An Investment in the Future
by Charles R. Swindoll
Psalm 128:4–6
Psalms 127 and 128, songs of family strength, conclude with a look into the distant future, painting a portrait of a healthy, mature family. Like a farmer imagines his crop while planting seeds, Solomon helps us envision the fruit of our labor in the home.
Later Years in the Home
Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed
Who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion,
And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
Indeed, may you see your children's children.
Peace be upon Israel! (Psalm 128:4–6)
The domestic scene now reaches completion. The children are trained, reared, and launched from the nest. The psalmist paints a pleasant picture of serenity, which includes three realms of blessing:
1. Personal pleasure (128:4). The psalmist says "for thus" happiness comes. For what? For all the hard work and consistent training invested by parents, happiness comes as God's reward. Believe me, if you determine to have Christ as the central figure of your home and His Word as the authority in rearing your children, you have your work cut out for you!
You will find that you'll be outnumbered, scoffed, considered strange by your neighbors (and a few teachers), criticized, misunderstood, and tempted to compromise. The very forces of hell will unleash their fury on you! You will be on your knees and in the Word regularly. But, if you maintain the standard (with love, gentleness, and consistency), God promises that you will look back in your twilight years and enjoy inward, personal pleasure. The converse is also true. If you relinquish your responsibilities as a parent, you can expect sad and serious consequences.
2. Civic benefits (128:5). Even Zion will be blessed! Jerusalem will be prosperous and strong! The point is this: your offspring will be used to make a dent in society—for good! All the days of your later life, you'll enjoy the fact that your earlier direction and private contribution to the home life of your children pay off in rich, public dividends.
3. National blessings (128:6). Now, in this final verse, grandchildren arrive on the scene. You, the grandparent, see them, and you witness a second-generation investment. Your own children pass on similar training so that the entire nation benefits and is blessed because the Lord, originally, was at the very center of your home.
Adapted from Charles R. Swindoll, Living the Psalms: Encouragement for the Daily Grind (Brentwood, Tenn.: Worthy Publishing, a division of Worthy Media, Inc., 2012). Copyright © 2013 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights are reserved. Used by permission.
Used with permission. All rights reserved.
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