I Lift Up My Eyes to You A song of ascents.
“I lift up my eyes to You, the One enthroned in heaven. As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are on the LORD our God until He shows us mercy. Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy, for we have endured much contempt. We have endured much scorn from the arrogant, much contempt from the proud.”
There’s nothing new under the sun, and this psalm proves it. As the pilgrims are trudging toward Jerusalem, they are thinking about the problems they have left behind them. One of these problems is abuse from obnoxious people who are scornful, arrogant, and contemptuous. Who are these critics? Perhaps there are gossipy neighbors, or perhaps a young couple is saddled with in-laws who feel it is their mission in life to find as much fault as possible. Perhaps an apprentice or a servant has been struggling to satisfy a perfectionist master or mistress. One author has described this kind of mental abuse as “being stoned to death with popcorn.” It’s not the first complaint that hurts; it’s the repetitious reproaches that are repeated hourly and daily.
No matter how difficult the journey to Jerusalem, no matter how hot the sun or how cold the wind, or how painful the rocks are on sandaled feet, at least the pilgrims are free from the scorn….unless the scornful are in the same group on the same journey! At that point, this psalm would give the abused a subtle way to get back at their abusers as they appeal to God for mercy.
“As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are on the LORD our God until He shows us mercy.” At the time this psalm is being written, servants have no rights and must watch their masters and mistresses closely to make certain that they don’t miss any orders. Now the pilgrims are avowing to God that they will watch Him just as closely, not only so that God will show them mercy, but also so that they will follow God’s will for their lives.
APPLICATION: The scornful and arrogant are everywhere. These days, cyber-bullying has become a huge problem, with many teen-agers committing suicide after suffering humiliating abuse. Just publish something on Facebook and watch the derogatory remarks roll in.
When I was in surgery residency, I once complained to my department chairman about the poor technique I had witnessed one surgeon using. My chairman listened as I vented and then said kindly, “Well, now you know how NOT to perform that operation.” While it is tempting to complain about the poor attitudes of others, we need to examine ourselves. Are we encouraging those around us, or are we driving them to pray prayers similar to this psalm? Are we pointing people the way to God, or are we frustrating them and pulling them down?
Jan Karon in her Mitford series quotes a proverb from the American South that says, “Everyone is trying to swallow something they can’t get down.” We never know how many problems others are facing. Jesus advised his disciples to “pray for those who despitefully use you.” This advice still works. Let’s make certain that we are not despitefully using others while we are complaining about those who abuse us!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we thank You for Your mercy. Help us to pray for those who despitefully use us, even as we watch closely for Your guidance. We ask this in the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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