Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman keeps awake in vain. [Ps 121:1, 3, 5]
It is vain for you to rise early,
To retire late,
To eat the bread of anxious labors—
For He gives [blessings] to His beloved even in his sleep.
Behold, children are a heritage and gift from the Lord,
The fruit of the womb, a reward. [Deut 28:4]
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
How blessed [happy and fortunate] is the man whose quiver is filled with them;
They will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies [in gatherings] at the [city] gate.

At times in life it seems as though the hard work and effort we put forth amounts to nothing. It can be destroyed in an instant. I think of the fires in California this year. Homes were totally destroyed that may represent 8-10 years of income to a family.

In this Psalm, Solomon is calling out the workaholic. The person who sacrifices the relationships with their children for more money, more food, more of the things of this world. Hard work is not on trial here. It is obsessive work that is. Life has to have both balance and priorities. So Solomon reflects on the blessing of having children. This is a higher driving force or priority for Solomon than wealth or work.

First, he acknowledges that children are a gift from God. God gets all the credit. Solomon does not take stock of all of his great child-rearing abilities or give credit to the self-help books of the day for how they turned out. Instead, he recognizes their value before they are grown up and can be productive. God gave us a great gift at conception for every child given. They are a blessing!

Second, he compares children to a warrior's arrows. Arrows can kill for sure. But they also provide food, ward of attacks, and give a warrior confidence when entering into battle. I think this is what Solomon is driving at. Children, as I lead them in the ways of the Lord, go before me and multiply my good deeds and give me confidence that the efforts of my life are not wasted.

Some things in this life have temporary value. Friends and power built on having the things of this world, entertaining and vacationing in the best ways and going to the best spots — this value does not last long. There is no legacy there.

Children typically outlive their parents and then they have children. So my legacy is intact. “But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children— with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103‬:‭17‬-‭18‬)

Fear of other’s opinions of me and working to gain their acceptance is futile and fleeting at best. Fear the Lord, serve him well and bless those around me without expecting anything in return. Then I will gain heavenly rewards!

Lord, thank you for the wonderful children you have given me! They are such an incredible heavenly gift from you! May I continue to learn to better value them and show them my affection, my encouragement, and how proud I am of them.