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IJ 
Ian Jamieson

Psalm 28 v 7:   The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.
 
I had occasion to listen to the wonderful orchestral piece “Finlandia” by Sibelius recently,  which brought me in mind of my wedding day.  You see, Caroline and I chose the hymn “ We rest on Thee, our shield and our defender” , to the tune “Finlandia”, for our wedding service as it reflected both our trust in the Lord for our married life and the Nordic homeland of my mother.  Caroline and I are happily together after 33 years, still “needing more each day Thy grace to know” , and believing that our God will continue to be faithful to us, not only today , but for “endless days”.
 
The writer of the lyrics for this great hymn wrote from personal experience of faith under stress . Edith Cherry was born in 1872 and wrote 2 volumes of hymns of praise and poetry. She was also crippled from youth by strokes and died aged just 25. And yet, from this place of  suffering, she wrote wonderful words of confidence, “ We go in faith, our own great weakness feeling”, yet “Strong in Thy strength, Safe in Thy keeping tender”, as her life was built on “Jesus our Righteousness, our sure Foundation”. Listen, if you can, to this moving version with the lyrics on screen.
 
As we continue to face challenges at work , at home, with health issues or loneliness, let us , like Edith, place our trust in God and say “The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusts in Him”.
 
Prayer: Oh Lord my God, I confess that I have been anxious and worried about this COVID-19 pandemic and what it may mean to me and those I love.
I trust You for my life and for those I love.
I rest in You, O my Lord, my God,  my strength and my shield. Amen