Psalm 123: I lift up my eyes to you

I lift up my eyes to you,

To you whose throne is in heaven.

As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,

As the eyes of a maid looks to the hand of her mistress,

So our eyes look to the LORD our God,

So our eyes look to the LORD our God

Till he shows us his mercy.

Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us,

For we have endured much contempt.

We have endured much ridicule from the proud,

Much contempt from the arrogant.

Have mercy on us, O LORD,

Have mercy on us,

For we have endured much contempt.

For we have endured much ridicule from the proud,

Much contempt from the arrogant.

Have mercy on us, O LORD,

Have mercy on us,

For we have endured much contempt.

We have endured much ridicule from the proud,

Much contempt from the arrogant.

Jeff Lowe: Lead vocal, guitars, keys - pad, baritone concertina, bass

Comments

Jonathan Aitken wrote, “Ridicule and contempt are hard to deal with whether for an individual, or a group, or for a nation. In the Sermon On The Mount, the epithet ‘You fool!’ was singled out as the most hurtful of insults. (Matthew 5:22)” *

It is never easy to cope with our emotions as we respond to assaults of this kind but the psalmist has an instinctive understanding of such situations and shows us how to pray about them. We are to pray for God’s mercy and the strength to endure. This is the only way that accusation and contempt will leave no permanent marks on our lives.

* ‘Psalms for People Under Pressure’ Jonathan Aitken 2004