Trust

We have been welcoming a very special visitor recently, who has been joining us in the garden of an evening. We don’t know where he lives, but it must be pretty local because he visits our neighbours over the road too! He is very trusting and tame, while very aware of our every movement and maybe, a little nervous. We don’t know how old he is and, in fact, we’re not sure if ‘he’ is actually a male or a female!

You may guess by now that our visitor is not a human being, but a Robin!

As I say, ‘he’ is quite tame and very trusting. He comes and perches on a small dish on the table we sit at and enjoys eating some seed placed there especially for him! He seems to like our company because he comes to our table, even though there is bird seed in feeders and on bird tables elsewhere in the garden.

Compared to us human beings, he is very small and fragile. This little bird coming to us must feel like you or me going to a creature like the giant in the story ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’! The relationship of trust, and even love, built between all kinds of animals and us humans is very special and heart-warming, offering company and comfort.

Trust is the most important and vital building-block of any relationship, between people and between us and our God. In the beautiful Psalm 31, the Psalmist writes eloquently about the reality of hardship, evil and sorrow in the world. But here we also witness the trust placed in a loving God in whom our very lives may be entrusted:

But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors. Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love. (v 14-16)

Throughout the Bible, God is described as ‘mighty’ and ‘awesome’, making even a Robin seeing us as giants pale into insignificance! Yet as small and fragile as we might be compared to God in power and wisdom, we are invited through Jesus into a closeness of relationship with God, built on trust. No matter what hardship or distress we may experience, we can place all our trust in God.

This Sunday morning, 20 September, we host the Battle of Britain Memorial service in church. This will be a much simpler service than in previous years due to current restrictions, but we look forward to welcoming representatives from Romsey RAFA and Romsey Air Cadets. Here we mark the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain and we remember how important it was, during the troubled times of WW2 and the Battle of Britain, for those on active service and at home, and in the times we currently live through, to place all trust and hope in God for deliverance and for new beginnings.

Do book your place in church for this service through me in the usual way, or join us on Zoom.

God bless us all.

Also, let Mike know if you have particular prayer requests (for yourself or others) in these challenging and uncertain times and  If you would like to contribute a prayer, poem or reflection for the weekly Sunday service outline.