"Utterly meaningless."

As I sat down to do my bstud this morning I had another thought of what I would blog on when I was finished.  However, when God speaks, you have to listen :-)

God has REALLY challenged me the past few days to take his word and sow it, not just consume it.  This morning was no different.

Psalm 127: 1-2

"If the Lord doesn't build the house, the builders are working for nothing.  If the Lord doesn't guard the city, the guards are watching for nothing.

It is no use for you to get up early and stay up late, working for a living.  The Lord gives sleep to those he loves."

King Solomon is saying (Emily paraphrase), without God, life is meaningless.  King David put it perfectly in Ecclesiates saying, "Meaningless, Meaningless!  Utterly meaningless!  Everything is meaningless."  And it is, unless we join God in His labor.  If God is continually at work in me (John 5:17) and if I can do NOTHING apart from him (John 15:4-5), then why do I  labor in vain?  The answer that comes to mind first is pride.  We want to do things our way and so often I find myself getting comfortable and letting myself think that I've got everything under control.  But I must take captive those thoughts (2 Cor. 10:5) and replace it with truth.  Truth that says Nisi Dominus Frusta; Without God, Frustration.  Benjamin Franklin put it so eloquently: "...the longer I live the more convincing proof I see of this truth, that GOD GOVERNS IN THE AFFAIRS OF MEN."  We just need to answer the question of "whether or not God is in our labor indeed initiated it as His own building project" (Beth Moore).  Have we sought God's direction in our work?  "Whatever the work may be, if He is not in it, it is meaningless" (BM).  I leave you with this encouragement that I was left with as I concluded my bstud...Work where God works, then rest.