Open Our Eyes
How much of our lives are controlled by God? This is a question that has bounced around in my mind for as long as I can remember. I often wonder when something goes in my favour if it’s just a stroke of luck that should statistically happen eventually, or if it really is God working his way into my everyday life. Even more often than that, I forget to wonder about it, and take my many blessings for granted.
Psalm 126 demonstrates the complete opposite of this, however. From the first line down to the very end, the piece is full of elation, grace, and pure gratitude for the wonders of God’s work. The fortunes of Zion, the fresh water of newly restored stream, the hope that is brought with the abundance of crops, are all met by praise and overflowing joy for our creator. There is nothing in the life and the lives around the writer of this psalm that isn’t assumed to be anything less than the miraculous work of the Lord. And how can you blame them? In a context where a dried river means the downfall of a people, how could you not praise God for restoring the streams in the Negev? In a context where agriculture is the center of everything, how could you look at a bountiful harvest and credit to anything other than God’s fortune? Meanwhile in our lives, where things such as fresh water and food production are often glossed over, it’s rare to encounter gifts so stunning as those in the less fortunate places or times of our world.
I wonder what would happen if we took every small thing as a gift from the divine instead. I wonder if how much God controls our life is up to how much we are willing to look.
Heavenly father, I ask that you may open our eyes to see the blessings you offer us, and to provide more blessings for those who need it most. Do not let us forget the restored streams and bountiful harvests of our own lives, and refresh the many droughts that are ever-present in your kingdom. Amen.
Jude Miller