(REFLECTIONS ON Psalm 123:1-4)

When we lift up our eyes, what do we see? When we lift up our eyes, what do we look for? When the psalmist lifts up his eyes, it is past his current circumstances, environment, surroundings, and past the clouds in the sky, and up to the heavens itself. That is why the psalmist writes,

1 To You I lift up my eyes, O You who are enthroned in the heavens!

The eyes of the psalmist reaches the throne of God, the heavens of our God and King, crossing time and space, not letting anything in between heaven and earth to be a distraction. What type of attitude and heart does the psalmist take in looking up to the heavens?

2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eye of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He is gracious to us.

It is with the eye of a servant, looking for and to the hand of the master. And it is not just done in isolation, as one pair of eyes looking to the heavens, but the psalmist joins with the congregation and leads them to look with their eyes together, as servants to the hand of their master, the hand of God Himself.

It is the eyes looking to the hand of God waiting in anticipation and expectation. It is the eyes of His people that stay focused on the hand of God until He is gracious to us. It is in this posture, that the procession, the people of God making their way up to Jerusalem turn their eyes to the heavens. It is not a question of whether or not God will be gracious and merciful, but it is waiting until He again pours out His mercy on them.

And it is a reminder for us as well. That although so many things between the heavens and earth make us stumble, distract us, call for our attention and our worship, that we too should have eyes lifted to God who is enthroned in the heavens!

So our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He is gracious to us. And it is our prayer,

3 Be gracious to us, O Lord, be gracious to us, for we are greatly filled with contempt.

This contempt speaks to the overwhelming pressure, scorn, eyes of judgment that burns into our hearts from the world and the people around us. It is the eyes that we try to escape, that eat at our souls, and that judge us. And that is why our eyes need to be lifted up above the earth into the heavens and to the hand of God Himself.

And we will continue to do so, even if the eyes of the world are still upon us, and we will do so until He is gracious to us, because the Lord is our help, our refuge, and our rock in times of need.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Psalm 123