December 2021 – ♥️ Take heart!

Live in love (for 2022)

31.12.202104.01.2026Ruth Kirk

1. When we live in love,
We live in God,
And when we live in God,
He lives in us.

2. When he lives in us,
We live in prayer,
And when we live in prayer,
We learn his will.

3. When we learn his will,
We drink his cup,
And when we drink his cup,
We follow Christ.

4. When we follow Christ,
We die to sin,
And when we die to sin,
We live like him.

As we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world (1 John 4:17; NLT).

References

1. All who live in love live in God and God lives in them (1 John 4:16; NLT).

2. Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:16; NIV).

Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2; NLT).

3. My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done (Matthew 26:42; NIV).

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).

4. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness (1 Peter 2:24; NIV).

You always know

31.12.2021Ruth Kirk

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.
(Psalm 139:1; NIV).

Whatever I say, Lord, when I pray,
You know the truth.

Whatever I do in privacy,
You know, for sure.

Whatever I think, Lord, every day,
You know the facts.

Whatever I feel, but don’t admit,
You know the score.

✝️

God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.
(1 John 3:20; NLT).

Faith, hope, and love

30.12.202110.01.2026Ruth Kirk

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

Give faith
To the faithless, Lord,
I pray,

Hope
To the hopeless,
Far away,

And love
To the loveless,
Every day,

Then all
Will be joyful –
Come what may.

Our hearts ache, but we always have joy (2 Corinthians 6:10; NLT).

References

By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8; ESV).

You were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the people of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who previously were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:12; NASB20).

As God says in Hosea: “Those who are not my people I will call my people. Those who are not loved I will call my loved ones” (Romans 9:25; GWT).

Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Saviour – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” (Luke 2:9-11; NLT).

Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy (Psalm 22:26; NLT).

Give and take

29.12.202122.01.2026Ruth Kirk

You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked (Revelation 3:17; NIV).

Slowly, Lord, I grasp
That I am nothing,
For only thus
Can I be one
With You.

I give up what I “have”, Lord,
As you take it:
For only thus
Can I be one
With You.

There’s less of me each day
As I go on, Lord:
For only thus
Can I be one
With You.

This is my prayer:
Take everything away, Lord,
For only thus
Can I be one
With You.

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

References

I am nothing (Job 40:4; NLT).

For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him (Philippians 3:8; NLT).

Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21; CSB).

He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less (John 3:30; NLT).

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

My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done (Matthew 26:42; NIV).

If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it (Matthew 10:39; NLT).

Give and take (#1 of 2)

28.12.2021Ruth Kirk

Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will leave this life.
The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
(Job 1:21; CSB).

God gives us everything we have:
Kin, and friends, and neighbours.

He gives us everything we have:
All we regard as “mine”.

He gives us everything we have:
Health, and strength, and senses.

He gives us everything we have:
Flesh, mind, heart, soul; time.

God gives us everything we have:
Faith, and hope, and courage.

He gives us everything we have:
Think about this, and pray,

For we must prepare
To surrender each gift,

As Almighty God
Takes them away.

🖤

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39; NIV).

He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
(Matthew 26:42; NIV).

Praying for others

27.12.202127.12.2021Ruth Kirk

Never stop praying, especially for others.
(Ephesians 6:18; CEV).

Lord,

Bless those who follow you today,
And those who don’t;

Those who talk with you,
And those who won’t;

All those trying to serve,
And those who aren’t;

Those who glimpse your light,
And those who can’t.

🖤

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.
(1 Timothy 2:1; NLT).

Bear fruit

26.12.202122.01.2026Ruth Kirk

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

Lord,
May my doubting
Wither, and decay;

But, may my faith in you
Gain strength each day.

Lord,
May my anguish
Fade, and die away;

But, may my hope in you
Increase each day.

Lord,
May my sins
Reduce, and cease, I pray;

But, may my love for you
Bear fruit each day.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5; NIV).

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-3; NRSV).

Christmas Day 2021

25.12.202126.12.2021Ruth Kirk

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. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy (Matthew 2:9-10; NLT).

Keep following Christ’s shining star,
Rejoicing in his precious birth.

Keep thanking God for our great gift:
His Son, sent down to live on earth.

Keep walking in Christ’s humble steps,
Delighting in his narrow way.

Keep serving him the best you can:
Then you will be like him, one day.

✝️

We will be like him (1 John 3:2; NLT).

Christ’s birth

25.12.202125.12.2021Ruth Kirk

God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
(John 3:16; NLT).

Thank you, Lord, for loving us,
And giving us your only Son,

So we can believe in him
And follow him on earth.

Then we will not perish, Lord,
For he will lead us back to you:

Reunited, evermore –
Lord, thank you for Christ’s birth.

🖤

The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35; KJV).

She gave birth to her first child, a son.
(Luke 2:7; NLT).