You already know about the “best-laid plans.” A late spring ice storm forced my family to move my daughter’s and son-in-law’s outdoor wedding ceremony to the reception hall dance floor. Health issues led me to retire from teaching, and I began a new career in writing. When we are holding tight to a life plan, things seem to go awry. “Unless the lord builds the house” is a scriptural promise not to be taken lightly.
Where Does the Bible Say 'Unless the Lord Builds the House…'?
Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” This passage informs us that our precious plans go astray without God’s willing those plans. The “standing guard” phrase may be a statement about the status quo. We can’t protect what we are comfortable with; circumstances change things. We can’t control the weather, our genetic predispositions, or even the children we raise. This is not a pleasant thought for people with controlling streaks (which most of us have or discover we have).
God gives us free will—evidenced by the many mistakes that Old Testament and New Testament people made—and He is there to catch us when we fall. If we stay open to his word and the Holy Spirit, we can travel a smoother path through life.
Who Wrote the Psalm about 'Unless the Lord Builds the House…'
Bible scholars consider Psalm 127 a family psalm. Most scholars believe David wrote the psalm for his son Solomon, as its dedication indicates. Solomon’s responsibilities to his earthly father, David, and his heavenly father, God, included building the temple in Jerusalem and continuing a Hebrew king’s reign over the Israelites. Matthew Henry observes, “David directs him [Solomon] to look up to God, and to depend upon His providence, without which all his wisdom, care, and industry would not serve.”
Some Bible scholars believe Solomon himself wrote Psalm 127. The Psalm shares the message of the Proverbs written by Solomon—the vanity of worldly cares and the urgent need to follow God’s plan. Whichever of the two men wrote Psalm 127, the point remains that it has a special significance when we realize kings in Israel’s golden age wrote this song. A few decades later, Solomon’s son Rehoboam learned the hard way that his plans were not God’s plans, and the house would begin to fall.
What Can We Learn from Psalm 127?
The best-laid plans often go astray. Changes can sometimes be fortuitous. Something different from what you planned may turn out better than what you planned. I once attended a small group meeting with women, where one of them commented that the worst times in her life were also the best times. From bad times spring good outcomes. Our attitude pivots when we accept a new plan of action from God. Unwanted change can bring a God-given gift into our lives. God’s spirit directs our path if we trust in Him.
A change in life can also be bittersweet, which makes us wiser. We can look back and see our life’s mistakes as lessons. Injuries and misunderstandings may be viewed as gifts to make us more spiritual and able to comfort others going through similar hard times. This doesn’t mean bad times and heartbreaking events are easy to accept.
How Does the Lord 'Build the House'?
The Lord is with us all the way. God holds our hand as we walk through life.
We often begin a project or a resolution to change our behavior with the earnest faith that “His will be done.” However, this phrase from the Lord’s Prayer, which Jesus taught His disciples to pray, is just the beginning of our faith walk. In every phase of a project, God is with us. He “builds” with us.
Sometimes the Lord’s voice telling us how or when to build seems counter-intuitive or even ludicrous. Noah built the ark believing God’s word that an unprecedented flood would come. Imagine his friends and neighbors, maybe even family members, laughing at Noah. Noah listened to God’s real-time words and kept hammering together pieces of wood to build a huge boat while the sun shone. Sure enough, the rains began and the ark launched in a great flood that destroyed all life on shore. Noah’s family and the animals in the ark were saved (Genesis 6:5-9:29). Noah successfully followed God’s plan.
The Tower of Babel narrative reveals how God foiled the building plans of proud, ancient engineers. People in this narrative strived to reach heaven by building a tall tower. God does not want people to reach for heaven on their own strength. God kept people grounded by breaking down the builders’ communication, creating separate languages among people. Inability to communicate halted the building project of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). Humans’ plans failed without the approval of God for the project.
Jesus planned for His church’s future success through his lively disciple Peter. “Upon this Rock, I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). Jesus loved Peter’s wild enthusiasm—picture Peter running to Jesus’ tomb after hearing He was missing from it Easter morning (John 20:1-10). Jesus knew Peter had the personality (the drive, the commitment) to build a church. Peter had his faults, including denying Jesus three times (John 18:15-18 and John 18:25-27), but God built on Peter’s positive traits.
Do Other Bible Verses Talk about This Idea?
In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus compares building a house on a rock to people following His teachings. Rain cannot wash away a solid foundation. The house built on the rock of Scripture withstands the storms of life. In contrast, a house built on sand falls when storms wash away its foundation. The house built on sand represents a life without a spiritual base.
Philippians 1:6 says, “. . . being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” This verse tells us we don’t need to worry about the process of completing a blessed work. Christ will aid us. And the apostle Paul wrote, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). There is a master builder, a general contractor supporting Christian projects.
Another encouraging verse as we work God’s plans is Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” We can have confidence in our plans if we hold on to God’s hand while we put plans into action.
Finally, Proverbs 3:5-8 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” This is the true meaning of the word “blessed.” We go with God’s blessing—His desire to accomplish our plans and our desire to accomplish God’s plans.
How Can We Remember The Lord Builds the House?
Sometimes the best way to remember a concept from Scripture is through music. The song “If the Lord Builds the House” by Hope Darst and Jon Reddick puts Psalm 127:1 to music beautifully.
The traditional hymn “The Solid Rock” also keeps running through my mind when I think of this psalm. The lyrics were reportedly written by Edward Mote (author of Hymns of Praise) for his poem “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less, while the tune was written by William B. Bradbury. The combination highlights the poetic image of building on solid ground with Christ.
Photo Credit: Getty Images/sculpies
This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today.
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