Category: Love

Love

Ruth Kirk

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

We know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them (1 John 4:16; NIV).

Yahweh God,
I love you well –
More than human words
Can tell.
In your Being,
Safe I dwell:
My Father.

Living God,
I love your way –
More than human words
Can say.
You’re my comforter
Each day:
My Mother.

Shepherd God,
I love you so –
These, the only words
I know
Which let my gladness
Overflow:
My Saviour.

How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! (Luke 1:47; NLT).

Patient endurance

Ruth Kirk

We are all fragile, fallible, and mortal. Today, in prayer, I saw clearly that the purpose of life is to face its inevitable challenges, sorrows, and sufferings, learning to accept and endure them as patiently as we can, while still loving and serving Jesus in others. This was Christ’s mission, and it is ours as well, for Jesus is resurrected in us all.

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23; NLT).

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

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).

So here is today’s prayer:

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

You make us,
You see us,
And hear us.

You know us,
You guide us,
And help us.

You feed us,
You love us,
And hold us.

You wound us,
You teach us,
And heal us.

Look now; I myself am he! There is no other god but me! I am the one who kills and gives life; I am the one who wounds and heals; no one can be rescued from my powerful hand! (Deuteronomy 32:39; NLT).

References

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33; NLT).

Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher (Isaiah 30:20; RSV).

May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ (2 Thessalonians 3:5; NLT).

Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised (Hebrews 10:36; 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).

Sad world

Ruth Kirk

Why is my heart so sad? (Psalm 42:5; NLT).

How sad this world is!
Dark and drear –
Ease for some,
For others, fear.

How cold this world is!
Full of hate –
Some have freedom,
Others wait.

How strange this world is!
Food and fun –
Some have plenty,
Others, none.

How mean this world is!
Few are kind –
Some can see,
But most are blind.

How sick this world is!
So much pain –
Yet, in all,
Christ lives again.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. 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).

References

We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ (Ephesians 4:15; NLT).

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).

As we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world (1 John 4:17; NLT).

This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ (Ephesians 4:13; NLT).

You are my journey

Ruth Kirk

He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick – no food, no traveler’s bag, no money (Mark 6:8; NLT).

You are my journey,
My staff, and my rod.

You are my water,
My bread, and my wine.

You are my Shepherd,
My Lord, and my God.

You are my shelter,
My root, and my vine.

You are my teacher,
My truth, and my light.

You are my healer,
My peace, and my soul.

You are my Saviour,
My love, and my life.

You are my way, and my strength,
And my goal.

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14; NIV).

Love and oneness

Ruth Kirk

He loves us with unfailing love (Psalm 117:2; NLT).

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

You love me,
And I love you –
Thank you that
We’re one, not two.

I love you,
And you love me –
Jesus, you have
Set me free.

One in body,
Heart and mind –
Our shared aim
Is being kind.

One in spirit
And in soul –
Loving you, Lord,
Makes me whole.

Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour (Matthew 9:22, KJV).

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 4:16; NLT).

References

I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine (Song of Solomon 6:3

My beloved is mine and I am his (Song of Solomon 2:16, NIV).

Be kind to everyone (2 Timothy 2:24, NIV).

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! (Philippians 3:8-11, NLT).

Worship

Ruth Kirk

As they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him (Matthew 28:9, NLT). 

I worship you
In silence
Filled with praise,

And honour you
In stillness
Filled with dance.

I treasure you
In darkness
Filled with light,

And love you, Lord:
My way, my truth,
My life.

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

References

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

Be still in the presence of the LORD (Psalm 37:7, NLT).

Moses went into the darkness where God was (Exodus 20:21, BES).

I love you, Lord (Psalm 18:1, 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).

Love and peace

Ruth Kirk

As he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes” (Luke 19:41-2, NLT).

I pray for peace
Throughout the world –
In every heart.

For no more guns,
And no more bombs –
The end of hate.

For no more fear,
And no more grief –
The death of war.

Then all will live
In love and peace –
For evermore. 

Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ (Ephesians 5:2, NLT).

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18, NIV).

Questions

Ruth Kirk

Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:29; NLT).

Does Jesus ask too little,
Or does he ask too much?
What does he truly ask of us,
And does he ask enough?

What Jesus wants is kindness,
And gentleness, and faith;
Deep, patient love, and self-control –
And so he gives us grace.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8; NLT).

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).

References

Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34; NLT).

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

God who sees

Ruth Kirk

You are the God who sees me (Genesis 16:13; NLT).

You are the God
Who sees our cares;
You hear our sighs –
Again, again. 

You are the One
Who knows our fears;
You hear our cries –
Anew, anew. 

You are the Christ
Who shares our pain;
You weep and bless –
Afresh, afresh. 

You are the Lord
Who bears our grief
And loves us all –
It’s true, it’s true.

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

He loves us with unfailing love (Psalm 117:2; NLT).

References

He knows the secrets of every heart (Psalm 44:21; NLT).

In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years (Isaiah 63:9; NLT).

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4; NKJV).

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds (Psalm 36:5; NLT).

The mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain (Isaiah 54:10; NLT).

Shared healing

Ruth Kirk

Today in prayer, I saw clearly that we need to work with Jesus in order to bring about the healing of our wounded inner child.

One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children …

Son of Man,
We share one mind:
Let’s listen to my inner child
Together.

Lamb of God,
We share one heart:
Let’s lift and hold my inner child
Together.

Shepherd King,
We share one soul:
Let’s bless and heal my inner child
Together.

Lord, my God,
We share this life:
Let’s teach and love my inner child
Together.

… I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them (Mark 10:13-16; NLT).

References

I am the good shepherd (John 10:11; NLT).

He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young (Isaiah 40:11; NLT).

Reading: Psalm 23.