Except the Word

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.

Psalm 127:1

Except the Word build the house, they labour in vain that build it.Except the Word keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

Since God is His Word (John 1:1), try substituting “Word” for God and see how it opens up for you.

One thought: more powerful than any degree is the understanding that you are the reflection of God. Not “you should be”. No. You are right now. The Word is building you, the Word is keeping you. The Word is your Shepherd, making you to lie down in green pastures

Get dressed

Proverbs 31:25 KJV — Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

Strength and honour are her clothing.

Put on the whole armour of God…truth, righteousness, Gospel of peace, faith, salvation.

Who told you you were naked, Adam?

Getting dressed involves more than clothes.

Getting dressed involves more than garbing oneself in that which can be held with your hands.

Strength, honour, prudence, diligence are things you can actively clothe yourself for.

You don’t get dressed by accident.

Gey dressed in everything that Jesus has already placed in the wardrobe of your spirit.

What you see on the inside

Proverbs 29:18 KJV — Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Vision is that idea or picture that you can see in your imagination.

It’s not some complicated boring business school mission statement blah blah jargony blah thing.

It’s not anything clever. It’s just what you see on the inside. What you think. How you see things.

Spend time looking at that, daydreaming about it, and letting that be what you focus on.

It might not be big and brash and demanding attention.

It might be quiet and content to keep walking on by unless you invite it in.

Listen to the music

Proverbs 28:25-26 KJV — He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat. He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

Music is a language of spaces. Intervals. The relationship of notes and their relative positions to each other create a series of spaces that define the key. If youre only playing the white notes on a piano, you could be in C major or Aminor. The tone of the sound helps you tell the difference. Clashes, dissonance, harmony are all part of the vocabulary of the language of music.

The same is true of strife.

A person operating in pride stirs up strife. The heart is revealed by the music expressed by one’s mind, will and emotions in relationship with others.

Look and listen for the music of a moment.

And if what you’re hearing is strife, it’s time to change keys from pride to trusting in the Lord.

Maintain the tension

Proverbs 27:2 KJV — Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.

Let. Permit. Allow. Create the conditions for.

Another man. Not you. Outside your direction sphere of autonomous control.

Praise. Speak well of. Speak well of you to others.

And not thine own mouth. Don’t say it of yourself (even though you want to).

The heart of this verse is being willing to maintain the tension between speaking well of yourself, and allowing others to do that.

Maintain the tension.

An invitation to see

Proverbs 26:12 KJV — Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

You can see things clearly. Your perspective is valid. Your observations are critical and are worth acting upon.

What do you see?

Copycat of wisdom

Proverbs 25:1 KJV — These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.

School teaches us not to copy.

The Bible teaches us to be imitators of God as dear children.

The ministry of Jesus was founded on simplying copying on earth what He saw His father in heaven doing.

The men of Hezekiah copied out proverbs of Solomon, and their copying became part of Scripture.

Copying is important, particular if you are a copycat of wisdom.

How to respond in the day of adversity

Proverbs 24:10 KJV — If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

With strength or by fainting.

Your choice.

And the good news is that you don’t need to use your strength.

God’s strength within you is made perfect in weakness.

So when you feel faint, let God’s strength flow through you.

Look at what you don’t see

Proverbs 23:31 KJV — Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

Don’t look at the seductive Oscar performance of the wine in the glass.

Look at off-camera performance lying in her own vomit in the gutter.

You don’t get shown this second one, but you still need see it, to consider it, to, to perceive it.

Go beyond the flesh and see with the eyes of your heart all that does not appear.