Scripture: Psalm 123 v 1 - 4: "Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.
2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.
3 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.
4 Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud."
King David lifts his eyes heavenwards searching for the Lord, wanting to make eye contact with Him. The Lord said that David is a man after My own heart. Was David perfect, totally righteous, always obedient? No he was not! So what was it that God loved about his favourite king?
David discovered that when he went into the place of the Ark of the Covenant, he was in the very presence of God. He could talk freely to Him, and even more important, he could hear God's voice clearly. Not just through Nathan the Prophet, but directly.
David became king after the death of Saul, who had offended the mighty prophet Samuel. Saul had no other way of hearing from God. All witches and wizards had been expelled from Israel, or killed, so Saul was desperate enough to seek out one who was a medium and consult her for an audience with Samuel, who had died.
To the shock of both king and medium, the real Samuel appeared. In reality its usually a demonic familiar spirit that can mimic the one they call upon, who appears. Samuel rebuked Saul and told him his reign was at an end. In fact the very next day Saul and his sons were killed in battle and the crown passed to David.
David loved God and honoured Him in worship through psalms and music. He never ceased to praise the Lord for victories in battle and the many blessings he received.
The most honourable way that David gained the favour of God was his quickness in repenting for his sins, faults and failures. He was always mindful to take responsibility for his actions and bring himself before God for forgiveness and to make right that which he had messed up.
If these are the things that please our Saviour and our Heavenly Father, then to achieve the same results we need to take a leaf out of David's book. Read his psalms every day to find the depths of the great relationship God had with David. Apply these psalms to your own life and be consistent. This will bear much good fruit in your life.
That recognition and reassurance strengthens all those who seek His compassion and mercy. We need to make eye contact with Jesus as when He sees our faith His grace flows towards us to meet our needs.
These days Christians are under much persecution as millions of unsaved people deny the Lord who bought them at the price of His own life. They blaspheme His wonderful name and some delight in making martyrs out of believers.
Many mock and scoff at Jesus and His followers; many of them, who think they are Christians, but believe that those who are on fire for Jesus are deceived. God calls such people hypocrites. They will receive an open rebuke from Him.
My family told people I was "touched" meaning slightly mad. I was an embarrassment to them. I was no longer believing in the tired old religion they were bound to. I was definitely touched - by the Lord Jesus Himself, who blessed and anointed me to serve Him. I would sing - He touched me; Yes He touched me and O the joy that floods my soul. Something happened and now I know He touched me and made me whole. I still sing that chorus for it is the truth.
Remember that the same type of mockers watched and scoffed as Noah and his sons built an ark 100 miles from the coast in a place that had had no rainfall for 150 years. Today CNN and all the experts would be on the scene to persecute Noah. Until the deluge came and tsunamis wiped them all out. Maybe they should take note that experts built the Titanic. Amateurs built the Ark.
Just looking at the destruction through indiscriminate shootings, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions in many parts the world, brings sorrow and sympathy for those whose peaceful existence has been violently disrupted. The President of America calls for people to pray, but if we are praying to different gods what will the outcome be, as one god's meat is another god's poison?
Rather let us call on Jesus Christ to heal our lands. The whole world must turn its eyes upon Jesus to stop the rot. He is the only name that can save mankind. He is the only one who resurrected from death to be alive forevermore.
Acts 1 v 8 - 11: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."
Can we imagine the thoughts in the minds of the apostles as they saw Jesus the centre of their lives leaving Earth, leaving them behind. There was a promise of the Holy Spirit coming to empower them but how could that reach the whole world?
But these angels said He would return the same way. This return is very close. It could not happen until Israel was a nation again. And now the last survivor of the Holocaust has just died. The Holocaust that moved the hearts of men to give the Jews their homeland again.
Matthew 24 v 30 - 34: "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors."
The parable of the fig tree is that the fig tree is a symbol of Israel. The tender branches are not only the result of tremendous grief but of a rebirth in their own land. The leaves on the tree indicate growth and prosperity. When we see all this we can start looking for the arrival of King Jesus.
Today God is building a spiritual ark called the Body of Christ. He says He will have the last laugh as the persecuted followers will be safe inside when the Wrath of the Lamb, the worst part of the 7 years of Great Tribulation, destroys His enemies. This spiritual ark will be lifted off the Earth in the Rapture at a time only the Father knows.
Are you helping to build this spiritual ark by being born again, close to Jesus and obedient to His Word? Or are you content to let someone else do the building in the false hope that God loves everyone and He will be merciful no matter what you do or omit to do. Only eight people were left alive after the Flood!
Keep your eyes turned upon Jesus! And be obedient to Him at all times.
Prayer: Heavenly Father it is wonderful to be wrapped in Your pure love knowing that when the end comes we are safe from harm. Give us compassion for the lost that we may bring them to You for salvation. In Jesus' name. Amen.