Unless the Lord Builds the House

Much work doesn’t always mean a huge result. The disciples once laboured all night but when morning broke and they counted the results, it was nothing. The nets were empty. Being fishermen, they probably had vivid memories of other nights, when they had laboured less, and caught much more. Why so little this time?

Whether we realise it or not, our hard and long hours of labour do not guarantee results. There’s also another factor that’s of importance when it comes to the results of our labour. Is the Lord in it or not? Are we working with Him, without Him, or against Him?

But the very interesting thing in today´s word, is that the Lord´s building the house does not mean that the labourers aren’t needed, and the Lord´s watching over the city doesn’t mean that the watchmen could just as well go to sleep. Rather the opposite! It’s when the Lord is at work that man’s work really becomes meaningful and produces results. The Lord’s blessing makes all the difference, but the Lord’s blessing doesn’t make our work superfluous.

There’s a story about a pastor who was taking a walk and saw one of his parishioners working hard at breaking up new ground to cultivate it. He watched the farmer for a while, and then said, “You and God together are really making this land bear good crops”. The farmer straightened his back, dried some sweat from his forehead, and answered: “Yes but you should have seen what this land looked like when only God took care of it”.

God is interested in our daily work, and wants to be involved in it with us. We take it for granted that God is interested in the work of an evangelist. It makes us grateful that He’s interested in the important work of a watchman. But is He really interested in the carpenter’s cutting of boards and hammering nails? Isn`t that too mundane for Him?

No. The promise of Jesus was ‘And surely I am with you always, to the very end of age’. No limits, no exceptions, no conditions. He is with us today in everything.

Some of you who read this may wonder if you’re any use to anybody. Your small effort doesn’t seem very important. Couldn’t our great God do it all without you? No, the fantastic truth is that when He builds a house, He needs someone to hammer nails. When He keeps watch over a city He needs someone’s eyes to see the dangers, and someone’s mouth to shout the warning words. You’re needed, and you’re called to be the Lord’s co-labourer, a worker who makes a difference in the place where you are.

Have a good day, as a good and faithful servant. May you see your project succeed today, because you’re working on it together with the Lord Himself.