Category: Death

Recognition

Ruth Kirk

These thoughts came to me as I started to pray in bed, just before settling down to sleep …

The two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread (Luke 24:35; NLT).

At times we may long for some recognition, approval, or reward, however small, for all the efforts and sacrifices we make throughout our lives. However:

  • The only recognition
    Which really matters
    Is our recognition of Jesus
    As our Saviour.

  • The only approval
    Which really matters
    Is Christ’s approval
    Of how we love and serve him
    In others.

  • The only reward
    Which really matters
    Is seeing Jesus’ face,
    Hearing his voice,
    And receiving his embrace.

  • Therefore, the only goal
    Which really matters
    Is to become one
    With Christ Jesus our Lord
    For evermore.

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. 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 3:8-9; NLT).

References

In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; 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 4:14; NLT).

No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us (1 John 4:12; NLT).

Let love be your highest goal (1 Corinthians 14:1; NLT).

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

Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40; NIV).

Well done, my good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:21; NLT).

He returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him (Luke 15:20; 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.

All-wise

Ruth Kirk

God is greater than we can understand (Job 36:26; NLT).

God is all-wise,
All-great,
All-good;
God is all-joy,
All-peace,
All-love.

God is all-truth,
All-fire,
All-light;
God is all-strength,
All-depth,
All-height.

God is all-birth,
All-life,
All-breath;
God is all-grief,
All-pain,
All-death.

God is all-earth,
All-stars,
All-sun;
God is all-worlds,
All-things:
All-One.

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

References

The life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of every human being (Job 12:10; NLT).

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? (Romans 2:4; NLT).

There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all (Ephesians 4:5-6; NLT).

A prayer to the Holy Spirit

Ruth Kirk

A morning prayer of quiet worship and child-like trust.

The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-3; NLT).

Spirit of tender truth and grace –
Spirit of Christ: I seek your face
In all; and when this life is done,
I will see your kingdom come.

Spirit of gentle joy and peace –
Spirit of God: you never cease
To love me; and, when life has passed,
You will guide me home, at last.

Let your good Spirit be my guide into the land of righteousness (Psalm 143:10; BBE).

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

References

The Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me (Philippians 1:19; NLT).

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek (Psalm 27:8; NIV).

Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world” (Matthew 25:34; NIV).

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life (Job 33:4; NLT).

He loves us with unfailing love; the LORD’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise the LORD! (Psalm 117:2; NLT).

Faith (for J.G.)

Ruth Kirk

A night prayer of longing to be finally and fully one with Christ.

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1; NLT).

I kiss your feet,
Your hands, your face,

Then all I know
Is your embrace.

I hear you say:
Your work is done.

At last, forever,
We are one.

Well done, good and faithful servant! …Come and share your master’s happiness! (Matthew 25:21; NIV).

References

She knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet (Luke 7:38; NLT).

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands” (John 20:27; NLT).

They will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads (Revelation 22:4; NLT).

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

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look – I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave (Revelation 1:17-18; NLT).

So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him (Luke 15:20; NLT).

And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over” (Mark 5:34; NLT).

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance (1 Corinthians 13:7; NLT).

He loves us with unfailing love; the LORD’S faithfulness endures forever. Praise the LORD! (Psalm 117:2; NLT).

A reading: Philippians 3:8-11; NLT.

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

In the heart of the gospel

Ruth Kirk

A meditation on the lifelong journey of following, learning from, and loving, Jesus.

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).

The Lord ordained that those who proclaim the gospel should live by the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:14; HNV).

May I live in the heart
Of the gospel,
Walk in the footsteps
Of Christ,
And follow his way
And example,
So I’m his, every day
Of my life.

May I dwell in the heart
Of his teaching,
Cling to his hand
As I climb,
And grow more like him
Through each sorrow,
So I’m his, to the end
Of my time.

May I rest in the heart
Of his presence,
Sharing his love
With each breath,
United on earth,
And in heaven,
So I’m one with him
Far beyond death.

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. 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 3:8-9; NLT).

References

I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you (John 13:15; NLT).

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

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

Following Jesus

Ruth Kirk

Always be joyful (1 Thessalonians 5:16; NLT).

My heart rejoices in the LORD! (1 Samuel (2:1; NLT).

You died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3; NLT).

I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness – secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name (Isaiah 45:3; NLT).

Joy, despite darkness,
Though hidden from sight –
I follow you, Jesus,
For you are my light,

Joy, despite sorrow,
Though hidden from all –
I cling to you, Jesus,
For I hear your call.

Joy, despite trouble,
Though hidden within –
I wait on you, Jesus,
For you are my King.

Joy despite suffering sickness,
Though hidden each day –
I walk with you, Jesus,
For you are my way.

You are my staff, Lord,
My help as I climb –
My guide on this journey;
My bread, and my wine.

You are my truth, Lord,
My bright morning star –
And you’ll be beside me,
When I cross the bar.

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me (Psalm 23:4; NLT),

You who seek God, take heart! (Psalm 69:32; CSB).

References

If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the LORD and rely on your God (Isaiah 50:10; NLT).

The LORD is my light and my salvation, so why should I be afraid (Psalm 27:1; NLT).

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

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

He is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him (Revelation 17:14; NLT).

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming” (Psalm 27:8; NLT).

Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD (Psalm 27:14; NLT).

I am the living bread that came down from from heaven (John 6:51; NLT).

As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” And 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 26:26-8; NLT).

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

I am the bright morning star (Rev 22:16; NIV).

God of All

Ruth Kirk

Exciting news! In response to an insistent inner call,  yesterday I launched a second website. Let me explain…

Some of you may have noticed the changes I have been making here recently as I update Take heart. You may also have read my frank admission that I lack the energy to re-edit every daily blog going back to 2013, when this site started life – thousands of blogs.

As I cannot update the whole of Take heart, I have now set up a quiet, reflective, sister website. This will feature the best of my writing on a single theme: the heart of Christ’s gospel. It can be found at: theheartofthegospel.com.

Please be assured that Take heart will remain my main focus. I will continue to post my blogs here as usual, to appreciate your “likes”, to respond to your comments, and to pray for all readers throughout each day, just as before.

With many thanks for your continuing support, and with love to you all, from Ruth xxx

Now, here is today’s blog:

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things (1 Chronicles 29:11; NLT).

We adore you, God of Heaven;
We adore you, God of Earth;
We adore you, God of All:
The One who longs for our re-birth.

We adore you, God of Eden;
We adore you, God of Death;
We adore you, God of All:
The One who gives us life and breath.

We adore you, God of Gladness;
We adore you, God of Pain;
We adore you, God of All:
The One who makes us whole again.

We adore you, God of Wisdom;
We adore you, God of Grace;
We adore you, God of All:
The One who shows us Jesus’ face.

We adore you, God of Mercy;
We adore you, God of Love;
We adore you, God of All,
The One who waits in Heaven above.

The LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion (Isaiah 30:18; NLT).

References

We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth (Ezra 5:11; NLT).

The LORD longs to be gracious to you (Isaiah 30:18; NIV).

I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3; NLT).

He himself gives life and breath to everything 9Acts 17:25; NLT).

He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole (Job 5:18; NKJV).

In my heart, I am thirsty for you, the living God. When will I see your face? (Psalm 42:2; CEV).

They will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads (Revelation 22:4; NLT).

The God of love and peace will be with you (2 Corinthians 13:11; NLT).

Many thanks to my AI companion for their help in tracking down a Bible quotation I was unable to find on my own.

Everywhere

Ruth Kirk

Happy New Year!
Hello to everyone who sees this post.  Some of you will know that I have been slowly upgrading my website for a long time. The scale of this task is enormous, and could easily take over my life completely.

I have fully updated every blog going back to 24.3.22, but can manage no more at present. This means that earlier blogs will not be edited to the standard I have developed over the last few years. Everything I have ever posted is still here, though, starting from November 2013, when the website was launched.

Deciding to pause the upgrade indefinitely has been difficult, but life is a struggle, and I need to protect my physical and mental health. However, I will continue to post a new, original blog here every day, for as long as God gives me the inspiration.

With love, best wishes, blessings and daily prayers for all who visit here each day,
From Ruth xxx

If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there (Psalm 139:8; NLT).

Yahweh,
You are everywhere:
In fire and water,
Earth and air.

Jesus,
Here in everyone
Throughout the world:
God’s much-loved Son.

Spirit,
With us evermore:
In life, and on
Death’s friendly shore.

Three-fold God,
In everything:
We love you, praise you,
Serve, and cling.

There is one Savior, one faith, one baptism, one God and Creator of all, who is over all, who works through all and is within all (Ephesians 4:4-6; TIB).

References

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).

Serve only the LORD your God. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him (Deuteronomy 13:4; NLT).