Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart:
Psalm 123
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven. 2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy. 3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us, for we have endured no end of contempt. 4 We have endured no end of ridicule from the arrogant, of contempt from the proud.
I’ve often marveled at ballerinas. Have you ever seen a dancer do one of those super-fast spins? I don’t know the technical term for this, but I do know that, while they spin, they keep their eyes focused on one spot. With each revolution, they return their eyes to the same place. It is the same for us. In the buzz and spin of this world, our eyes should always be fixed on Jesus. As we move through our day, let us intentionally keep our eyes on Jesus. Praise him for the joys in your day. Ask for direction and guidance in the midst of decisions. Pray for grace in conversations and kindness as you meet people today. And, in those times we fall short, let us return to God and receive his mercy, grace and forgiveness anew this day.