Our morning prayer Psalter today included these opening verses from Psalm 123 (ESV):

To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
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.

In our culture we do not generally have servants and maidservants, so the picture offered by the Psalmist might not resonate. But I think most of us have witnessed or even experienced firsthand how pet dogs fix their eyes on their masters, especially when they are expecting a treat–how their gaze is steady and true and without distraction, and how some can hardly contain their excitement as they anticipate what is surely coming. 

Do you and I await the Lord’s mercy and blessing each day with such devoted focus and anticipation?