. Children are to obey and honor their parents. This order has been greatly rejected in modern society.

Not only do we need order in our homes, but we desperately need love in our families. Love that is kind, forgiving, patient, selfless, and attentive binds the hearts of our families together. Having a loving and caring home that is filled with peace and is a refuge in this troubled generation is still possible. But it takes God to “build the house.” If we are going to see true revival, it must begin in individual hearts and in our homes.