Category: Peace

Peace and justice

Ruth Kirk

Pray for peace (Psalm 122:6; NLT).

The LORD loves justice (Psalm 37:28; NNKJV).

I pray that peace and justice
Will take root in every mind,

And that mercy and forgiveness
Will spring up in every heart.

Till truth and loving-kindness
Bear much fruit in every soul –

Stretch out your hand, and touch us all:
Lord Jesus, make us whole! 

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

He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5; RSV).

References 

A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted (Luke 8:5-8; 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).

Christmas Day 2025

Ruth Kirk

Happy Christmas to everyone who visits or follows here. Christmas Day has already begun in some parts of the world, so I am posting early, for their sake! With love from Ruth xxx

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 am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine (Song of Songs 6:3; NIV).

You are my Father,
And you are my Mother;
You are my Sister,
And you are my Brother.

You are my Teacher,
And you are my Healer;
You are my Priest,
My Companion, and Leader.

You are my Partner,
And you are my Lover;
You are my Godhead,
And I want no other.

You are my Shepherd,
In peace, and in danger;
You are my Saviour, Lord,  
Here: in this manger.

“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed (John 20:28; NLT).

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger (Luke 2:16; NLT).

References

The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need (Psalm 23:1; NLT).

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep (John 10:11; NLT).

Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11; ESV).

 

May I dwell in your mercy

Ruth Kirk

Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-9; NLT).

May I dwell in your mercy,
And rest in your peace;

Serve you in everyone;
Pray without cease;

Love you, give thanks,
And rejoice, come what may –

For you are my life, and my truth,
And my way.

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

When I lose my peace

Ruth Kirk

Keep on seeking, and you will find (Matthew 7:7; NLT).

When I lose my peace,
May I find yours, Lord;
And when I lose my way,
May I find yours.

When I lose my strength,
May I find yours, Lord;
And when I lose my truth,
May I find yours.

When I lose my hope,
May I find yours, Lord;
And when I lose my light,
May I find yours.

When I lose my faith,
May I find yours, Lord;
And when I lose my life,
May I find yours.

If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it (Matthew 10:39; NLT).

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

All I want

Ruth Kirk

“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).

The mind of God,
The heart of God,
The strength of God,
The soul –
This is all I want, and need,
Until God makes me whole. 

The way of Christ,
The truth of Christ,
The life of Christ,
The grace –
This is all I want, and need,
Until I see his face.

Their Spirit’s help,
Their Spirit’s joy,
Their Spirit’s love,
And peace –
This is all I want, and need –
Until I join their feast. 

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

Many Gentiles will come from all over the world – from east and west – and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 8:11; NLT).

 

The Fruit of the Spirit

Ruth Kirk

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).

Let’s grow
In the fruit of the Spirit:
In kindness, in patience, and love.

Let’s grow
In the fruit of God’s Spirit:
In self-control, gentleness, joy.

Let’s grow
In the fruit of Christ’s Spirit:
In faithfulness, goodness, and peace.

Let’s grow
In the Fruit of the Sprit:
The fruit of our oneness with God.

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 the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing John 15:5; NLT),

When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father (John 15:8; NLT).

Life is hard

Ruth Kirk

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33; NLT).

How hard life is, my God,
How hard –
With so much sorrow
On the way;
With so much anguish,
Loss and pain –
Until we see your face
Again.

From birth to death
We’re exiled here –
To follow Christ,
And grow in love;
To ask for, and receive,
Your grace –
Until we know
Your warm embrace.

How rich you are
In joy and peace –
So kind and patient,
Strong and wise.
We need your Son
And Spirit, too –
Until we’re one,
At last, with you.

How short life is, my God,
How short –
So we have put
Our trust in you.
We’ll share the bliss
You have in store –
When we unite with you
Once more.

There is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing (2 Timothy 4:8; NIV).

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9; NLT). 

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

You love us

Ruth Kirk

The Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost (Luke 19:10; NLT).

When we lose our way,
You seek us.

When we lose our peace,
You care.

When we lose our hope,
You help us.

When we lose our faith,
You share.

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).

 

Inner peace

Ruth Kirk

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).

Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace] (James 1:3; AMP).

Introduction
Inner peace in the face of life’s many trials and sorrows is so precious, yet so difficult to reach and maintain. Fostering it requires deep devotion to God, to our spiritual development, and to loving others.

Inner peace
Inner peace does not rely on everything going well, or on reaching a point where our lives are calm and sorted. Rather, it means:

  • Having rock-solid faith in God, no matter what happens.
  • Constantly sharing everything with God in prayer, with total honesty.
  • Continuing to trust in God, even when we have lost all hope.
  • Clinging to God, even when we feel completely abandoned, as Jesus did on the cross.
  • Knowing that God will bring good out of all that happens to us, no matter how desperate our situation is.

Developing inner peace
Fortunately, inner peace does not rely solely on our own efforts. Rather, it is a gift from God:

  • I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid (John 14:27; NLT).

However, it does rely on us having a loving relationship, and a working partnership, with God.

Biblical guidance
Let’s see what guidance the Bible offers about how to develop inner peace through our relationship with God:

  • If you repent [and give up this mistaken attitude of despair and self-pity], then I will restore you [to a state of inner peace] so that you may stand before Me [as My obedient representative] (Jeremiah 15:19; AMP).
  • Blessed [comforted by inner peace and God’s love] are those who are persecuted for doing that which is morally right, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever] (Matthew 5:10; AMP).
  • Glory and honor and inner peace [will be given] to everyone who habitually does good (Romans 2:10; AMP).
  • The fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23; AMP).
  • We who believe [that is, we who personally trust and confidently rely on God] enter that rest [so we have His inner peace now because we are confident in our salvation, and assured of His power (Hebrews 4:3; AMP).
  • Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace] (James 1:3; AMP).
  • 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).

Conclusion
There can be no better conclusion to this short blog than the words of St. Paul:

  • I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfil His purpose – I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace] (Philippians 4:13; AMP).

References

I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built (Luke 6:47-8; NLT).

Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Mark 15:34; NLT).

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

Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always] (Colossians 3:15; AMP).

What is impossible for people is possible with God (Luke 18:27; NLT).

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage (Psalm 84:5; NIV).

Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge] (John 14:27; AMP).

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 thy staff they comfort me (Psalm 23:4; KJV).