An Investment in the Future

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.

Maintain love and consistency in your home, and God promises you will enjoy inward pleasure in your twilight years.

Charles R. Swindoll Tweet This

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 © 2012 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights are reserved. Used by permission.

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Pastor Charles R. Swindoll has devoted his life to the accurate, practical teaching and application of God’s Word. He is the founding pastor of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, but Chuck’s listening audience extends far beyond a local church body. As a leading programme in Christian broadcasting since 1979, Insight for Living airs around the world. Chuck’s leadership as president and now chancellor emeritus at Dallas Theological Seminary has helped prepare and equip a new generation of men and women for ministry.

పాస్టర్ చార్లెస్ ఆర్. స్విండాల్ దేవుని వాక్యాన్ని నిర్దిష్టంగా, ఆచరణాత్మకంగా బోధించడానికి మరియు అన్వయించడానికి తన జీవితాన్ని అంకితం చేశారు. ఆయన టెక్సాస్‌లోని ఫ్రిస్కోలోని స్టోన్‌బ్రయర్ కమ్యూనిటీ చర్చి వ్యవస్థాపక కాపరియై ఉన్నారు, అయితే చక్ యొక్క శ్రోతలు స్థానిక సంఘ పరిధి దాటి వ్యాపించి ఉన్నారు. 1979 నుండి క్రైస్తవ ప్రసరణలో ప్రముఖ కార్యక్రమంగా, ఇన్‌సైట్ ఫర్ లివింగ్ ప్రపంచవ్యాప్తంగా ప్రసారమవుతోంది. డల్లాస్ థియోలాజికల్ సెమినరీకి ప్రెసిడెంటుగా, అలాగే ఇప్పుడు ఛాన్సిలర్ ఎమెరిటస్‌గా చక్ యొక్క నాయకత్వం క్రొత్త తరం స్త్రీపురుషులను పరిచర్య కొరకు సిద్ధపరచడంలో సహాయపడింది.