Category: Despair

Jesus’ faith

Ruth Kirk

I have written about Jesus’ faith before, but this week grasped its depth and significance even more clearly. Today I’ve tried to express this again, in the form of a prayer.

At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46; NLT).

Lord Jesus,

Despite all the terrible pain and humiliation you suffered, you never lost your faith in God.

When you were dying on the cross, you felt abandoned by God, but even this didn’t make you reject God, or doubt Yahweh’s existence.

I know this because, with your final words, you still entrusted your soul into God’s hands.

There can be no deeper faith than yours.

Whatever happens to me, please help me to cling to my faith in God, just as you did, even if I, too, feel completely abandoned.

Please help me always to remember God’s great and faithful promise:

I will never fail you. I will never abandon you (Hebrews 13:5; NLT).

I ask this through your own dear name.

Amen.

References

Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last (Luke 23:46; NLT).

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you (Deuteronomy 31:8; NLT).

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and staff they comfort me (Psalm 23:4; KJV).

Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20; NLT).

Here, on earth

Ruth Kirk

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 4:5-6; TIB).

Here, on earth,
In sun and rain;
Here, in beauty,
Joy, and pain;

Here, in life,
In good and bad;
Here, in all
That makes us sad;

Here, in every
Heart and soul,
Is God: the One
Who makes us whole.

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

References

Will God really dwell on earth with humans? (2 Chronicles 6:18; NIV).

The Word was made flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14;  HNV).

 

Longing

Ruth Kirk

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

You long to heal us
And forgive,
To make us new
So we may live.

You ache to help us,
And to guide,
So we can shelter
At your side.

You thirst for oneness
With us all,
So you can save us
When we fall.

You wait for us
To turn to you,
And ask your help
With all we do.

He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy (Psalm 28:7; NLT). 

References

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10; NIV).

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).

The LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion (Isaiah 30:18; 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 so that the world will believe you sent me (John 17:21; NLT).

 

Faith

Ruth Kirk

As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy” (Mark 1:10-11; NLT).

A cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him” (Mark 9:7; NLT).

Nothing turned out as you, Lord,
Might have hoped –
Bit by bit, you grasped
What was to come.

Yet even as you suffered
On the cross,
Feeling abandoned
By the God you loved,

You still clung to your faith
Till your last breath.
We know this, Lord,
For when that moment came,

You cried out: “Father, into your hands
I commit my spirit.”
Then, all your passion spent, my Lord,
You died.

When Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last (Luke 23:46; NKJV). 

References

They threw him out of the synagogue (John 9:34; NLT).

They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff (Luke 4:29; NIV).

“Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans. They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him” (Mark 10:33; NLT).

The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45; NLT).

Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! (John 12:27; NLT).

He became anguished and distressed (Matthew 26:37; NLT).

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).

My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done (Matthew 26:42; NLT).

At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46; NLT).

 

Bad news!

Ruth Kirk

This blog has only just come to me, and I knew I had to post it as quickly as possible. I could work on it for hours, trying to improve it, but I need to accept it just as it arrived. I continue to pray for you all. With love from Ruth xxx

Does not the Most High send both calamity and good? (Lamentations 3:38; NLT).

Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad? (Job 2:10; NLT).

Bad news! Calamity! Disaster!
A blow. A shock. A loss.
Grief. Distress. Despair.

Unfair! Unfortunate! Unmanageable!
Distressing. Exhausting. Annoying.
A trial. A challenge. An opportunity.

God will restore my soul!
Faith. Hope. Love.
Rejoicing. Prayer. Thanks.

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-16; NIV).

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

References

As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved (Genesis 43:14; NIV).

Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done (Matthew 26:42; NLT).

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

He restores my soul (Psalm 23:3; NKJV).

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 you fall

Ruth Kirk

Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion (Isaiah 40:30; NLT).

The LORD upholds all who fall (Psalm 145:14; NKJV).

Let me catch you
When you fall.
Let me catch you,
One and all:
For my heart
Is full of love,
Streaming down
From heaven above.

Let me bear you
When you rise,
Far beyond
The eastern skies:
There you’ll live
In paradise,
Where all are one
With me, the Christ.

God never meant us to experience the Retribution, but to win salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that, alive or dead, we should still live united to him (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10; JB).

References

After I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you with me (John 14:1-6; JB).

In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old (Isaiah 63:9; BSB).

We who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:17; NLT).

I bear you on eagles’ wings, and bring you in unto Myself (Exodus 19:4; YLT).

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

Go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days, you will rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for you (Daniel 12:13; NLT).

Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely (Psalm 63:7-8; NLT).

As the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes (Matthew 24:27; NLT).

 

Clinging

Ruth Kirk

I cling to you …

Please let me cling
To you, my Lord,
Till I can cling
No more;

Then, when I can cling
No more,
May you cling on
To me.

… your strong right hand holds me securely (Psalm 63:8; NLT).

References

Cling to your faith in Christ (1 Timothy 1:19; NLT).

Cling tightly to the LORD your God (Joshua 23:8; NLT).

Your right hand supports me (Psalm 18:35; NLT).

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

 

Tell me, Jesus

Ruth Kirk

Tell me, Jesus,
Which of these is worse:

Losing our faith
In God’s existence,

Or knowing that Yahweh lives,
Yet feeling abandoned –

As you did,
On the cross?

At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46; NLT).

Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last (Luke 23:46; NIV).

 

Feeling abandoned

Ruth Kirk

At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46; NLT).

Lord Jesus,
Even when you felt
Completely abandoned by God,
We know you still had perfect faith
In Yahweh’s existence and love.

We know this because
At the moment of your death,
You cried out:
“Father, into your hands
I commit my spirit.”

Lord Jesus,
May our faith, and hope, and love
Be just like yours:
For love is as strong as death –
Beyond all time!

Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last (Luke 23:46; NIV).

References

Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away (Song of Songs 8:6-7; NIV).

Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22; NLT).

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

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

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).

No one is abandoned by the Lord forever (Lamentations 3:31; NLT).

Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43; NLT).

Behold, I am with you every day, even unto the end of time (Matthew 28:20; ABPE).

 

Wordless sharing

Ruth Kirk

Be silent before the LORD, all humanity (Zechariah 2:13; NLT).

In silence,
Lift your hands to God,
And let the Spirit pray
On your behalf.

In stillness,
Lift your mind to God,
And let the Spirit pray
On your behalf.

In gladness,
Lift your heart to God,
And let the Spirit pray
On your behalf.

In darkness,
Lift your soul to God,
And let the Spirit pray
On your behalf.

The Spirit [comes to us and] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it as we should, but the Spirit Himself [knows our need and at the right time] intercedes on our behalf with sighs and groanings too deep for words. And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes [before God] on behalf of God’s people in accordance with God’s will (Romans 8:27-8; AMP).

References

Lift up holy hands in prayer, and praise the LORD (Psalm 134:2; NLT).

Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help, as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary (Psalm 28:2; NLT).