Thoughts for the Day

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust!...

My eyes are ever towards the Lord,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.

Relieve the troubles of my heart,
and bring me out of my distress.

Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins....

O guard my life, and deliver me;
do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I wait for you.

(New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

In 1998 I had the honour to be introduced to the Queen before the Service for the 300th Anniversary of SPCK (The Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge). I felt somewhat nervous as we waited in the rather draughty entrance to St Martin's in the Field Church. The time crept round to just before the hour and suddenly there was a stir among the crowd outside and I knew she had arrived. The waiting was over. She asked me about the work I had been doing for SPCK, and then she shook my hand before turning to look at the man next to me. "How is the little fellow?" she asked. Apparently they had spoken that morning on the phone, because their two corgies were unwell. It also transpired that he had been her ADC for some years in the past. What I found so interesting was the switch from gracious Queen to friend in a second.

At this time as we try to move to coming out of lock-down because of Covid-19, there are so many problems. We might be worried about our jobs, or money, or catching the disease; we might be going 'stir-crazy' with young children in the house, or lonely with no-one to talk to and no-where to go. The future is so uncertain, but Psalm 25 reminds us that no matter what the dangers or worries, God is there to help us. We are in God's waiting room, if you like, knowing that He will shortly come to aid us, and that He knows each of us intimately and will address all our concerns if we put our trust in Him and ask for His help.

Saturday 13th June, follow up thoughts

Heavenly Father,
we wait with confidence for You.
But with the future so uncertain
that our worries seem magnified
help us to learn to put all our trust in You,
that even knowing our weaknesses,
You will be there to lead us through
the dangers that might lie ahead.
Amen.