Keep Focused
Opening Prayer
Lord, I fix my attention on You and on You alone. You are the one in whom I place all my trust.
Read Psalm 123:1-4
[1]A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven. [2] As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy. [3] Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy on us, for we have endured no end of contempt. [4] We have endured no end of ridicule from the arrogant, of contempt from the proud. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Where are you fixing your eyes?A dog focuses attention completely on its owner for something it wants. Psalm 123 encourages God’s people in times of trouble and distress to focus their attention completely on him. Verse 2 portrays both male and female slaves paying the sort of attention to their masters and mistresses that a dog pays to its owner.Verses 3 and 4 express the trouble and persecution that the psalmist (1), and indeed all the people (2-4), have suffered. They are overflowing with shame. They feel sneered at, looked down on (3,4). Has this ever been your experience? The cry for mercy (2,3) is not a cry for understanding. It’s a cry for God to rescue his people. They know he can, because he is powerful (1). Referring to God as Lord (3) is a reminder of the covenant of mercy that he has made with them (Exod. 20:2; Deut. 7:9). They are going to keep their attention on God (2) until he has mercy. This expresses a deeply humble reliance on God. They rely on his wisdom for the timing of his mercy. Until that time, they will keep praying, with their attention focused on him (1-3).
Apply
The world offers many options of how to react when mistreated by others. Reject them and wait for God.
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