Psalm 123
To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
Behold, as the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant
to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till he has mercy upon us.
Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us,
for we have had more than enough of contempt.
Our soul has had more than enough
of the scorn of those who are at ease,
of the contempt of the proud.
Being a believer brings with it the contempt of the world. It is becoming increasingly common to hear ridicule directed towards those who express faith in God and for those who pray. Here, in Psalm 123, God’s people pray for strength.
This psalm was to be sung as people went to the temple. They carried with them many concerns and the memory of much abuse for following the Lord faithfully. But, rather than turning in on themselves, God directs them to turn towards Him. He is the one who is “enthroned in the heavens.” God is the one who hears our prayers.
God is the one who came in Jesus to deal with all of the opposition of the world, even our own sins, and take them away forever. Through Jesus we have God’s answer to all conflicts and the evil of mankind.
If anyone could have said “I’ve had more than enough of this” that one was Jesus. Yet, He faithfully continued in His saving work until not one thing remained undone for our salvation. This is the Lord who will strengthen us also to accomplish all things He has given us to do. And in the end, He is the one who will welcome us into His eternal kingdom.
Let us pray,
Help me Lord when the challenges of life as a Christian seem large and oppressive. You have overcome all things, even death for my salvation. Grant me your strength to do your will. In your name I pray, AMEN.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come,Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.