Every day is full of pain.
Every day I search in vain.
Will I see your face again,
My Saviour?
My poor heart is empty, Lord.
Still and dark, without a word
Of comfort, for no voice is heard,
My Shepherd.
Send your light, I humbly pray.
Guide me to your narrow way,
And show me, Jesus, what to say
To others.
Last Saturday evening I took my last dose of the drug which has made prayer and writing impossible for me. The effects had become intolerable. Today I heard the faint return of God’s voice, so I wanted to share it with you straight away, my friends.
With love from Ruth xxx.
Don’t stress, don’t strain –
Just love the Lord.
Say yes to pain –
And no to sin.
In life, in death,
With every breath,
Whatever comes,
We share with Him.
Take delight in the Lord (Psalm 37:4; NLT).
My God,
May I delight in you today,
By lifting up my voice to praise
And pray.
My God,
May I confide in you today,
Whilst walking by your side
Along the way.
My God,
May I remain in you today,
By trusting in your presence –
Come what may.
Trust in God (John 14:1; NLT).
Walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8; 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).
I’m walking, alone,
And exploring new streets –
Now asking a stranger
The way.
Facing my fears,
I embrace the unknown –
And all I can do
Is to pray.
What are the dangers,
And what are the risks?
I could turn back –
But will dare
To continue, be brave,
And stay close by your side –
Because, Lord my God,
You are here.
I am with you always (Matthew 28:20; NLT).
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me (Psalm 23:4; NLT).
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).
God knows all our thoughts, and the secrets of our hearts. High-flown prayers, self-justification, minimisation, pretence, concealment, hypocrisy, and outright untruths are all completely pointless with God. NB: They don’t make for good, honest relationships, or good mental health either!
You desire honesty from the womb (Psalm 51:6; NLT).
When praying, don’t pretend
And don’t conceal.
Be genuine and real,
So Christ can heal.
When praying, don’t tell lies
Or hide your doubt.
Be congruent with Christ,
Inside and out!
When praying, be yourself,
For he is near.
Just speak the truth in love,
And he will hear.
When praying, be yourself,
Just as you are –
And make the Son of God
Your guiding star.
I am the bright morning star (Revelation 22:16; NLT).
I have given you an example to follow (John 13:15; NLT).
References
You know my thoughts (Psalm 139:2, NLT).
You know my heart (Jeremiah 12:3, NLT).
I am with you always (Matthew 28:20, NLT).
He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him (1 John 5:14, NLT).
Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15, NLT).
If the Son sets you free, you are truly free (John 8:36; NLT).
It’s okay to be how we are,
And okay to feel as we feel.
It’s okay to think our own thoughts,
And okay to pray how we pray.
There’s no other way we should be,
And no other way we should feel.
There’s no other way we should think,
And no other prayer we should say.
So be how you are: it will change,
And feel how you feel: it will shift.
Notice your thoughtflow, and pray your own truth –
For freedom, through Christ, is God’s gift.
The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23; NLT).
My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life (John 10:10; NLT).
References
Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law (Galatians 5:1; NLT).
You have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13; NLT).
Introduction
Well, my friends, I am sure I am not alone in having had a very disturbed night after seeing that shockingly blasphemous image of Trump apparently carrying out a ‘divine’ healing. I could not get it out of my mind.
Truth
For me, the conflict between this image and the truth could hardly be greater. Think about the discrimination, deprivation, injury, death and destruction he is causing. Everything he does brings further suffering for the poor, the dispossessed and the disadvantaged. This is the very opposite of Christ’s selfless humility, love, service, inclusiveness and healing. There is simply no resemblance whatsoever between Donald Trump and Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Prayer
In the face of all this my mind and heart feel frozen, and I’m finding it impossible to pray. I have to face and express the truth. How can we be allowing Trump to exercise such vast power over our lives, our environment, and our world? Yet many people seem to be in thrall to his bullying, foolishness, lies, selfishness and violence – even those who call themselves Christians.
Christianity
Trump’s way is most definitely not Christ’s way. I simply cannot understand how any Christian can approve of his speech, behaviour and actions in any way at all. Where do they see the Fruit of the Holy Spirit reflected in his life? For the record:
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).
Conclusion
I am sorry that this blog is so dark, but can only speak the truth as far as I understand it at my current stage of spiritual growth.
So, today, instead of a poem or prayer, I offer you two readings to think about.
1. Psalm 10
The first is Psalm 10. Here is a quotation to give the flavour of it, though I recommend reading the whole Psalm:
Their helpless victims are crushed; they fall beneath the strength of the wicked (Psalm 10:10; NLT).
2. The Magnificat
By way of contrast, my second reading brings Mary’s inspired, visionary, prophetic, indomitable hope and courage to our dire world situation. Again, I recommend reading the whole passage: Luke 1:46-55.
His mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away (Luke 1:50-53; KJV).
References
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).
Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me (Matthew 25:45; NIV).
LORD, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me (Psalm 131:1-2; NLT).
I don’t need to move,
Or think,
Or speak.
I don’t need to wait,
Or pray,
Or seek.
I don’t need to hope,
Or sigh,
Or search.
I don’t need to weep,
Or grieve,
Or thirst –
Because you are here!
We meet,
And kiss.
I rest in your love,
Your peace,
Your bliss.
My Lord and my God!
My task
Is done –
You’re here, in my heart,
And we
Are one.
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).
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 3:8-9; NLT).
References
The person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17; NLT).
Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).
My beloved is mine and I am his (Song of Songs 2:16; NIV).
May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God (Ephesians 3:19; NLT).
Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him (Luke 24:31; NLT).
Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:28-30; NLT).
This is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love (2 John 1:6; NIV).
Walk in love,
And meet in love.
Serve in love,
And speak in love.
Pray in love,
And live in love.
Rest in love –
And trust in love.
God is love (1 John 4:16; NLT).
I will always trust in God’s unfailing love (Psalm 52:8; NLT).
References
Use your freedom to serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13; NLT).
Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15; NLT).
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).
Trust in God, and trust also in me (John 14:1; NLT).
I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation (Psalm 13:5; NIV).