Category: hope

Hell on earth

Ruth Kirk

How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days (Matthew 24:19; NLT). 

I pray for those whose lives
Are hell on earth:
The sick; the grieving;
Those who lack self-worth;

The homeless; those in prison;
Lost; abused;
The poor; the dying;
Those who are confused;

Those with mental illness;
Lonely; sad;
And those who are rejected –
Seen as ‘bad’;

The hungry; refugees,
And those who thirst
For hope, Lord:
Help us all to put them first.

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:42-5; NLT).

The last will be first, and the first will be last (Matthew 20:16; NIV).

References

Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands (Luke 21:10-11; NLT).

They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land (Jeremiah 17:6; NLT).

I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? (Psalm 42:2; NLT).

When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them (Isaiah 41:17; NLT). 

Love your neighbour as yourself (Leviticus 19:18; NLT).

Love the stranger (Deuteronomy 10:19; NKJV).

Show love to foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:19; NLT).

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

When you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me (Matthew 25:45; NLT).

Good news

Ruth Kirk

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! (Isaiah 52:7; NLT). 

Lord,
May our footsteps bring good news;
Our lives, encourage all to choose
Your way, so they will be infused
With faith.

Lord,
May our lips be filled with praise;
Our passion for your kingdom blaze
With light, so we can guide your strays
To hope.

Lord,
May our minds be steeped in prayer;
Our hearts be always swift to share;
Our souls delight to offer care
And love.

Lord,
May our days be filled with grace
So we behold your shining face
In everyone, then we’ll make haste
To serve.

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

References

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

This is what the sovereign LORD says to these bones: Look, I am about to infuse breath into you and you will live (Ezekiel 37:5; NET). 

2. Let praise flow from my lips (Psalm 119:17; NLT). 

You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden (Matthew 5:14; NLT). 

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

How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings (Psalm 36:7; NLT).

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else (1 Thessalonians 3:12; NIV). 

4. The LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory (Psalm 84:11; NLT). 

His face shone like the sun (Matthew 17:2; NIV). 

Love the LORD your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul (Joshua 22:5; NLT). 

Give us faith

Ruth Kirk

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

Father,
Give us faith in Jesus.
Give us hope, Lord, too.

Give us love
For everyone
In all we say and do.

Please give us joy
As we say, “Yes”,
To everything you send.

May we give thanks,  Lord,
Come what may,
Until our lives here end.

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).

References 

By grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8; NIV).

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else (1 Thessalonians 3:12; NIV).

Then Mary said: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38; CPDV).

I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the LORD, am the one who does these things (Isaiah 45:7; NLT).

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

I want your will to be done, not mine (Luke 22:42; NLT).

Migraine: with thanks to K.B.

Ruth Kirk

Today I was hoping to go to Mass, which I don’t manage very often, but instead I have a migraine…

So I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations (2 Corinthians 12:7; TM).  

Migraine is my Mass today,
And codeine is my bread.
All my hopes and plans are gone:
A quiet day, instead.

Migraine is my liturgy,
And water is my wine;
So, Lord, I accept this cross
As a part of your design.

Migraine is my service,
And I know it’s not in vain,
Because I can embrace this chance
To plead for those in pain.

Migraine is my crown of thorns;
It gives me time to pray.
Thank you, Lord, that I can share
Your suffering today. 

Since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering (Romans 8:17; NLT).

References 

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). 

May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10; NLT).

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

The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head (John 19:2; NLT). 

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).

I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church (Colossians 1:24; NLT).

Redemptive suffering: #3

Ruth Kirk

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). 

May every sweat become a prompt
To pray for those with fever,

And every ache, a cue to pray
For those who suffer pain.

May every fear become a chance
To pray for those in anguish,

And every tear, a spur to pray
For those who hope in vain.

Our bones are dried up and our hope is lost (Ezekiel 37:11; AMP). 

Weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15; AMP).

Without you

Ruth Kirk

You lived in this world without God and without hope.
(Ephesians 2:12; NLT). 

Jesus,

How could I live without you?
How would I ever cope
With not seeing your face,
Or hearing your voice?
How could I live without hope?

But even when I can’t see you, Lord,
And when I don’t hear your voice –
Your way, your truth
And your life are clear:
Lord, I have made my choice.

Yes, even when I can’t see your face,
And when I don’t hear your voice –
My faith, my hope
And my love are strong:
You are my only choice.  

Lord, to whom would we go?
You have the words that give eternal life.
(John 6:68; NLT).

References 

Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me” (John 20:29; 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).

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love (1 Corinthians 16:13-14; NLT). 

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

Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are (1 Peter 5:9; 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). 

22.1.24: Darkness

Ruth Kirk
geralt: Pixabay; modified by R.K.

You have taken from me friend and neighbor – darkness is my closest friend (Psalm 88:18; NIV). 

Lord,
You’re in my emptiness,
My darkness, my despair;
My failures, fears and loneliness;
My pain; the cross I bear.

Lord,
You’re in my mind and heart,
My body, and my soul:
My doctor, nurse and therapist –
I know you’ll make me whole.

Lord,
You are my courage,
And my hope, my faith, my way:
I trust in you implicitly –
Please light my path today.

I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark (John 12:46; NLT).

References 

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

“Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes” (Mark 9:22-3; NLT). 

Do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole (Job 5:17-18; NKJV).

The Lord GOD is my strength [my source of courage, my invincible army]; He has made my feet [steady and sure] like hinds’ feet and makes me walk [forward with spiritual confidence] on my high places [of challenge and responsibility] (Habakkuk 3:19; AMP).

Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory (1 Peter 1:21; NLT).

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

2.12.23: Faith, hope and love

Ruth Kirk

My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? (Psalm 22:1; NIV).

When faith has ebbed,
And hope is gone,
And love is broken
On the cross,

We’ll see your face,
Receive your kiss,
And feast, as you
Bring joy from loss.

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).

References

These three remain: faith, hope and love (1 Corinthians 13:13; NIV).

God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matthew 5:4; NLT).

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5; NKJV).

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).

26.11.23: These three reman

Ruth Kirk

These three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
(1 Corinthians 13:13; NIV).

These three remain:
Faith, hope and love,
For all the rest is dross.

These three remain:
Faith, hope and love,
In anguish, grief, and loss.

These three remain:
Faith, hope and love,
Yet Christ is greater still –

Because He gave
His life for us,
When He obeyed God’s will.

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).

References 

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; NLT).

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

At three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) (Mark 15:34; NIV).

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). 

Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live (Galatians 1:4; NLT).

He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone (1 Timothy 2:6; NLT). 

25.11.23: Your holy face (for J.Y.)

Ruth Kirk

Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.
(Luke 24:31; NLT).

Faith remains, for now,
But when it’s lost, Lord,
May we recognise
Your presence.

Hope remains, for now,
But when it fades, Lord,
May we understand
Your grace.

Love remains, for now, 
But when it’s crushed, Lord,
May we comprehend
Your passion.

Life remains, for now,
But when it’s done, Lord,
We will see
Your Holy Face.

I will see you face to face and be satisfied.
(Psalm 17:15; NLT). 

References

These three remain: faith, hope and love (1 Corinthians 13:13; NLT).

At three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) (Mark 15:34; NIV).

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).

Now we see through a glass darkly. But then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know, even as I am known (1 Corinthians 13:12; CPDV).

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