Month: September 2020

God gives

Ruth Kirk

Image: Jacques Gaimard, Pixabay

1. God gives us love,
So we can give back worship.

2. He gives us light,
So we can see our guilt.

3. God gives us truth,
So can grow in wisdom.

4. He gives us peace
Through Christ, whose blood was spilt.

5. God gives us faith,
So we can be united.

6. He gives us pain,
So we can learn to trust.

7. God gives us hope,
So we can build endurance.

8. He gives us grace
Through Christ, whose rule is just.

 

References

1. We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19: NIV).

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

2. I am the light of the world (John 8:12; NLT).

I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me (Psalm 51:3; NIV).

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

All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom (Psalm 111:10; NLT).

4. There is peace with God through Jesus Christ (Acts 10:36; NLT).

5. By grace you have been saved through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8; NIV).

I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one (John 17:21; NLT).

6. I am the one who wounds and heals (Deuteronomy 32:39; NLT).

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me (John 14:1; NLT).

7. This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Saviour and Christ Jesus, who gives us hope (1 Timothy 1:1; NLT).

When your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow (James 1:3; NLT).

8. Be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:1; NLT).

I judge as God tells me. Therefore my judgement is just (John 5:30; NLT).

Safe place

Ruth Kirk

Image: Fotorech, Pixabay

You have not handed me over to my enemies
but have set me in a safe place
(Psalm 31:8; NLT).

1. Breathe in Christ’s peace.

2. Bask in his light.

3. Drink in his truth.

4. Rest in his might.

5. Dance in his flames.

6. Wash in his blood.

7. Feast on his bread.

8. Live in his love.

Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us
from the love of God that is revealed
in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39; NLT).

References

1. The Lord is peace (Judges 6:24; NLT).

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you (John 14:27; NKJV).

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

I am the light of the world (John 8:12; NLT).

3. The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).

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

4. The Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed (Deuteronomy 10:17; NLT).

The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command (Hebrews 1:3; NLT).

5. God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24; NIV). 

I have come to set the world on fire (Luke 12:49; NLT).

6. “Go,” [Jesus] told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam.” So the man went and washed, and came home seeing (John 9:7; NIV).

The blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins ( Hebrews 9:14; NLT).

7. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! (Luke 12:24; NIV).

I am the living bread (John 6:51; NLT).

8. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them (1 John 4:16; NLT).

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

The love of Christ

Ruth Kirk


Image: Himsan, Pixabay

My old self has been crucified with Christ.
It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me
(Galatians 2:20; NLT).

1. The love of Christ
Shines in my hands.

2. He walks with me
To light the way.

3. The breath of Christ
Sustains my life.

4. He gives me hope
And strength each day.

5. The blood of Christ
Beats in my heart.

6. He touches me
To make me whole.

7. The peace of Christ
Calms all my fears:

8. He makes his home
Within my soul.

 

References

1. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end (John 13:1; NLT).

2. 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).

3. He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22; NLT).

4. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17; NLT).

5. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28; NIV).

6. When Jesus touched her hand, the fever left her (Matthew 8:15; NLT).

7. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you (John 14:27; NKJV).

He will calm all your fears (Zephaniah 3:17; NLT).

8. All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them (John 14:23; NLT).

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

You love me

Ruth Kirk

Image: jplenio, Pixabay

1. You love me,
And I love you:
Love is all I need to do.

2. I love you,
And you love me:
Love is all I need to be.

3. We’re united, Lord,
As one:
Father, Holy Spirit, Son.

4. We’re united
Through and through:
You in me, and I in you.

References

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

I love you, Lord (Psalm 18:1; NLT).

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love (Galatians 5:6; NIV).

Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them (1 John 4:16; NIV).

Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19; NLT).

You are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28; NLT).

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).