Vain Labor or Eternal Effect

"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stand guard in vain." - Psalm 127:1

The other day, I went to visit the Mayan ruins in San Ignacio, Belize. The name of this once great city is Cahal Peche. The name is not so splendid. It means the "Place of the Ticks". But the site does bring with it the memories of splendor. The situation is incredible. It sits, like all Mayan cities, atop a high elevation to give a view of all the surrounding countryside. I climbed a steep set of steps to the highest point in the city and from there you can see the next Mayan city ruins towards Benque, near the Guatemalan border. From this point they could send and receive signals. The layout of the city was practical and economic with space. There were different courtyards or plazas for a variety of purposes. The huge area in the center was the marketplace. This was accessible to the road leading up to the city from the countryside where the peasants lived in thatched houses. The dwellings within the city were all brick and stone. The residences were built along the inside walls of the city. The largest rooms were for the royal family. There was a building for government and commerce and plazas for cooking, washing, children and ball courts as well. The entire site was a well-planned, brilliantly engineered maze of steps and alleyways, rooms and open spaces. As I walked around I could only guess at the wonder that was once Cahal Peche. And yet, now before me, was a ruin, it's glory passed for many years, today a series of mounds overrun with jungle. Despite all the labor and careful planning of the builders, despite the diligence of the watchman, the Aztecs conquered the Mayans and the once great city of their civilization was left to ruin.

"In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for he grants sleep to those he loves." -Psalm 127:2

In the end we will find like the Mayans, our lives - our great and not -so-great accomplishments are all in the Lord's hands. No matter what we set out to do, whether, it is to build a great city or to be a good camp counselor, unless the Lord is in it, we labor in vain. Noble intentions and grand ideas will maybe have a passing effect, but when the Lord is the one who is building, when He is leading and guiding - the effect is eternal.