Solomon is the credited author of this psalm, and in it we can hear echoes from his work in Ecclesiastes. In Ecclesiastes Solomon shines a light on the vanity of work for the sake of work “everything,” the teacher of Ecclesiastes tells us, “under the sun is vanity (in the Hebrew, literally: “empty,” or “pointless,” or “without lasting value.”) In Psalm 127, however, the perspective of work changes from an earthly one to a heavenly one—everything is “in vain,” unless it is lived out under the sovereignty of God.

Solomon isn’t condemning work; he is condemning the illusion that human effort alone brings true and lasting success. The lesson for our spiritual journey isn’t that work is unnecessary or fruitless, but that work, labor, planning, without the consideration or help of the Lord will ultimately amount to nothing.

We build, but God establishes; we watch, but God protects; we labor, but God provides. The bible calls us to recognize that all of our actions are to be acts of dependence rather than self-reliance.