It would be easy to read this psalm through the lenses of the prosperity gospel: if you trust the Lord enough, you’ll have a great job, a beautiful wife, and lots of well-behaved children – that is, if you demonstrate that trust by sending in an adequate donation! But the fact is that those of us who truly follow Jesus sometimes lose our jobs. Sometimes our families fall apart. And some Christian couples desperately desire children but remain unable to conceive. So, what is this psalm really saying?

Well, the general principles of this psalm are undoubtedly true: Those who work hard do tend to prosper, and those who are content with what they have do tend to be happy. Moreover, even in today’s sexually permissive society, the recipe for emotional and financial health remains the same as it was when this psalm was first written: first prepare yourself to make an honest living, then get married, then have children only with your husband or wife. And history has proven time and time again that the cultures that promote the values of hard work and that protect and defend marriages and families are in fact blessed with social stability and material prosperity. And as modern Americans are discovering yet again, abandoning or tearing down these values leads not to the peace we crave, but only to ignorance and crime, disease and poverty.

It is also certainly the case that even true Christians are quite often inconsistent in our devotion to God, clinging to control over certain areas of our lives instead of wholly surrendering them to the lordship of Christ. But if we fail to work as hard as we can at the job we have, or if we refuse to be satisfied with how much money we make, or if we fail to give ourselves completely to our spouse, devoting ourselves to his or her welfare instead of our own, well, why should we expect God to give us wealth and happiness and peace? If we are not bowing to His good and perfect will where it comes to our careers or our families, why should we expect Him to bless us?

So, no matter what our current financial or marital condition may be, let’s fear the Lord and walk in His ways. Let’s draw near to Zion, the community of believers, for mutual encouragement and assistance. And let us trust the Lord to bless us in His way and in His time, not because of our hard work and faithfulness, but because He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (Psalm 86:15). For can we doubt that the One Who gave up His Son on the cross for us would give us whatever we truly need (Romans 8:32)?

Psalm 128 (NASB)

A Song of Ascents.
How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways.
2 When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, You will be happy and it will be well with you.
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine, Within your house, Your children like olive plants Around your table.
4 Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the LORD.
5 The LORD bless you from Zion, And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
6 Indeed, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!