…our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy. (Psalm 123:2, NIV)
I once made the mistake of trash-talking a friend on social media. It was nagging stuff, over an errant choice of words. His family came to the rescue, offering up a real show of solidarity against this guilty aggressor.
My buddy and I had a good laugh over it, because this is how we talk to each other on the golf course. You know the deal. A poke in the ribs of the other guy’s golfing ego. We’re too good as friends to dare anything more. But attacks on each other? We don’t go there. In golf and in life, he has supported me as much as any man I’ve known.
God in heaven sees all. He can enter the frame and make any alteration he desires.So I was honestly blessed to know his family would come to his defense this adamantly, even if I was the fall guy. It confirmed what I had long recognized to be true about the family: the marriage and the parent-child relationships are fantastic. And it’s not just a “blood runs thicker” thing. It’s deep love.
Oh, that we could say the same of all relationships among people.
It’s not so. The fourth of the Songs of Ascent we find in psalms is both a lament and a cry. The lament is that arrogant speakers pour contempt on the victims of their words. And in the history of the Jewish people, we know this contempt has cut far deadlier than words.
With this in mind, the psalmist put forth a cry for mercy, begging for the intervening hand of the Lord on high. God in heaven sees all. He can enter the frame and make any alteration he desires. Will he now not step in and aid his hurting people?
Jesus told his listeners in the Sermon on the Mount that they should ask the Father to exert his goodness. Surely he possesses it in greater measure than anything we find on earth. “If even faulting fathers give their children what they need,” Jesus said, “surely God will give you what is good.” Perhaps Psalm 123 informed these words.
No, not all people are full of mercy. But some are. My friend’s family was. They stepped in to remind me to go gentle on the man. It was a fair remonstrance. And a helpful one, spiritually speaking. For it was a reminder that God’s mercy is available and abundant beyond the love of even the strongest family. I can count on him to hear my cry.
Perhaps you need to lift up such a cry today as you turn your eyes to heaven. The world has positioned itself against you. Arrogant speakers have rained contempt on your efforts, your character, your beliefs. Let God know in heartfelt prayer: You need him. With urgency. In mercy. As the one who loves you most.
—
Jeff Hopper
July 17, 2018
Copyright 2018 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
OTHER DEVOTIONS IN THIS SERIES
Ascending: Common Complaints (Psalm 120)
Ascending: In God’s Care (Psalm 121)
Ascending: Joy and Peace in Fellowship (Psalm 122)
Ascending: How Great An Escape (Psalm 124)
Ascending: Stark Lines (Psalm 125)
Ascending: Sorrow and Joy (Psalm 126)
Ascending: Work and Home (Psalm 127)
Ascending: ‘Blessed’ (Psalm 128)
Ascending: Set Free (Psalm 129)
Ascending: Finding Forgiveness (Psalm 130)
Ascending: Our Waiting, Impatient Soul (Psalm 131)
Ascending: Despite Our Sin (Psalm 132)
Ascending: Together in Christ (Psalm 133)
Ascending: Earth to Heaven, Heaven to Earth (Psalm 134)