Reflection

It is said that the three most cherished values to any Hebrew were one’s house or home, city, and the ability to work hard (labour). With God as the centre, the Hebrews believed that these three fundamental ideals should dominate your life. Although ancient, these three values are just as important to me now. One’s home, not necessarily that physical abode one lives in, but the family unit that resides within the house, is something everyone should cherish. One’s city must hold some form of importance, surely? For me, I am a fourth–generation Ipswich man with my grandchildren who reside in the city of Ipswich, the sixth generation.

Irrespective of the transient nature of today’s society, there is something about one’s city of birth. I have a deep love for my city. A love that causes me to sow the seeds of my labour into it, believing I will make my city greater than it was before my sowing. My love for my city is evidenced in the tears that come to me when I start to pray for it. These tears are like seeds that fall to the ground and are collected by God, who notices those heartfelt prayers for the city I love.

Thirdly, there is the hard work that is required for any enterprise of greatness. A battle I constantly fight is my mentality of shortcuts – wanting greatness and success without paying the price of hard work.

No wonder the psalmist identifies these three values and makes the wisest of claims that without God’s favour on my house, my city and my hard work are all in vain. Those three words ‘Unless the Lord,’ uttered by the psalmist, become a clarion call of my soul so that the other words the psalmist uses – ‘in vain’– are never uttered by the God of yesterday, today and forever, over my house, city and labour.

Prayer

Lord God, I pray for my home, especially the people who reside there. I lift them individually by name before your throne of grace and mercy. I pray for my city Lord, the place where I live, the place where I was born and the place where I choose to be. Lord, I lift the circumstances of my work before you. This place where I labour, Lord, may you place your hand of favour on it, together with my house and city. Let your ever-increasing favour be upon everyone, building families and serving cities. Without your favour, all I do is useless, so pour out your favour on everything I place my hand upon.