WHO CAN YOU TRUST?

Many years ago, a friend asked me to help with caring for her beloved old English sheepdog, Charlie, whilst she was away on holiday. I would do the after tea and evening feed shift, whilst other friends and relations would do other times. As soon as I met Charlie, I fell in love with him. His big shaggy head would turn as you walked into the room and, as you talked, he would amble over and put his huge rug covered face on your knee and that’s when you’d notice discoloration in his eyes. Charlie, you see, was very short sighted due to cataracts on his eyes. Sadly, as he was an old dog with a bit of a dickie heart, the risk of putting him under anaesthetic was not worth losing the few lively years he still had left in him. My friend told me that he had adjusted well to his sight loss but that I would need to keep my eyes on him all the time when out on a countryside walk, because when he was off the lead (as he loved to be still) you would just need to shout his name and he would do the rest.

So, the first time I took him out all was fine, he was having a good scamper off the lead, when suddenly I noticed he was heading towards a ditch that he could easily stumble into…CHARLIEEEE! He just slammed the breaks on and came to a complete halt! As I walked up to him the only movement was the wind blowing his furry face into waves, his nose twitching for smells, and his ears, flicking like antennae, as he listened to the world around him. It was like he had been turned to stone but as I touched him, he relaxed and on we went with the walk. This became a regular pattern for our walks, he always stopped as soon as I called his name until I came to him and then all was well again from there.

When my friend got back, and I told her how Charlie had responded so well, she said “Well the thing is he has learnt that whoever he is with on a walk, knows more than he does about what’s ahead. He just trusts you because he knows your heart will always be to keep him safe, even if he can’t see beyond his nose”.

That’s what trust is, isn’t it?

It’s having confidence that whoever I’m relating to in each situation has my best interests at heart and I know that, with them, I will be safe and have no need to fear when I am around them.

Sadly however, we probably all, at one time or another, have experienced people who we trusted but who later betrayed our trust and left us thinking, “Why did I ever let them get near enough to do that? Why did I ignore the red flags? They seemed so genuine at first!”

There are lots of warnings in the Bible to be careful to not put your trust in people too easily. It’s important to not be taken in by what they appear to be on the outside, Matthew 7 verses 15-20 is a good example.

15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus, by their fruit you will recognise them.

It’s right to give trust time to grow in our relationships with others.

However, in stark contrast, when it comes to our gracious God and loving heavenly Father, the Bible exhorts us to, “Trust him and not be afraid” Isaiah 12 v 2, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t lean on your own understanding” Proverbs 3 v 5-6, “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord” Psalm 40 v 4. We can know we are safe in his hands, there’s nothing to fear with him.

I watch a brilliant series called ‘Saving lives at sea’ it’s all about a film crew following real life incidents involving actual air/sea and life-boat service rescues from around our coastal areas. An often repeated scenario is that, at the point a person is first reached by a lifeboat volunteer, they pluck them out of danger and say to them something like, “I’ve got you. You’re safe now”. The person usually cries tears of relief and thankfulness at that point. God is saying to us all today, “trust me”, I will never harm you, leave you or forsake you. Have you trusted God with your life yet? If you do, you’ll never regret it.

by Fred Wright 7th June 2023