God is Master

By Jaime Sherman

Psalm 123:1 repeats the theme of Psalm 121:1 with the words, “To you I lift up my eyes. O you who are enthroned in the heavens!” The picture that the psalmist paints is of the submitted heart of the servant, the one who is patiently and quietly waiting to obey. In many cultures of old, the maidservant kept her eyes trained on her mistress for non-verbal instructions. If she was distracted, she might miss a key directive. In the same way, we are to keep our eyes on God.

123: Our Eyes Look to the LORD our God.

A Song of Ascents. 1 I lift up my eyes to You, the One enthroned in heaven. 2 As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are on the LORD our God until He shows us mercy. 3 Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy, for we have endured much contempt. 4 We have endured much scorn from the arrogant, much contempt from the proud.

Gaze Lifted

According to verse 1, our God is never on a journey but enthroned in the heavens. What does this mean to you?

Mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm. What does it mean to you to wait upon the Lord’s mercy?

How are you struggling in this season to keep your eyes fixed upon your Master and Lord Jesus Christ?

Prayer

Master, I acknowledge your unchanging character that can never take your mercy from me. Forgive me for the times when I have struggled to keep my eyes on You, thinking that my plans were better than yours. May I behold You afresh in the days ahead.