Waiting
| 1 I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven. 2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid 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, O LORD, have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt. 4 We have endured much ridicule from the proud, much contempt from the arrogant. (Psalms123:1-4) |
- Waiting for justice to be done.
- Waiting for guidance
- Waiting for healing
- Waiting for hope.
We've all been there...
Waiting is easier when there's a clear time frame. If I have to wait until 15h00 this afternoon it is easier than waiting for the phone call that may or may not come.
The psalm puts us in the shoes of someone who has suffered injustice and arrogant contempt. One would hope that righteousness would prevail - that good would win the day - that the wheel would turn and people would reap what they sow.
But this doesn't always happen. (Not according to our timetable anyway!!) The Psalm doesn't indicate that God has delivered or that God has answered - in fact, the entire Psalm is just these four verses in which the Psalm writer calls out to God and self-identifies in the imagery of a manservant or maidservant and then states the desperate need they find themselves in.
The servant imagery is tough but yet comforting. It's tough because we like to be in control and be masters of our own destiny. It's hard to admit that we don't know everything and that we can't control the world around us. It's hard to realise that sometimes God works outside our ability to comprehend.
But there's comfort too. The man and maidservant look to the hand of their owners because they trust them and because they are good. The text almost implies that their eyes are drawn to their owners. It is a picture of trust and affection. They have learned that the Master is faithful.
Waiting teaches us how powerless we are.
Waiting also reminds us how much we need God and how much we trust Him.
