It is through the tending and mending of our families and children that the world is to be built and defended. This created order is the grain along which the world runs. Psalm 127:
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one’s youth.Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
The connections between vanity and anxiety, sovereignty and rest, children and enemies, and the role of children at the gate–that intersected space between the walled-off private and the perilous public–show us the vital importance of protected and nurtured godly family life for the life of the world. This is the created intent.
Without Providence working through the blessing of a godly family, life is filled with anxiety and vanity, and the world is unable to be well-built or well defended. With it, we are filled with bread and rest, protection and provision. May Providence continue to bless the world through godly families, and may we be ever mindful of those who have never experienced this blessing directly.