Moving on Up
Opening Prayer
Lord, I acknowledge that You are high and I am low.
Read PSALM 123
1 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.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
God is always described as “up.” Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up; Jesus lifted his eyes when he prayed to the Father. Therefore, when we leave this world, we will be headed up.
Think Further
How do people respond when they learn of your faith? In my experience, some are genuinely interested, some don’t know quite how to respond and some are immediately defensive, if not aggressive. I’ve met indifference, ridicule and even contempt, just like the writer of today’s psalm. Such a powerful response usually comes from persons with a strong personality of their own. Sometimes this springs from arrogance. Everything must be challenged, if not belittled, so faith becomes a power issue. At other times, faith is simply beneath consideration, particularly for the proud, rational, free-thought type.
Psalm 123 is one of 15 songs of ascents or pilgrim songs, written for Jewish believers taking time to go to the temple in Jerusalem, probably to celebrate one of three annual festivals: Passover, Pentecost or Tabernacles. For a while they are leaving behind the challenges and stresses of their home community by walking uphill to meet with God. We might call it a retreat, but the term “ascents” makes it sound more like an advance. The focus is on looking upward to God like a slave looks to his or her owner. Slaves of biblical times could demand nothing of their master or mistress; they could only hope for eventual mercy.
This is a psalm worth repeating over and over again. As New Testament believers, we have no right in ourselves to demand anything from God, but in Christ we are given a new status. No longer are we slaves; instead, we are children of God. We can call him “Dad,” we run to him with our fears, our frustrations, our humiliations, and we know that graciously, mercifully, he always receives and accepts us.
“Bold I approach the eternal throne,” said Charles Wesley (1707–1788). Look up to God enthroned in heaven, know his father-love and unburden yourself of all criticism and contempt of the past week.
Apply
The word “mercy” is used frequently in the Bible, usually from God to us. Even though redeemed, believers still need mercy every day (cf. Heb. 4:16).
Closing prayer
Lord, our vindication on the other side is certain, where we will then see for sure that serving You was the right decision.
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