Psalm 127:3

Psalm 127:1 - 5

1: Unless the LORD builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.

2: In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.

3:Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.

4: Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth.


5: Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

There is a lot of great stuff in each verse, but the key part that struck us was: "Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him" (Ps 127:3). When reading more into this we came across Rev. Adrian Dieleman. He preached a message regarding the Psalm and made several points that really made us focus more on this verse as we raise Jacob, Owen and Carter.

Children are a "heritage." The term heritage is a translation of the Hebrew word that means "property, possession that which is shared/assigned." Children are the Lord's possessions, the Lord's property and He assigns them to or shares them with parents. From God's point-of-view there is no such thing as an "accidental birth" "surprise pregnancy" or an "unwanted child." Each one belongs to Him and is assigned by Him to parents.

Children are a "reward." The term reward conveys the idea of appreciation, of pleasure, of joy. Children are never to be viewed as a sign of God's displeasure, as His punishment for sin. To the contrary children bring joy into our lives. Their zest, their laughter, their excitement, their unique way of viewing things adds to the fullness of life.

Recently we came across a prayer that was penned by General Douglas MacArthur in the early days of World War II as a spiritual legacy to his son Arthur. It was made public after the General died in 1964.

Build me a son, O Lord,
who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, brave enough to face himself when he is afraid,

Build me a son,
whose wishes will not take the place of deeds...Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort,but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenges. Let him learn to stand in the storm;let him learn compassion for those who fall.

Build me a son,
whose heart is clear, whose goals will be high, a son who will master himself before he seeks to master others; who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.

And after all these things are his, add, I pray,
enough of a sense of humor so that he may always be serious yet never take himself too seriously...

Then, I, his father will dare to whisper,"I have not lived in vain."

Powerful sentiments! This father is passing this prayer along to his sons, and making a commitment to pray the prayer everyday. God willing, such a commitment will not only make a difference in the lives of our sons, but in the lives of those they are privileged to touch! Though most of us are not nearly so eloquent, we suspect that all Christian parents have uttered a similar prayer. Mindful of the great responsibility that God has given those of us with children, we pray fervently that God would help us as we strive to train our children in the ways of the Lord.