Psalm 123:2

Psalm 123:2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,          As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,          So our eyes look to the LORD our God. NKJV

Merciful Master in Heaven, I am Your humble servant who looks up to You with respect and admiration. Under Your control, You treat me with loving kindness. You assign my work and reward me. While working for You is hard, it's also a joy and a delight. Looking upward, I'll have a vast view of You. From Your vantage point, my perspective will be fundamentally different. I'll find You in the doctor's office and the law office. I'll see You in the parking lot and the shopping mall. You'll be in the board room, as well as, the play room and classroom. You'll be on the plane soaring across the skyway and in the car zooming down the highway. I'll notice You on the production line and in the check-out line. I'll spot You in my pain, as well as, my pleasure. I'll even see You in the darkest people and places. You'll be in my home and in my heart. Watching You, I'll clearly see signals to do Your work. Sometimes You'll simply tell me to pray. Other times, You'll instruct me to lovingly encourage and comfort. Occasionally, You'll ask me to boldly speak out for what's right. You'll likely expect me to show mercy and kindness to intolerable people. You'll probably require me to go outside of my comfort zone to do tasks that don't come easily. Wherever I see You Lord, I'll stop, listen, and do whatever You ask to bring glory to Your high and holy name. Open the eyes of my heart Lord! I want to see You! You are my Master, and immediate obedience is necessary. For my hard work, You will richly reward me with the tender mercies of Your Son. Amen.

Are you continually focused on the Lord? If your eyes are wandering you'll miss encounters with Him. How have you seen God working around you recently? Where have you been working for Him? I'd love to hear from you! A Prayer Pal reader often sends me encouragement. He always ends his emails with, "Eyes Up", to which I respond, "Shades on. Glory Shines." I appreciate his weekly reminder because in this world of many sorrows it is easy to focus on the here and now instead of the heavenly. With my eyes up, as I go about my day, I see the people and situations God puts in my path as opportunities not problems.  On a recent December day my employer and I met with a human resource officer at a government agency. Worn out, burned out, and ready to bail out, she poured out her heart to two strangers sitting at a table with her. As she spoke of her challenges and frustrations, her brown eyes glazed with tears. We generously gave her our time, our ears and our expertise expecting nothing in return. On the way to the parking lot my employer looked at me and said, "Being there for that woman made my day. This is the reason I'm in business." With eyes up, we saw her pain and touched her with kindness.