I lift my eyes to you, the one enthroned in heaven. Like a servant’s eyes on his master’s hand, like a servant girl’s eyes on her mistress’s hand, so our eyes are on the Lord our God until he shows us favor. (123:1-2)
The best dog I ever owned was an Australian cattle dog named Sydney. I could regale you with stories of her prowess, athleticism, and intelligence. She could climb trees and I have seen her run up a 10’ wall and hold on to the top with her two front paws so she could bark at the boys next door. 😊 She had a lot of great qualities, but the most impressive was her diligence to duty and her devotion to me. Cattle dogs tend to be “one-man” dogs and that is probably why I appreciated her much more than the rest of our family. She never stopped moving; she constantly patrolled our yard—always on duty and always ready to act if needed. She was always at my heel when I was outside and she even snatched an unseen cobra up once before I could step on it.
That is the kind of diligence and devotion the Psalmist is describing for us here. This is the picture of someone who is standing by waiting to obey every possible command from their master. They dare not look at their face; perhaps because they don’t feel worthy to do so, but more likely because they know that the hand is where the command will come from. At any moment they could be beckoned, and when they are, they want to be ready to leap to obedience. It is also from the hand that favor and blessing come. The hand of the master is what commands the servant and it is the hand of the master that cares for the servant. The servant’s job is to sit, watch, and immediately obey the command of the master.
That is what Sydney was like. If I was in her sight, her eyes were steadily fixed on me. She loved me, and she demonstrated that love by living to obey the slightest command. Lord, grant us the grace to be just like that with You! Oh, how I want to be a servant that is always devoted to the Master and delights in any opportunity to obey—so much so that I am always attentive to His slightest leading and ready to jump into action without question or delay. Let us lift our eyes in worship and obedience to the One enthroned in Heaven who is the Master of the universe and whose hand is the source of our supply.
