Category: hope

Bright star

Ruth Kirk

Image: Andrew Coles, Pixabay

1. Bright star,
Bright Son,
Bright life,
Bright light.

2. Dark dread,
Dark prayer,
Dark deed,
Dark night.

3. Black scorn,
Black pain,
Black death,
Black day.

4. New faith,
New hope,
New love:
New Way!

References

1. 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 (Matthew 2:9; 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).

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

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. Being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44; NIV).

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).

The traitor, Judas, had given them a pre-arranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss. Then you can take him away under guard.” As soon as they arrived, Judas walked up to Jesus. “Rabbi!” he exclaimed, and gave him the kiss. Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him (Mark 14:44-46; NLT).

3. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him!” (Matthew 27:42; NLT).

When they came to the place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross [and] Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:33-4; NLT).

Jesus called out with a loud voice […] “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” […] Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last (Mark 15:34,37; NLT).

By this time was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock (Luke 23:44; NLT).

4. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me” (John 20:27-9; NLT).

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3; CSB).

I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other (John 13:34; NLT).

Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit (Romans 7:6; NLT).

Be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him (Colossians 3:10; NLT).

Wash away

Ruth Kirk

Image: 2331323, Pixabay

1. Wash away my dread, Lord God,
And take away my pain.

2. Cleanse me of all guilt and sin,
And give me hope again.

3. Wrap me in your loving arms,
So I may feel you near,

4. And fill me with your joy and peace –
Then I will have no fear.

 

References

1. You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day (Deuteronomy 28:66; NIV).

There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever (Revelation 21:4; NLT).

2. Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7; NLT).

Your word is my source of hope (Psalm 119:114; NLT).

3. The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you (Deuteronomy 33:27; NLT).

From Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, wrapped in the love of God the father and kept for Jesus Christ (Jude 1:1; NET).

You have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13; NLT).

4. Give me back my joy again (Psalm 51:8; NLT).

I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give you is a gift the world cannot give (John 14:27; NLT).

The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me? (Hebrews 13:6; NKJV).

As Christ did

Ruth Kirk

Image: Gift Habeshaw, Pexels

1. In joy, Lord,
May I worship you,
As Christ did
When he walked this earth.

2. In trials, Lord,
May I cling to you,
As Christ did,
With faith unsurpassed.

3. In grief, Lord,
May I cry to you,
As Christ did
When he lost all hope.

4. In death, Lord,
May I call your name,
As Christ did
When he breathed his last.

 

References

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

Jesus, full of the joy of the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth” (Luke 10:21; NIV).

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

Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil […] “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say: You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him” (Matthew 4:1,10; NLT).

3. Rise during the night and cry out. Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord. Lift up your hands to him in prayer (Lamentations 2:19; NLT).

About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46; NIV).

4. I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord (Zephaniah 3:9; NIV).

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).

One star

Ruth Kirk

Image: VisionPic.net, Pexels

And 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 (Matthew 2:9; NLT).

1. One star, so bright;
One birth, one light.

2. One Son, so dear;
One truth, so clear.

3. One path, so short;
One gospel taught.

4. One Man, so brave;
One Lord, our slave.

5. One night, so dark;
One fear, so stark.

6. One hope, so small;
One cup of gall.

7. One life, so hard;
One flesh, so scarred.

8. One cross, so high;
One final cry.

9. One tomb, so cold;
One flash of gold!

10. One God, so good;
One path of love.

Image: Viola, Pixabay

References

1. While they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling-cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn (Luke 2:6-7; RSV).

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

2. This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him (Mark 9:7; NLT).

3. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me (John 14:6; NLT).

4. Whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else (Mark 10:44; NLT).

5. Being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44; NIV).

6. 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).

7. The gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life (Matthew 7:14; RSV).

He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip (Mark 15:15; NLT).

8. Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross (Mark 15:24; NLT).

About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46; NIV).

And 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).

9. He took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock (Luke 23:53; NLT).

Very early on the Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes (Luke 24:1-4; NLT).

10. The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! (Deuteronomy 6:4; NASB).

Only God is truly good (Luke 18:19; NLT).

Follow the way of love (1 Corinthians 14:1; NIV).

Love is the fulfilment of the law (Romans 13:10; NIV).

Only one race

Ruth Kirk

Image: Anja, Pixabay

1. There’s only one race:
God calls it humanity;

2. Only one path:
His Son’s way of love.

3. There’s only one truth:
The heart of the gospel;

4. Only one life:
Our chance to do good.

5. There’s only one gift:
The joy of forgiveness;

6. Only one faith,
One Spirit, one call.

7. There’s only one hope:
Our goal of salvation;

8. Only one God,
Who lives in us all.

References

1. All humanity will come to worship me (Isaiah 66:23; NLT).

2. Walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us (Ephesians 5:2; NIV).

3. We want to preserve the truth of the gospel message for you (Galatians 2:5; NLT).

4. Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone (Galatians 6:10; NLT).

5. He forgives all my sins (Psalm 103:3; NLT).

6. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Ephesians 4:5; NLT).

There is one body and one Spirit (Ephesians 4:4; NLT).

He calls people (Romans 9:12; NLT).

7. Let us be sober, putting on […] the hope of salvation as a helmet (1 Thessalonians 5:8; NIV).

8. There is […] one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all (Ephesians 4:6; NLT).

Cling to God

Ruth Kirk

Image: DarkWorkX, Pixabay

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

1. Lord,
I’m in the desert.
My faith is dry as dust.
May I, like Jesus, cling to you,
So I don’t lose all trust.

2. Lord,
I’m in the foothills.
My hope is almost gone.
May I, like Jesus, cling to you,
For you, alone, are strong.

3. Lord,
I’m in the mountains.
My love is weak and thin.
May I, like Jesus, cling to you,
Though I’m weighed down by sin.

4. Lord,
I’m in the valley,
The shadowland of death.
May I, like Jesus, cling to you,
As I take my last breath.

References

1. O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water (Psalm 63:1; NLT).

I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? (Psalm 56:4; NLT).

2. Our bones are dry, our hope is lost (Ezekiel 37:11; NKJV).

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).

3. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever (Psalm 73:26; NLT).

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

4. 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).

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

One day at a time

Ruth Kirk

Image: Gabriela Fink, Pixabay

Don’t worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will bring its own worries.
Today’s trouble is enough for today
(Matthew 6:34; NLT).

Lord,

1. May I live one day at a time,
And forgive one hurt at a time.

2. May I learn one rule at a time,
And discern one truth at a time.

3. May I meet one test at a time,
And defeat one sin at a time.

4. May I face one fear at a time,
And embrace one hope at a time.

5. May I grieve one loss at a time,
And receive one grace at a time.

6. May I sow one seed at a time,
And go on, one step at a time.

References

1. Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today (Matthew 6:34; NLT).

If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive (Luke 17:4; NLT).

2. Learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world (Daniel 4:25; 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).

3. The Lord your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul (Deuteronomy 13:3; NLT).

Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways (Isaiah 1:16; NLT).

4. My Father! 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; NIV).

You have been called to one glorious hope for the future (Ephesians 4:4; NLT).

5. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss (Lamentations 3:20; NLT).

We will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most (Hebrews 4:16; NLT).

6. The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others (Mark 4:14; NLT).

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).

Anyone who puts a hand to the plough and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God (Luke 9:62; NLT).

Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble (Proverbs 3:23; NIV).

God is the fire

Ruth Kirk

Image: Francisco de Zurbarán, Yandex

1. God is the fire
That blazes in darkness.
God is the lamp
That lights up the way.

2. God is the voice
That whispers in silence.
God is the truth
That goes out each day.

3. God is the peace
That settles in stillness.
God is the friend
That shares every loss.

4. God is the hope
That lives on forever.
God is the love
That died on the cross.

References

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

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

2. After the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:12; NLT).

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

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

You are my friends (John 15:15; NLT).

4. You are my hope, O Lord God (Psalm 71:5; NKJV).

God is love (1 John 4:16; NIV).

When someone hurts me

Ruth Kirk

When they came to the place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross [and] Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:33-4; NLT).

1. Lord,
When someone hurts me,
Please help me to forgive,
To love, and bless, and pray for them,
However long they live.

2. Lord,
When someone harms me,
Please help me to be glad,
Thanking you for what they did,
For you bring good from bad.

3. Lord,
When someone wounds me,
Please help me to hold on,
For you bring hope from everything,
Although my hope is gone.

4. Lord,
When someone grieves me,
Please help me to rejoice;
Then peace will be my watchword,
And your way of love, my choice.

To him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! (Ephesians 3:20-21; NIV).

References

1. If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you (Matthew 6:14; NLT).

Love your enemies! (Matthew 5:44; NLT).

Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you (Luke 6:27; NLT).

2. I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, prosecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:10; NLT).

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

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:6; NIV).

Be thankful in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18; NLT).

In all things God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28; NIV).

3. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise (Hebrews 10:23; NLT).

“I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11; NLT).

The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone (Acts 27:20; NLT).

4. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us to develop endurance (Romans 5:3; NLT).

Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts (Colossians 3:15; NLT).

Follow the way of love (1 Corinthians 14:1; NIV).

Darkness

Ruth Kirk

Image: Matthias Heil, Unsplash

1. When all my peace and joy
Are stripped away,
You are in the darkness I must face.

2. When all my health and strength
Are stripped away,
You are in the stillness I embrace.

3. When all my hopes and dreams
Are stripped away,
You are in the sorrow that remains.

4. When all I thought I had
Is stripped away,
You are in the silence, Lord, that reigns.

References

1. You have covered us with darkness (Psalm 44:19; NLT).

O Lord, you have said that you would live in a thick cloud of darkness (1 Kings 8:12; NLT).

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

2. My health is broken (Psalm 38:7; NLT).

My strength is gone (Daniel 10:17; NLT).

Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10; NLT).

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever (Psalm 73:26; NLT).

3. My hopes have disappeared. My heart’s desires are broken (Job 17:11; NLT).

He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4; NIV).

4. Even what they think they have will be taken from them (Luke 8:18; NIV).

After the fire [came] a sound of sheer silence (1 Kings 19:12; NRSV).