Lift up your eyes to heaven for mercy. Psalm 123
How interesting it is to recognize that from heaven comes the true source of mercy that we need in moments of contempt or adversity and persecution. Looking to heaven is the best alternative when we lack the strength to resist the oppressive moments of life.
In Psalm 123 the author teaches us that we should seek God's helping hand when your enemies hate and despise you.
To you I lift up my eyes,
To you who dwell in the heavens.
2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look upon the hand of their masters,
and as the eyes of the handmaid look upon the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look unto the Lord our God,
till he have mercy on us.
3 Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us,
For we are wearied with contempt.
4 Our soul is weary
Of the contempt of those who are in ease
And of the contempt of the proud. Reina-Valera 1960 (RVR1960).
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With our gaze fixed on heaven we look for hope and mercy to resist the harsh persecution of the wicked and perverse. This Psalm 123 brings to my memory the moment when the Lord Jesus, about to be delivered by the hands of sinners for the sacrifice of salvation of mankind, looked up to heaven and said: "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son, that your Son also may glorify you" (John 17:1). Jesus looked to heaven, for from there comes the source of love, mercy and power. In the same way, it happened with the young Stephen, who was one of the deacons of the early church and at the moment when they were going to stone him, he also looked to heaven for strength to resist his adversaries.
In times of distress, persecution and less price, it is necessary to lift your eyes to heaven and look to God, the source of your comfort. The psalmist wrote:
To you I lift up my eyes,
to you who dwell in the heavens. Psalm 123: 1
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It is a very important necessity to turn our eyes to heaven for help, mercy and succor. When evil wants to crush and devour you, we must not take our eyes off heaven until the Lord pours out his mercy on us and delivers us from those who hate and despise us.
Do not tire of looking to heaven, from there comes your prompt help to succor you in your distress. Do not cease to look up to the heights, where the throne of God is, for the Lord is our speedy help in trouble. The psalmist could say:
Behold, as the eyes of servants look upon the hand of their masters,
and as the eyes of the handmaid look upon the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look unto the Lord our God,
until he has mercy on us. Psalm 123: 2
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When persecution is terrible and your enemies besiege you, whether in your work, in your community or wherever you are, do not fail to ask God to deliver you with his mercies. The forces of evil act upon the children of disobedience, who wage deadly persecution against you, do not rest in seeking the face of God to deliver you from those who despise you. God from heaven sends his help for you, to pour out his mercy upon your soul and give you his faithful succor. From the depths of your heart, you have to say:
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
for we are wearied with contempt. Psalm 123: 3
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There are times when we can't stand that people despise us and we are filled with impotence, that is the time to cry out to God and tell the Lord:
Our soul is tired
of the contempt of those who are at ease
and the contempt of the proud. Psalm 123: 4
We have to be very clear with the Lord in our prayers so that he will help us and deliver us from all those spiteful people, who despise us and who are proud because they have important positions in society. The Lord will hear the cry of his children and will come out to meet us and give us victory over the proud.
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