The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18; NLT).
1. Lord, this cross is made of fire –
It burns within my hands,
And gives me all the strength I need
To face life’s harsh demands.
2. This little cross is made of light –
It shines on my dark road,
And gives me all the strength I need
To bear my heavy load.
3. This simple cross is made of truth –
It teaches me your way,
And gives me all the strength I need
To follow you each day.
4. This humble cross is made of peace –
It tells me you are near,
And gives me all the strength I need
To face my pain and fear.
5. This precious cross is made of love –
It shows me how you save,
And gives me all the strength I need
To hold fast, and be brave.
I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength
(Philippians 4:13; NLT).
🧡
References
1. God is a raging fire (Deuteronomy 4:24; GW).
With your help I can advance against a troop, with my God I can scale a wall (2 Samuel 22:30; NIV).
2. God is light (1 John 1:5; NIV).
Then 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).
3. The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).
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. The Lord is peace (Judges 6:24; NLT).
If we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering (Romans 8:17; NLT).
5. God is love (1 John 4:16; NLT).
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 13:4; NIV).
Rejoice always, pray continually,
give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; NIV).
1. I have no words
To praise you, Lord,
To thank you,
Or accept your will.
2. I have no strength
To cry aloud;
Instead, I wait,
Alone, and still.
3. I have no voice
To beg for help,
Rejoice in you,
Or mourn my loss.
4. I have no breath
To worship you –
All I can do
Is share your cross.
💙
References
1. Praise him forever (Psalm 111:10; NLT).
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).
2. My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have lain me in the dust and left me for dead (Psalm 22:15; NLT).
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him (Psalm 37:7; NIV).
Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress (Psalm 25:16; NLT).
3. I am so troubled that I cannot speak (Psalm 77:4; ESV).
From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help (Psalm 130:1; NLT).
Pour out your heart to him (Psalm 62:8; NLT).
I grieve over my loss (Lamentations 3:20; NLT).
4. My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe (Daniel 10:17; NLT).
Worship the Lord in all his holy splendour (1 Chronicles 16:29; NLT).
If we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering (Romans 8:17; NLT).
Let’s go, too – and die with Jesus (John 11:16; NLT).
If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him (2 Timothy 2:11-12; NLT).
Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?
(Job 2:10; NIV).
1. Lord,
May I accept my lot,
For you, alone, send joy, and pain.
Then I will grow, in exile here,
Until we meet in heaven, again.
2. Lord,
May I accept my lot,
For you, alone, bring good from ill.
Then I will grow through suffering,
And never fail to love you, still.
3. Lord,
May I accept my lot,
For you, alone, send hurt, and loss.
Then I will grow in care for all,
And comfort those who bear their cross.
4. Lord,
May I accept my lot,
For you, alone, send every test.
Then I will grow in humble faith,
And gain, at last, eternal rest.
💙
References
1. Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realise that both come from God (Ecclesiastes 7:14; NLT).
2. We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (Romans 8:28; NLT).
When your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow (James 1:3; NLT).
3. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised (Job 1:21; NIV).
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us (2 Corinthians 1:4, NLT).
4. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul (Deuteronomy 13:3; NIV).
Then we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:17; NLT).
Now we see things imperfectly,
like puzzling reflections…
1. Light on water,
Fire from heaven.
Living presence:
Jesus Christ.
2. Peace rains down
On earth, forever.
Love for all,
His sacrifice.
3. Truth streams out
To every mortal.
Faith is offered:
Make your choice!
4. Hope floods down
To all the nations:
Seek God’s Kingdom!
Hear his voice!
5. Ask the Father
To forgive you.
Welcome him
Into your soul,
6. Then, take your cross,
And follow Christ,
For he, alone,
Can make you whole.
…but then we will see everything with perfect clarity
(1 Corinthians 13:12; NLT).
💛
References
1. God is light (1 John 1:5; NIV).
I am the light of the world (John 8:12; NLT).
Rivers of living water will flow from his heart (John 7:38; NLT).
God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24; NIV).
I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20; NLT).
God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17; NLT).
2. The Lord is peace (Judges 6:24; NLT).
He made peace with everything in heaven and earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross (Colossians 1:20; NLT).
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you (John 14:27; NKJV).
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).
He took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many” (Matthew 26:27-8; NLT).
He loves us with unfailing love (Psalm 117:2; NLT).
3. The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16; NLT).
The promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift (Romans 4:16; NLT).
Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make (Deuteronomy 13:19; NLT).
4. I pray that God, the source of all hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13; NLT).
My strong arm will bring justice to the nations. All distant lands will look to me and wait in hope for my powerful arm (Isaiah 51:5; NLT).
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously (Matthew 6:33; NLT).
Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts (Hebrews 4:7; NLT).
5. Perhaps even yet they will turn from their evil ways and ask the Lord’s forgiveness before it is too late (Jeremiah 36:7; NLT).
To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12; NIV).
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them (1 John 4:16; NLT).
6. 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).
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me”(John 14:6; NLT).
He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole (Isaiah 53:5; RSV).
1. Once, you were here,
In the manger:
New-born, Lord,
And brimming with light.
2. Once, you were here,
In the garden:
Anguished and grieving,
At night.
3. Once you were here,
On the cross, Lord:
In sorrow and pain,
All alone.
4. But now you are here
In my spirit:
My Shepherd, my Saviour,
My Own.
💙
References
1. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them (Luke 2:6-7; NIV).
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. They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.” He took Peter, James and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death” (Mark 14:32-4; NLT).
Being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44; NIV).
3. They brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha […] Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross (Mark 15:22,24; NLT).
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? (Mark 15:34; NLT).
4. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).
I am the good shepherd (John 10:14; NLT).
The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world (1 John 4:14; NLT).
My beloved is mine and I am his (Song of Songs 2:16; NIV).
