No light

Ruth Kirk

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33; NLT).

You are here,
Yet I am blind,
For there’s no light.

You are here,
Yet I am deaf,
For there’s no voice.

You are here,
Yet I am cold,
For there’s no fire.

You are here,
Yet I am sad,
For there’s no joy.

You are here,
Yet I am worn,
For there’s no rest.

You are here,
For I am weak –
And life’s a test.

The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him (Deuteronomy 13:3-4; NLT).

References

God is with us (Isaiah 7:14; NLT).

You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength (Mark 12:30; NLT).

He knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust (Psalm 103:14; NLT).

Oneness

Ruth Kirk

Be silent before the LORD, all humanity (Zechariah 2:13; NLT).

Let all the earth be silent before him (Habakkuk 2:20; NLT).

Lost in silence,
And in light;
Lost in comfort,
And in peace;

Lost in kindness,
And in grace;
Lost in goodness,
And in God.

Lost in stillness,
And in praise;
Lost in worship,
And in awe;

Lost in gladness,
And in love;
Lost in wonder:
One with God.

The person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17; NLT).

We are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16; NLT).

No sun

Ruth Kirk

There is no sun;
There’s only rain.
There is no proof:
There’s only faith.

There is no peace;
There’s only pain.
There is no proof:
There’s only hope.

There is no joy;
There’s only dread.
There is no proof:
There’s only love.

There is no cure;
There’s only grief.
There is no proof –
There’s only God.

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

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13; NLT).

References

Three things will last forever – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13; NLT).

Anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love (1 John 4:8; NLT).

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them (1 John 4:16; NLT).

Reading: Revelation 22:3-7; NLT.

When praying…

Ruth Kirk

The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will (Romans 8:27-8; NLT).

When praying in silence,
Just open your mind,
And watch each distraction
Drift by.
No judgement, dismissal,
Denial, or guilt:
Just share all your thinking
With God.

When praying in stillness,
Just open your heart,
And watch every feeling
Flow past.
No shyness, resistance,
Repression, or shame:
Just share your emotions
With God. 

When praying in darkness,
Just open your soul,
And watch Yahweh’s Spirit
At work,
With patience, forgiveness,
Compassion, and love:
Just share in the oneness
Of God.

The LORD our God, the LORD is one (Deuteronomy 6:4; NIV).

The person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17; NLT).

References

We are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16; NLT).

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

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you (Romans 8:11; NLT).

Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:28-30; NLT).

The way of love

Ruth Kirk

They hated me without cause (John 15:25; NLT).

When people criticise and blame,
Hate my writing, scorn my aim,
Love remains my only goal:
Lord, they cannot harm my soul.

When people tear my work apart,
Blast my motives, pierce my heart,
Love remains my only way:
Lord, I plead for them each day.

I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! (Matthew 5:44; NLT).

References

Follow the way of love (1 Corinthians 14:1; NIV).

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:1-2; NIV).

I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken for he is right beside me (Psalm 16:8; NLT).

Living within

Ruth Kirk

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

Christ, living within,
Is my pearl without price;
My truth, and my gospel;
My way, and my life;

My well, and my water;
My root, and my vine;
My first and last supper;
My bread, and my wine;

My light, and my darkness;
My sun, and my rain;
My goal; my salvation;
My joy, and my pain;

My Shepherd; my Spirit;
My staff, and my rod;
My friend on life’s journey –
My Lord and my God.

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

No door

Ruth Kirk

It’s a week since I said I would update you all about how I plan to move forward with Take heart. In that time I have experienced a lot of pain and distress, some spiritual highs and lows, and some amazing personal insights. Thank you to those who have contacted me to express your sympathy and support: you have made a big difference.

So, from now on I will:

  1. Continue to write what God gives me.
  2. Post a blog whenever I feel driven to share (not necessarily every day).
  3. Encourage you to share my posts with others, if you feel this might help them.
  4. List fewer references.
  5. Suggest short Bible readings, when appropriate.
  6. Post significant blogs when they are ready, rather than aiming for a set time of day.

Please feel free to send polite comments. Blogging is a very lonely and exacting task, so constructive feedback and encouragement are always welcome.

Meanwhile, I continue to pray for all those who visit Take heart each day.

With much love, and many blessings to you all, from Ruth xxx

TODAY’S BLOG

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

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33; NLT).

There is no door!
There’s only Christ
Within, who knows
Our fearfulness.

There is no door!
There’s only Christ
Within, who holds
Our loneliness.

There is no door!
There’s only Christ
Within, who shares
Our wretchedness.

There is no door!
There’s only Christ
Within, who bears
Our suffering.

In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years (Isaiah 63:9; NLT).

Be sure of this: I am with you always (Matthew 28:20; NLT).

The door to prayer

Ruth Kirk

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened (Matthew 7:7-8; NIV).

Some days, when I awake, my God,
I open wide the door to prayer,
Slipping inside
To sit beside your fire.

Some days, when I awake, my God,
I knock upon the door to prayer,
Waiting with faith and hope
To see your face.

Some days, when I awake, my God,
I hammer on the door to prayer,
Pleading without response:
You are not there!

Some days, when I awake, my God,
There is no door, no prayer, no faith,
No hope.   Yet all’s not lost:
For you are here.

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? (Psalm 22:1; NLT). 

The LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it (Genesis 28:16; NIV).

In all their suffering he also suffered (Isaiah 63:9; NLT). 

References

We are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16; NIV).

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

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? (1 Corinthians 6:19; NLT).

The way of the cross

Ruth Kirk

He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood (Luke 22:44; NLT).

Praying; grieving;
Sweating; pleading;

Slipping; sliding;
Stumbling; falling;

Stripping; nailing;
Lifting; reeling;

Bleeding; dying;
Rising; healing.

For you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture (Malachi 4:2; NLT).

Look within

Ruth Kirk

All around the world we read, see, experience, and share the freedom of those with greater wealth, status and power to ignore, control, denigrate, deprive, exploit, and abuse those who have less.

Despite my resolve to take one week without posting, God has other plans, and gave me this prayer today. The pressure to write and publish it is absolutely insistent, and very uncomfortable.

Please can I enlist your help to share these prayers with others, if you are willing and able? This would enable me to reach out to as many people as possible, even though I am very tired and unwell. I have had to stop posting to about 20 Facebook groups, because I cannot bear the weight of sharing what I am given all on my own any more. Please help me with this task.

Love and blessings, from Ruth xxx

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

Let’s look within
To find the Christ,
Then make our lives
A sacrifice

Of help for all,
Of love, and peace
Despite our pain,
Which will not cease

Until death comes
To take our hand,
And lead us to
God’s promised land.

There, we will be judged
At last,
By all the fallout
Of our past

For those we use,
Ignore, or hate.
By then,
It will be far too late

To change: despite
Our wealth, or birth,
We will be treated
Just as we treat others
Here on earth.

Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive (Luke 6:37-8; NET).

References

To reduce my burden a bit, I will now offer short, relevant readings you can look up in your own Bible, rather than the detailed quotes I have included in the past:

2 Corinthians 12:6-10.

Matthew 25:31-46.