Written by Deb del Villar, Director of Communications
“How joyful are those who fear the LORD – all who follow his ways! You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be!” – Psalm 128:1-2
Background
Psalm 127 describes a home built by the Lord, with children compared to arrows. Psalm 128 shifts the picture, showing those children growing like olive shoots in a godly household. Together, these psalms beautifully capture God’s design for family life.
The summary of these passages is clear: happiness awaits those who fear God and find joy in the company of their family. Do you feel that truth? I know I do—there’s truly no place like home.
Let’s look at the lessons Psalm 128 offers us today.
Fear of the LORD
Verse one speaks of the fear of the Lord as the cornerstone of all blessedness. It is the foundation from which our joy flows. As we inwardly acknowledge the LORD in every area of our lives, it then springs forth in our outward life through our reverence, worship, and obedience.
The foundation of a joyful family is people who fear the Lord.
Follow His Ways
Fear of the Lord leads us to walk in His ways. We don’t want to act unworthy or grieve His heart, but instead honor and please Him from a heart that never forgets all His goodness. We know He is walking with us, for we are on the same path, walking side by side.
Joy is the natural outcome of following closely in His steps. As we follow, may our grandchildren watch us and fall into step along with us. May we each continue this path.
Fruit of Labor
An additional reward is that good will come to you. The work of your hands will be blessed as it supplies the needs of your family.
Many years ago, my husband shared (and I embraced) the idea that all my work was for the Lord. Those I worked for just got the benefit of my diligent labor. No labor done for the Lord will be done in vain or lack value. While we are safely in God’s hands, we are supported by our own hands. Joy and prosperity will come through faithful work.
As you think of your grandchildren, how have they seen these principles lived out in your life? What can you share with them to encourage them to fear the Lord, follow His paths, and enjoy the fruit of their labor?
Family Life Blessed
“Your wife will bear children as a vine bears grapes, your household lush as a vineyard, The children around your table as fresh and promising as young olive shoots. Stand in awe of God’s Yes. Oh, how he blesses the one who fears God!” – Psalm 128:3-4 (The Message)
Fruitful Vine
Psalm 128 continues the imagery of a happy family with a wife nurturing and caring for the home and children.
Often in the Bible, vines are used as symbols of fruitfulness. They must be cared for and tended to if they are to be most productive. Vines need support, often weaving themselves around structures for support. The vine is flexible, adaptable, and resilient. Here, we see the wife pictured as a healthy fertile vine bearing children.
Grandma, how are you modeling this image of a nurturing vine? Additionally, it speaks to our other relationships that require the same attention and nurturing to thrive, along with the support and flexibility needed.
Fed at Table
These verses focus on the abundance and sweetness of the fruit. There is joy and warmth in a loving family. The children are gathered around the table.
In Scripture, olives symbolize a vigorous, healthy, and joyous life. The children are likened to olive plants or shoots. Olive shoots are where a new olive sapling originates, full of promise yet still needing nurturing. If each of the shoots begins a new sapling, this one olive tree could become a grove of olive trees, extending into succeeding generations.
What a wonderful picture for us. Don’t we desire that our grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and those yet to be born will enjoy the blessedness of the Lord? It is as if young children are springing up all around their parents, the well-rooted olive tree. Olive trees are known for their long life as well as the valuable oil they produce. The children gather round the table to be fed.
This blending of vines and olive shoots brings into focus the image of a thriving family where love and support are prevalent. The children are valuable and well cared for in the home. Overall, these verses point to a godly home, linking the blessings in family life closely to divine favor and guidance.
How do you show and tell your grandchildren that they are valuable to you? While most of our Christian teaching is caught more than taught, there is a time for words. Tell your children and grandchildren how much you love them.
When you think of your little olive shoots, how healthy are they? Are they getting their nourishment from a healthy, mature, well-rooted tree? Do they feel valued? As a grandparent, what are some things you could do?
Full Joy
“Stand in awe of God’s Yes.” Don’t you just love how The Message puts that? Family blessedness comes from the Lord and is available to all who fear God. The man looks around his table, sees his wife and children, and is overcome with joy – overcome with God’s blessings.
When you see your table filled with family, are you overcome? Do you stand in awe of what God has done and continues to do? My heart gushes with joy when all my family is around the table. There were far too many years when seats were empty.
Final Words
The final verse of this Psalm says: “Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.”
Another way to state this is: May you live to see your grandchildren. In Bible times, it was a special blessing to see your grandchildren. Now, we could instead say, may we live to see our great-grandchildren. This verse was the blessing of long life being spoken over someone.
Included in this was the idea of God passing on His blessing to the generations to come. Judges 2 reminds us that often it is the third generation that departs from following the Lord. Why? Because the previous generation did not pass on the ways, wonders, and words of the Lord.
May we be a generation that passes on our fear of the Lord, desire to follow His ways, and stories of His blessings to us. May we be prayer warriors, knowing that the fruit might not be seen in our lifetime, yet still resting in God’s unfailing faithfulness to His promises.
May our third generation (our grandchildren) know, love, and follow Jesus Christ. And may the third generation from our grandchildren do the same.
Focus – Give a Blessing
As we intentionally grandparent, may we appreciate the growth potential present in every grandchild. Each grandchild has unique abilities to impact lives in various ways.
Here is a quote from Larry Fowler, Founder of Legacy Coalition, on this topic:
“A blessing is a powerful tool for the battle we have for the hearts and souls of our grandkids. Jesus used a blessing to minister to children (Mark 10:16). Think of a blessing as the opposite of a prayer. While a prayer is speaking to God on behalf of others, a blessing is speaking to others on behalf of God. It is speaking powerful words into the lives of a grandchild- words of affirmation or words of Scripture from God Himself, who puts great value on their life. The Levitical blessing from Numbers 6:24-26 can be used to speak God’s favor, protection, enlightenment, grace, approval, and inward peace over the life of your grandchild.”
Go and not only be a blessing but give a blessing to your grandchildren! And you know what- consider giving one to your grown children as well. Maybe those empty seats will be full again!
