Month: November 2016

Challenge and change

Ruth Kirk

I am weary and worn out, O God (Proverbs 30:1; NLT).

I hate my life and don’t want to go on living (Job 7:16; NLT).

 

Lord,
When I allow fatigue
To generate depressing thoughts,
I suffer.

Please help me
To be aware
Of my depressing thoughts,

So I can challenge
And change them,
Time after time.

Healing

Ruth Kirk

Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31; NKJV).

God is light (1 John 1:5; NIV).

He will heal us (Hosea 6:1; NLT).

 

Lord,
In meditation,
I take my sick friend’s hand,

Then we rise together
Into your light,
So we may both be healed.

Religions

Ruth Kirk

I hate all your show and pretence – the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies (Amos 5:21; NLT).

If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless (James 1:26; NLT).

The time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God. This is because they have never known the Father or me (John 16:2-3; NLT).

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you (James 1:27; NLT).

 

Lord,
I wish there were no
“Religions”
In this world –

For all we need
Is kindness,
Wisdom,

Love,
And joy,
And peace.

 

Breathe in light

Ruth Kirk

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer (Psalm 19:14; NLT).

From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help (Psalm 130:1; NLT).

 

Breathe in light,
And breathe out darkness;

Breathe in peace,
And breathe out stress.

Breathe in fire,
And breathe out coldness;

Breathe in love,
And breathe out hate.

Breathe in truth,
And breathe out falsehood;

Breathe in God –
Breathe out despair.

 

 

Light

Ruth Kirk

Remain in me, and I will remain in you (John 15:4; NLT).

God is light (1 John 1:5; NIV).

Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31; NKJV).

I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! (Habakkuk 3:18; NLT).

 

Lord,
During meditation,
The longer I stay
In your light –

Resting,
Playing,
Dancing,
Or praying –

The stronger
And more joyful
I become.

Reflection

Ruth Kirk

God created human beings in his own image (Genesis 1:27; NLT).

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12; NRSV).

 

Lord,
In life, when I look at you,
I see my own image
Dimly reflected back.

But in death
I’ll see you face to face,
At last.

 

Watching

Ruth Kirk

I wait quietly before God (Psalm 62:1; NLT).

Be silent before the Sovereign Lord (Zephaniah 1:7; NIV).

 

Lord,
During meditation,
I picture myself
Sitting quietly
Beside a river,

Watching each
Unchosen thought
Drift by
In its own little boat,

To be carried
By the flow
Far out
To sea.

 

 

Beliefs

Ruth Kirk

He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases (Psalm 103:3; NLT).

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28; NIV).

All of you are equal as brothers and sisters (Matthew 23:8; NLT).

Native-born Israelites and foreigners are equal before the Lord (Numbers 15:15; NLT).

Lord,
Please forgive
And heal
Those of us
Who believe
In male “superiority”
And white “supremacy” –

For all of us are equal
In your sight.