Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.

As we look at today's playlist of songs of ascent, they cover a multitude of topics. But there is a common theme that unites them all. Yes, even the fruitful vine that is a wife and the part about staying up late when you need to get up early.

As I was reading, I could not help but think about a house. I myself have never built a house, for I still rent an apartment... but I have watched many TikToks and Instagram reels late at night of people making homes out of dirt somewhere in the jungle. If you know, you know. But on a real note, the first job I had after college was actually at an interior design firm (I ran their website, do not ask me to design your house). It was amazing working with the people who designed these elegant houses with many rooms, beautiful bathrooms, and elaborate kitchens. Everything that was built was intentional and served a function in the house.

Now, if you know your way around building a house, no matter how many rooms or cool features you put in the house, you have to start with building the foundation. You can build the coolest house in the world, but with no foundation, it will crack and fall apart. As any good construction worker may know, the bigger the house, the more rooms you have, the better and deeper the foundation needs to be. 

With these psalms we read today, they cover a few different topics, or as I like to think, rooms in our house that are life. Every room or area of our lives needs to be on a foundation. When we build the foundation ourselves, we do not do a good job. I can think of many times when I have tried to build my own foundations for the areas and rooms of my life. Doing this has led to so many failures in my life where I would eventually watch my house (life) fall apart.

Psalm 127 starts simply, "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." It is a reminder that the foundation of our homes, our lives must be built by the Lord. He must be the master architect of our lives, laying the foundation for all that we do. From finding a spouse, raising children, dealing with the stresses of life, our jobs, and any "rooms" we decide to add to our "homes."

I know this is hard for a lot of us because we are raised in a society built on pride and on making yourself the captain of your life. That is why it is essential to remind us of the importance of humility. To let God be the center and the one who is in control. He is the foundation on which we build our lives. All that we do reflects and points back to the work, the foundation He has laid! Be encouraged that it is never too late for a remodel in an area, room, or even the whole foundation. The best part is you don't even have to hire a contractor!

What are some "rooms" of your life that are not built on a foundation of God?

What are some ways you can make some "renovations" to these areas?

Challenge: Find someone to talk to about any areas of renovation. Ask them to hold you accountable to keeping your foundation on God.

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

Use the S.O.A.P. Method to study God's Word.

• SCRIPTURE: What stands out to you in today's passage?
• OBSERVATION: What is this text saying? What is the context? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Are there any commands, instructions, or promises?
• APPLICATION: How can you apply this verse to your life? What does this mean today? What is God saying to you?
• PRAYER: Respond to the passage in prayer. Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life and spend some time listening to what He may be telling you.