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Psalm 123

English Standard Version (ESV)

Our Eyes Look to the Lord Our God

A Song of Ascents.

123 To you I lift up my eyes,
  O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
2 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.

3 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us,
  for we have had more than enough of contempt.
4 Our soul has had more than enough
  of the scorn of those who are at ease,
  of the contempt of the proud.

 

Reflection

• Mercy (v3) is a much-admired quality in the Old Testament. It is compassion, and concern for a helpless person’s plight, which finds expression in reaching out with help.
• The person who needs mercy is completely dependent on the willingness of another to help. God’s people look to God for mercy as a slave, dependent on another’s kindness, looks expectantly to his or her master. How wonderful that as we depend on God, he does reach out to help us.
• Recall a time when you’ve said “I’ve had it” (or as in v3, “we have had more than enough of contempt”). How has God shown mercy then? Read this psalm over a couple of time and have a conversation with God.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.