Category: loss

On loan

Ruth Kirk

He himself gives life and breath to everything,
and he satisfies every need
(Acts 17:25; NLT).

Lord God,

1. When you created us,
You furnished everything we need:
A body; breath; a mind; a heart;
Your Spirit, Lord, to help us plead.

2. But all we are, and all we have,
Is only lent, for life, on trust,
And bit by bit, you take it back,
Till all that’s left of us is dust.

3. Yes, all we are, and all we have,
Belongs to you, Lord God, we know,
So help us, please, to face each loss:
To grieve; endure; accept; let go.

4. For exile is a journey
To reunion, in bliss, with you:
From paradise to earthly life,
Then back, once more, to be made new.

5. Yes, exile is a journey
On which losses are a precious gain:
When all you lent has been returned, Lord God,
We will be whole, again.


He will take our weak mortal bodies
and change them into glorious bodies
like his own (Philippians 3:21; NLT).

References

1. I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5; NLT).

The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7; KJV).

Thine incorruptible Spirit is in all things (Wisdom of Solomon 12:1; KJV).

The Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words (Romans 8:26; RSV).

2. He is a human being who was himself formed from earth only a short while earlier, and after a little while, when he must return the soul that was lent to him, he will go back to the same earth (Wisdom of Solomon 15:8; GNT).

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised (Job 1:21; NIV).

You were made from dust, and to dust you will return (Genesis 3:19; NLT).

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

3. Everything we have has come from you (1 Chronicles 29:14; NLT).

4. He who sat upon the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5; RSV).

5. He wounds, but his hands make whole (Job 5:18; NKJV).

The Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18; NLT).

My heart

Ruth Kirk

Shout to God with joyful praise!
(Psalm 47:1; NLT).

When my heart is full of joy,
May I praise you, Lord, my Friend.

When my heart is full of pain,
May I welcome all you send.

When my heart is full of fear,
May I trust your staff and rod.

When my heart is full of love,
May I worship you, my God.

You must worship the Lord your God
(Matthew 4:10; NLT).

Beyond all time

Ruth Kirk

All glory to him who alone is God, our Saviour through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time (Jude 1:25; NLT).

1. Beyond all time,
Beyond all space,
Is God, who makes
The human race.

2. Amidst all gain,
Amidst all loss,
Is God, who suffers
On the cross.

3. Within all love,
Within all hate,
Is God, who saves
The desolate.

4. Beneath all depth,
Above all height,
Concealed in darkness,
God is light.


References

1. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth
(Isaiah 42:5; NLT).

2. Praise be to the Lord, to God our Saviour, who daily bears our burdens
(Psalm 68:19; NIV).

3. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed
(Psalm 34:18; NLT).

4. Clouds and thick darkness surround him
(Psalm 97:2; NIV).

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

In danger

Ruth Kirk

Image: Sr. Maria-Magdalena R., Pixabay

🤎

1. In danger,
May I know, Lord,
The protection
Of your rod.

2. In sorrow,
May I trust
The consolation
Of your staff.

3. In sickness,
May I share
The tribulation
Of your cross.

4. In anguish,
May I grasp
The desolation
Of your loss.

🤎

References

1. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod…

2. …and your staff protect and comfort me (Psalm 23:4; NLT).

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy (Psalm 94:19; NIV).

3. If we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering (Romans 8:17; NLT).

4. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Mark 15:34; NLT).

Suffused with prayer

Ruth Kirk

Image: Ruth Kirk

💛

1. Suffused with prayer,
My little cross –
I hold it tight
In joy, and loss.

2. Lord, may I
Be just the same –
Safe in your hands,
Breathing your name.

3. No matter what you send,
I’ll praise
And thank you, Father,
All my days.

4. So, I worship,
And adore –
One with you,
For evermore.

💛

References

1. Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).

Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:27; RSV).

Love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him (Deuteronomy 30:20; NIV).

Rejoice always (1 Thessalonians 5:16; NIV).

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

2. I am in your hands – do with me as you think best (Jeremiah 26:14; NLT).

You are my Father (Psalm 89:26; NLT).

Because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father” Galatians 4:6; NLT).

3. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord! (Job 1:21; NLT).

With every bone in my body I will praise him (Psalm 35:10; NLT).

Give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18; NIV).

4. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind (1 Chronicles 28:9; NLT).

We adore you as the one who is over all things (1 Chronicles 29:11; NLT).

Whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17; NIV).

Life brings trials

Ruth Kirk

Image: Sebastian Kolpert, Pixabay

🤎

1. Life brings trials and suffering,
But hardest of them all
Is living without faith in God
When we reject his call.

2. Life brings riches, fame, success;
We think these things are good,
But we don’t see how poor we are
When we reject his love.

3. Life brings failure, loss, regret,
Which we will have to bear,
And we must face them all alone
When we reject his care.

4. Life brings battles, thrills, and spills —
We think we’re doing well,
But when we spurn the Lord, our God,
We truly live in hell.

🤎

References

1. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows (John 16:33; NLT).

Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honour him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant any more” (Ecclesiastes 12:1; NLT).

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God” (Psalm 14:1; NIV).

2. You say, “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” But you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked (Revelation 3:17; NIV).

3. When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other (Ecclesiastes 7:14; NIV).

Remember him – before the silver cord is severed, and the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the wheel broken at the well, and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it
(Ecclesiastes 12:6-7; NIV).

They do not fear God (Psalm 55:19; NLT).

The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Do all these evildoers know nothing? They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on the Lord (Psalm 14:2-4; NIV).

4. The people replied, “Don’t waste your breath. We will continue to live as we want to, stubbornly following our own evil desires (Jeremiah 18:12; NLT).

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

She says to him, “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of hell (Proverbs 9:16-18; NKJV).

You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is to abandon the Lord your God (Jeremiah 2:19; NLT).

There is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there (Luke 16:27; NLT).

Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28; NLT).

Thank you

Ruth Kirk

Image: Duncan Sanchez, Unsplash

🤎

Give thanks in all circumstances
(1 Thessalonians 5:18; NIV).

1. Thank you, Lord,
For all you give
To us, both good
And bad.

2. Thank you, Lord,
For all you send:
The joyful,
And the sad.

3. Thank you, Lord,
For all you grant:
For life, and health,
And loss.

4. Thank you, Lord,
For all you share:
Our fear, our pain,
Our cross.

🤎

References

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

2. When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other (Ecclesiastes 7:14; NIV).

3. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised (Job 1:21; NIV).

4. In all their suffering he also suffered (Isaiah 63:9; NLT).

I have no words

Ruth Kirk

Image: mystraysoul, Pixabay

💙

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).

Growth (dedicated to A.K.)

Ruth Kirk

Image: truthseeker08, Pixabay

❤️

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). 

May I love

Ruth Kirk

Image: Keith Johnston, Pixabay

🌹

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

1. May I love each child, Lord God,
Because they are your cradle.

2. May I love each neighbour, Lord,
Because they are your home.

3. May I love each stranger, Lord,
Because they are your temple.

4. May I love each enemy,
Because they are your throne.

5. May I love you, Father God,
Because you make and keep me.

6. May I love you, Jesus Christ,
Because you cleanse my sin.

7. May I love you, Holy Ghost,
Because you never leave me;

8. And may I even love my self –
Because you dwell within.

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love
(Galatians 5:6; NIV).

🌹

References

1. Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me (Matthew 18:5; NLT).

Jesus, […] though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:5-7; ESV).

2. Love your neighbour (Luke 10:27; NLT).

Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them” (John 14:23; NLT).

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

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

You are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16; NLT).

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

He loves all his people (Deuteronomy 33:3; NLT).

5. You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength,
and all your mind (Luke 10:27; NLT).

Your hands shaped me and made me (Job 10:8; NIV).

The Lord keeps me alive! (Psalm 54:4; NLT).

6. Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you (John 21:17; NLT).

I will cleanse them of their sins (Jeremiah 33:8; NLT).

7. He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love (Romans 5:5; NLT).

I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, [Comforter, Encourager, Counsellor] who will never leave you (John 14:16; NLT).

8. Love your neighbour as yourself (Luke 10:27; NLT).

All who live in love live in God, and God lives in them (1 John 4:16; NLT).