Waiting
6/30 Reading Portions: Joshua 2; Psalms 123-125; Isaiah 62; Matthew 10
Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)
6/30 Reading Portions: Joshua 2; Psalms 123-125; Isaiah 62; Matthew 10
Psalm 123:2
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till He has mercy upon us.
HAND
When God restored us anew in Christ, one of the blessings He restored to His people was service. Lost by Adam in the fall, the first man was commanded to tend the garden and care for it (Gen 2:15). In the fall, however, work became a cursed labor as mankind must toil by the sweat of his brow (Gen 3:17-19). Yet, in Christ, a true blessedness is ours, mercifully bestowed upon us, which was given mankind before the fall: service to almighty God. That God includes us in His work on earth is a mercy indeed. This good work comes with gospel instructions, however. We don’t just rush headlong into service to our King of kings, else we might become proud legalists, justifying our own works and service as if to present them before the Lord Jesus with a smug and arrogant, “See what I’ve done for you” attitude. Service in the kingdom has a particularly eastern flavor. Slaves in the days of old stood across the room with eyes fixed upon their master’s head and hands. A nod or gesture is all that was offered to cause the slave to spring into action. Truly, this is what it means to wait upon the Lord, so that gospel works spring forth humbly in the servant as he or she patiently and lovingly gaze upon the Master. You and I are ever to keep our spiritual eyes, our eyes of faith, upon the nod of Christ’s thorn-scarred brow and upon the gesture of His nail-pierced hands so we may humbly and joyfully serve Him with good gospel works upon His command; and not for selfish motives or egocentric gain. May we, by God’s grace, faithfully wait ever upon the Lord until He returns,
For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. Romans 14:23
A mercy is restor’d to us:
It’s service to our King;
We watch Him with both love and trust
To do all gospel things.