Deeper than words

Ruth Kirk


Image: Shadi Mohammad Chowdhury, Pixabay

May you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is (Ephesians 3:18; NLT).

1. Deeper than words
Are our thoughts, dear Lord,

2. And deeper than thoughts,
Our emotions.

3. Deeper, by far,
Our sensations, dear Lord –

4. But deepest of all
Is your love.

 

References

1. You examine the deepest thoughts and secrets (Jeremiah 11:20; NLT).

2. You look deep within the mind and heart, O righteous God (Psalm 7:9; NLT).

3. He reveals deep and mysterious things, and knows what lies hidden in darkness (Daniel 2:22; NLT).

4. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16; NIV).

He loves us with unfailing love (Psalm 117:2; NLT).

You come again

Ruth Kirk

Image: RitaE, Pixabay

He will come again (Hebrews 9:28; NLT).

1. Lord,
You come again each day,
To see if we ignore you,
Or perceive you.

2. Lord,
You cross our path each day,
To see if we reject you,
Or receive you.

3. Lord,
You speak to us each day,
To see if we dismiss you,
Or obey you.

4. Lord,
You test us out each day,
To see if we support you,
Or betray you.

5. Lord,
You visit us each day
In everyone: the stranger,
And the friendless.

6. Lord,
You challenge us each day
In those we fear, and those
Whose needs are endless.

7. Lord,
You call to us each day
In foreigner and neighbour,
Old and young.

8. Lord,
You come again each day,
For you live in us all:
God’s much-loved Son.

Suddenly their eyes were opened and they recognised him
(Luke 24:31; NLT).

Image: nothingwavering.com, Yandex

References

1. They may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand (Mark 4:10; RSV).

2. He came to his own, and his own people, did not receive him (John 1:11; CSB).

3. If you love me, obey my commandments (John 14:15; NLT).

Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts (Hebrews 4:7; NIV).

4. The Lord your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul (Deuteronomy 13:3; NLT).

Jesus knew who would betray him (John 13:11; NLT).

5. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2; NIV).

6. Love your enemies! (Matthew 5:44; NLT).

7. Show love to foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:19; NLT).

Love your neighbour (Luke 10:27; NLT).

Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children (Matthew 19:14; NLT).

Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40; NIV).

8. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

This is my beloved Son (Luke 9:35; NKJV).

Waiting

Ruth Kirk

Image: Imaresz, Pixabay

Father,

1. May I worship you
With every breath I take,

2. Rejoicing in your holy name,
Although my heart may ache;

3. Communing with you constantly,
Although I feel alone,

4. And waiting for the day
When you will lead my spirit home.

 

References

1. Worship the Lord in all his holy splendour (1 Chronicles 16:29; NLT).

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life (Job 33:4; NLT).

2. Rejoice before him – his name is the Lord (Psalm 68:4; NIV).

Even in laughter the heart may ache (Proverbs 14:13; NIV).

3. Pray constantly (1 Thessalonians 5:17; CSB).

Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress (Psalm 25:16; NLT).

4. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? (Psalm 42:2; NLT).

Wait for the Lord (Psalm 37:34; NIV).

The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).

Tears of joy will stream down their faces, and I will lead them home with great care (Jeremiah 31:9; NLT).

Whatever you want

Ruth Kirk

Image: Milada Vigerova, Pixabay

Should we accept only good things from the hand of God,
and never anything bad? (Job 2:10; NLT).

1. However you want me to be, Lord,
I will be.

2. Whatever you want me to know, Lord,
I will know.

3. Whatever you want me to do, Lord,
I will do.

4. Wherever you want me to go, Lord,
I will go.

5. However you want me to live, Lord,
I will live.

6. Whatever you want me to try, Lord,
I will try.

7. Whatever you want me to bear, Lord,
I will bear.

8. And however you want me to die, Lord,
I will die.

 

References

1. You will be my people (Leviticus 26:12; NLT).

2. All I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely (1 Corinthians 13:12; NLT).

3. His mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5; NLT).

4. Here I am. Send me (Isaiah 6:8; NLT).

5. Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head (Matthew 8:20; NLT).

6. Always try to do good to each other and to all people (1 Thessalonians 5:15; NLT).

When you are on your way to court with your accuser, try to settle the matter before you get there (Luke 12:58; NLT).

7. If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine (Matthew 26:39; NLT).

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me (Luke 9:23; NLT).

I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong (2 Corinthians 12:10; KJV).

8. Our lives are in his hands (Psalm 66:9; NLT).

When you take away their breath, they die and turn again to dust (Psalm 104:30; NLT).

The Lord gives both life and death (1 Samuel 2:6; NLT).

My spirit rises up

Ruth Kirk


Image: Engin Akyurt, Pixabay

1. My spirit rises up, Lord God,
To join with yours, in prayer.

2. I share my pain and fear with you,
Each fault, each sin, each care,

3. United with you, Father God,
Your Spirit, and your Son,

4. With all the living, and the dead,
For in you, all are one.

 

References

1. Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord (Jeremiah 50:5; ESV).

Pray constantly (1 Thessalonians 5:17; CSB).

2. Pray about everything (Philippians 4:6; NLT).

You desire honesty from the womb (Psalm 51:6; NLT).

Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge (Psalm 62:8; NLT).

3. I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one (John 17:22; NLT).

4. He is God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him (Luke 20:38; NLT).

There is […] one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all (Ephesians 4:5-6; NLT).

I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one – as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us (John 17:21; NLT).

Fresh start

Ruth Kirk

Image: “The morning star rises” by jpstanley is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-3; ESV).

1. Every day, my Father,
You make all creation new,
And every day, my Still Small Voice,
You teach me what is true.

2. Every day, my Advocate,
You stand to plead my case,
And every day, my Prince of Peace,
You fill me with your grace.

3. Every day, my Counsellor,
You help me face my fears,
And every day, my Comforter,
You wipe away my tears.

4. Every day, my Lord of lords,
You make me more like you,
And every day, my King of kings,
You heal my spirit, too.

5. Every day, my Holy One,
You give me a new heart,
And every day, Bright Morning Star,
You grant me a fresh start.

Image: Markus Distelrath, Pixabay

References

1. God in heaven is your spiritual Father (Matthew 23:9; NLT).

He who sat upon the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5; RSV).

After the fire [came] a still small voice (1 Kings 19:12; KJV).

I, the Lord, speak only what is true (Isaiah 45:19; NLT).

2. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, [Comforter, Encourager, Counsellor] who will never leave you (John 14:16; NLT).

If anyone [sins], we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous (1 John 2:1; NLT).

A child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6; NLT).

May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord (2 Peter 1:2; NLT).

3. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me (Psalm 23:4; KJV).

God will wipe every tear from their eyes (Revelation 7:17; NLT).

4. He is Lord of lords, and King of kings (Revelation 17:14; NKJV).

The Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18; NLT).

He restores my soul (Psalm 23:3; NKJV).

Your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew (Psalm 110:3; NLT).

5. I am the Lord, your Holy One (Isaiah 43:15; NLT).

I will give you a new heart […] I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26; NIV).

I, Jesus […] am the bright morning star (Revelation 22:16; NLT).

His mercies begin afresh each morning (Lamentations 3:22; NLT).

Jesus

Ruth Kirk

Image: bereanaoficial1, Pixabay

1. Jesus is my Lord and God,
My comforter when I am sad;
Brother, sister, father, mother:
All the love I never had.

2. Jesus is my watchful shepherd,
Teacher, master, mountain guide;
Friend in need, defence in trouble:
He is always at my side.

3. Jesus is my close companion,
Strong support when I’m afraid;
Sword and shield when I’m in danger:
Rescuer when I have strayed.

4. Jesus is my paragon,
My light along the narrow way;
Bread, wine, water; truth, and life:
My inspiration, every day.

 

References

1. “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed (John 20:28; NLT).

Worship Christ as Lord of your life (1 Peter 3:15; NLT)

The Father and I are one (John 10:30; NLT).

I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, [Comforter, Encourager, Counsellor] who will never leave you (John 14:16; NLT).

Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers? Then he looked around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:33-5; NLT).

God is love (1 John 4:16; NIV).

2. I am the good shepherd (John 10:14; NLT).

Since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you (John 13:14-15; NLT).

3. The Lord will guide you continually (Isaiah 58:11; NLT).

The Lord is a friend to those who fear him (Psalm 25:14; NLT).

He is your protecting shield and your triumphant sword! (Deuteronomy 33:29; NLT).

I will be glad because he rescues me (Psalm 35:9; NLT).

If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders (Luke 15:4-5; NLT).

4. God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps (1 Peter 2:21; NLT).

I am the light of the world (John 9:5; NLT).

Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14; NIV).

He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:19-20; NIV).

Rivers of living water will flow from his heart (John 7:38; NLT).

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me (John 14:6; NLT).

Just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him (Colossians 2:6; CSB).

Bright star

Ruth Kirk

Image: Andrew Coles, Pixabay

1. Bright star,
Bright Son,
Bright life,
Bright light.

2. Dark dread,
Dark prayer,
Dark deed,
Dark night.

3. Black scorn,
Black pain,
Black death,
Black day.

4. New faith,
New hope,
New love:
New Way!

References

1. The star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was (Matthew 2:9; NLT).

A child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6; NLT).

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6; NLT).

I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life (John 8:12; NLT).

2. Being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44; NIV).

If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine (Matthew 26:39; NLT).

The traitor, Judas, had given them a pre-arranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss. Then you can take him away under guard.” As soon as they arrived, Judas walked up to Jesus. “Rabbi!” he exclaimed, and gave him the kiss. Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him (Mark 14:44-46; NLT).

3. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him!” (Matthew 27:42; NLT).

When they came to the place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross [and] Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:33-4; NLT).

Jesus called out with a loud voice […] “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” […] Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last (Mark 15:34,37; NLT).

By this time was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock (Luke 23:44; NLT).

4. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me” (John 20:27-9; NLT).

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3; CSB).

I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other (John 13:34; NLT).

Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit (Romans 7:6; NLT).

Be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him (Colossians 3:10; NLT).

Take away

Ruth Kirk

Image: birgl, Pixabay

Look, I am making everything new (Revelation 21:5; NLT).

Lord,

1. Take away my fault-finding,
And give me a new mind.

2. Take away my bitterness,
And give me a new heart.

3. Take away my wretchedness,
And give me a new soul.

4. Take away my sinfulness, Lord God,
And make me whole.

Be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him (Colossians 3:10; NLT).

References

1. Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you (Luke 6:37; NLT).

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5; NKJV).

2. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander (Ephesians 4:31; NLT).

Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you (Hebrews 12:15; NLT).

I will give you a new heart […]. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26; NIV).

3. What a wretched man I am! (Romans 7:24; CSB).

I will […] put a new spirit in you (Ezekiel 36:26; NIV).

4. An evil man is trapped by sinfulness of lips (Proverbs 12:13; HNV).

He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5; RSV).

May I share

Ruth Kirk

Image: Tumisu, Pixabay

1. Father,
In my anguish,
May I share the mind of Christ.

2. Father,
In my torment,
May I share his flesh and blood.

3. Father,
In my dying,
May I share his sacrifice.

4. Father,
In my rising,
May I share his perfect love.

 

References

1. Lord, see my anguish! My heart is broken and my soul despairs (Lamentations 1:20; NLT).

Being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44; NIV).

If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine (Matthew 26:39; NLT).

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5; NKJV).

2. My heart is troubled and restless. Days of suffering torment me (Job 30:27; NLT).

He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5; RSV).

Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies (2 Corinthians 4:10; NLT).

3. Into your hands I commit my spirit (Psalm 31:5; NIV).

I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath (Psalm 146:2; NLT).

If we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering (Romans 8:17; NLT).

4. Though I fall, I will rise again (Micah 7:8; NLT).

The time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again (John 5:28-9; NLT).

Perfect love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear (1 John 4:18; NLT).