Jeremiah 24:6a – My eyes will watch over them for their good. (NIV)

On April 21, to our delight, a pair of robins returned to their former nest under the neighbour's roof eave. Again, we can watch the progress via closed-circuit video.

This season, I've been especially struck by the male robin's fatherly behaviour — notably, his watchfulness. Even while he is off somewhere, he seems to know what's happening on the home front. Whenever Mama Robin flies off for a break from egg-sitting, I can be sure that he'll shortly fly in to guard the nest. He doesn't sit on the eggs. He stands on the edge and hovers over the nest like a security guard on high alert. I enjoy watching the constant movements of his head. His eyes focus back and forth between the nest's interior and the wider surroundings. Papa Robin is fully attentive to his charge — all the time. That's remarkable fatherly vigilance.

I wish to keep that observation embedded in my mind. For whenever I feel vulnerable, that image of Papa Robin will remind me of God's fatherly vigilance hovering over me. Even when it seems like God is far off, I can trust that He is fully attentive and present. His watchfulness is constant, and it is protective, just as His dear ones have been promised:

2 Thessalonians 3:3 – But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. (NIV)

One might argue that the bird is merely behaving according to natural instinct. He's programmed that way for the survival of the species. In response, I would note that Papa Robin's behaviour reflects God's very nature — for a similar reason. God's kingdom family continues to survive and expand through His fatherly vigilance. It will never go extinct!

That's a grand, eternal promise. Yet, I find myself most deeply assured through my heavenly Father's watchful eye on me personally. That seems to be what the psalmists experienced. It's why their psalms are so endearing and personal.

Perhaps, you'd like to join me in these prayers for God's personal fatherly vigilance, drawn from Psalms 17:8, 40:11, and 142:3.

Prayer: O my Lord, keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings. May Your love and faithfulness always protect me. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is You who watch over my way. Amen.

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About the author:

Diane Eaton <dianeeaton6@gmail.com>
Paisley, Ontario, Canada
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