“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.” Psalms 127:1-2

What does it mean that the Lord must build the house, or in our case, the business?

”Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.”

Nehemiah built a wall that was about 2.5 miles long, 25 feet tall and eight feet thick in just 52 days. The Lord inspired Nehemiah to mourn over his homeland and to seek God’s favor and help for his people. The Lord granted Nehemiah’s request and even gave him the strategy: each person would build the wall around their own home and property guaranteeing their commitment to the wall and the Lord gave them supernatural abilities to rapidly complete it.

What is the Lord inspiring you to build? Is it so big that it can never be accomplished without him? Have you prayed for your business strategy and for him to be the power source behind it?

“Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.”

The Israelites had to be prepared for war against the surrounding people groups who desperately wanted to stop their progress. The Israelites were constantly aware of the threat of war, but the Lord anointed (divinely chose) this project and put his favor on it.

What are the forces that war against you: competitors, bill collectors or customers?

When we ally with God, we get God’s protection; when we ally with the world, we stand watch in vain.

“In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling”

The prophet was directed to tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, (Zechariah 4:6) that he was to build the most important building ever built, but it it would be accomplished “Not by (his) might nor by (his) power,” but this great work would be accomplished by the Spirit of the Lord.

Before we are even born, we are called to co-labor with God to complete the work he has assigned for us. (Jeremiah 1:5, Ephesians 2:10). But this work was never designed to be initiated or completed in our own strength. In fact, if we try to do it alone, God will thwart our every effort.

In 1 Corinthians 15:10, Paul says, “I worked harder than all of them (the other apostles)—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” Paul seemed to be the hardest working person in the Bible, but he tells us that he accomplished what he did by the grace of God.

When we are driven to “rise early and stay up late, toiling” we are acting as if it is in our power to achieve God’s purposes. When we are functioning under the grace of God, it does not seem hard; we are enjoying time in the Bible and with our family and friends, we are not sacrificing these things to build something great “for the Lord.”

“He grants sleep to those he loves.”

We should be the most creative, resourceful and accomplishing people on the planet. Yet, we are to do so while our souls (mind, will and emotions) remain at rest. Jesus says in Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

In Christ, even if we work hard and long hours for a time, we do so from a posture of rest. And when we do, we see supernatural results beyond what our own power could ever manage.

This is how God builds a company.