Psalms of the Ascents: Looking for God’s Favor

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Psalm 123:3

Show us favor, Lord, show us favor,
for we’ve had more than enough contempt.

(CSB)

While the idea of pleasing everyone would be nice with nobody hating us, the idea is unrealistic.  Even Jesus, the Son of God could not please everyone.  However, in our political correct social media culture, we seem obsessed with trying please and not offend anyone which often ends with us offending the ones we least want to offend. 

The next psalm of the ascents, Psalm 123 has the sub heading of “looking for God’s favor.”  As Christians, pleasing God above others should be the driving force of our lives.  While this seems harsh in our politically correct culture, it is actually the most beneficial thing one can do to serve others. 

Matthew 6:19-21 reminds us that where our heart is where our greatest treasure is.  While the context of this passage of Scripture is material possessions and money, it can also apply to relationships one treasures.  When we treasure pleasing and not offending others, we are relinquishing control of our lives to them.  Since each person we know has different wants, needs, and desires, trying to please them all will end up leaving us with no clear purpose for our lives, rendering us ineffective in serving others. 

Perhaps this is why this psalm that the people of Israel would recite on their way to Jerusalem was important for it is a reaffirmation of their desire to please God over anything else through honoring Him during the feasts.  In Psalm 123 we see the psalmist,

1)      Lift up His eyes to God in Heaven (Psalm 123:1) – When we find ourselves in trouble, we never seem to have a problem with looking up to God as Peter did when sinking in the sea (Matthew 14:30).  However, if we really treasure God in our hearts, we should regularly look up to God through prayer and study of God’s Word. 

2)      Looking to the Lord until he receives God’s favor (Psalm 123:2) – The psalmist lived before the birth of Christ and lived his life in anticipation of the promised Messiah that would rid him of his sins.  Those of us living after the birth of Christ have an advantage over the psalmist in that we have the privilege of looking back at God’s unmerited favor through Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21).  Unfortunately, since we no longer must look forward to God’s provision of favor, we can take the unmerited favor, or grace of God, for granted.  In our daily time looking up to God, take time to thank Him for His grace. 

3)      Seeking God’s favor over worldly contempt (Psalm 123:3) – Political correctness that tries to please everyone creates contempt from those we offend while pleasing someone else.  Aiming to please God above anyone else frees us from this contempt and serves to simplify our lives leaving us with only God to please.  While totally pleasing God is not possible in our fleshly bodies, when God is the treasure of our hearts, our life attitude is on aiming to please God and when we fail, seek forgiveness (1 John 1:9). 

4)      Calls for an end of arrogant contempt (Psalm 123:4) – The final verse of this psalm represents a decision by the psalmist to live his life with the attitude of pleasing God first. 

The greatest decision one can make is the decision to treasure God in his or her heart.  While it is not possible to earn God’s favor since we have all sinned (Romans 3:23), God has extended his grace or undeserved favor to us (Ephesians 2:8).  However, God does not force His grace on anyone, so we must ask.  If you are reading this and have never accepted God’s unmerited favor, I invite you to do so now by praying with me,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

Continue looking up to God through the spiritual disciplines of prayer and study of the Word of God.  This insures God remains the treasure or our lives, freeing us from the contempt and imprisonment of a life attempting to please others.