This year, in the Aftercare Summer Camp, we asked the wife of a cured addicted man to lead the devotion after an evening group discussion. It was a breathtaking evening for all of us as she read Psalm 127 with great humility and self-reflection, and then told her comments about it. It contains a description of her own life. I don’t wish to add anything to it because every sentence speaks for itself. All I want to note is that the hard truth of the wife’s words reminded me of Samuel Rutherford’s thoughtful phrase: "It were better that men would see that their wisdom be holy, and their holiness wise." Dr. Levente Horváth, President of Bonus Pastor Foundation.

Psalm 127

1. A Song of the Ascents. Of Solomon. If the Lord is not helping the builders, then the building of a house is to no purpose: if the Lord does not keep the town, the watchman keeps his watch for nothing.
2. It is of no use for you to get up early, and to go late to your rest, with the bread of sorrow for your food; for the Lord gives to his loved ones in sleep.
3. See, sons are a heritage from the Lord; the fruit of the body is his reward.
4. Like arrows in the hand of a man of war, are the children of the young.
5. Happy is the man who has a good store of them; he will not be put to shame, but his cause will be supported by them against his haters.


If the Lord is not building the house, then who is building it? Maybe I am building it, because I already got used to taking my husband’s place and role in my dysfunctional family. And now, when my husband has become well, or he is on the way to getting cured, I am not stepping back but forward. And I want to take God’s place too. I decide, I control, and God is helping me, as an unskilled worker, or as one of my children.

Instead of a spouse am I a queen? And am I surprised that there is no blessing on my work, that our children don’t want to come in faith to God? I should be careful not to let myself become like the foolish king, whose children had run away and were scattered about. I should admit that my husband quit drinking, not because of my two beautiful eyes, nor because of my good cooking. And I can’t rescue our children from failure, from disappointment, or from trying out addictive substances. I think we are here this week to withdraw and let the first place belong to God. The stairs lead both upwards and backwards. (Note: By mentioning the stairs she also refers to the definition of the psalm. Psalms 120-134 are called Songs of Degrees or Ascents, in Hungarian they are called stairs.)

It should be enough that God gives to His loved one! Even if my husband is still drinking, even if I am unemployed, even if my child has failed an exam, even if I am in financial need, even if I am abandoned, even if I am betrayed.