Lift Our Eyes to Heaven

Meditations on Christ in the Psalms

November 23, 2022

Lift Our Eyes to Heaven

The children of your people

    will live in security.

Their children’s children

    will thrive in your presence.

Psalm 102:28

I was driving through the countryside recently and saw the most beautiful willow tree. Whenever I see a willow tree I recall Psalm 137:

By the rivers of Babylon—

   there we sat down and there we wept

   when we remembered Zion.

On the willows there

   we hung up our harps.

For there our captors

   asked us for songs,

and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,

   ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’

Psalm 137:1-3 NRSV

Hence the common name for the tree, weeping willow. Psalm 137 laments Israel’s Babylonian captivity, as does today’s reading of Psalm 102. Prior to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, in what today is known as the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament, was a part of the oral history of Israel. The exile to slavery of Israel necessitated writing their history so that it would not be lost. Some of the first words written were, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” This account of creation from Genesis 1 reminded the Israelites that the LORD was the God of Order. Those were comforting words in the midst of the chaos and confusion of their captivity.

The psalmist in Psalm 102 confesses Israel is overwhelmed by her troubles, but he doesn’t focus only on their problems. He extols the virtues, the character of God, and concludes, “The children of your people will live in security. Their children’s children will thrive in your presence” (Psalm 102:28).

My Takeaway: The great temptation, when we encounter the pain and difficulties of life, is to focus on our troubles. Psalm 102 is a reminder that, while we do not deny our pain, we can choose to lift our eyes to heaven and find comfort and strength in the eternal mercy and goodness of God, our Father.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.