Category: Shepherd

Trust in God (#1 of 2 linked poems)

Ruth Kirk

Image: Jaroslav Pitonák, Pixabay

🌺

1. Trust in God.
His will is perfect,
And his timing
Consummate.

2. Trust in God.
His love is perfect:
Father, Shepherd,
Advocate.

3. Trust in God.
His way is perfect;
All his promises
Are true.

4. Trust in God.
His peace is perfect;
He will help
And comfort you.

Your Father in heaven is perfect
(Matthew 5:48; NLT).

🌺

References

1. Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2; NLT).

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners (Romans 5:6; NLT).

2. Perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love (1 John 4:18; 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).

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (Psalm 23:1; KJV).

He is my advocate (1 Samuel 24:15; NLT).

3. God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true (2 Samuel 22:31; NLT).

4. You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you (Isaiah 26:3; NLT).

He helps me (Psalm 28:7; NLT).

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

Once, you were here

Ruth Kirk

Image: bluebudgie, Pixabay

💙

1. Once, you were here,
In the manger:
New-born, Lord,
And brimming with light.

2. Once, you were here,
In the garden:
Anguished and grieving,
At night.

3. Once you were here,
On the cross, Lord:
In sorrow and pain,
All alone.

4. But now you are here
In my spirit:
My Shepherd, my Saviour,
My Own.

💙

References

1. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them (Luke 2:6-7; NIV).

I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life (John 8:12; NLT).

2. They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.” He took Peter, James and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death” (Mark 14:32-4; NLT).

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

3. They brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha […] Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross (Mark 15:22,24; NLT).

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

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

I am the good shepherd (John 10:14; NLT).

The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world (1 John 4:14; NLT).

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

Jesus

Ruth Kirk

Image: bereanaoficial1, Pixabay

1. Jesus is my Lord and God,
My comforter when I am sad;
Brother, sister, father, mother:
All the love I never had.

2. Jesus is my watchful shepherd,
Teacher, master, mountain guide;
Friend in need, defence in trouble:
He is always at my side.

3. Jesus is my close companion,
Strong support when I’m afraid;
Sword and shield when I’m in danger:
Rescuer when I have strayed.

4. Jesus is my paragon,
My light along the narrow way;
Bread, wine, water; truth, and life:
My inspiration, every day.

 

References

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

Worship Christ as Lord of your life (1 Peter 3:15; NLT)

The Father and I are one (John 10:30; 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).

Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers? Then he looked around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:33-5; NLT).

God is love (1 John 4:16; NIV).

2. I am the good shepherd (John 10:14; NLT).

Since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you (John 13:14-15; NLT).

3. The Lord will guide you continually (Isaiah 58:11; NLT).

The Lord is a friend to those who fear him (Psalm 25:14; NLT).

He is your protecting shield and your triumphant sword! (Deuteronomy 33:29; NLT).

I will be glad because he rescues me (Psalm 35:9; NLT).

If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders (Luke 15:4-5; NLT).

4. God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps (1 Peter 2:21; NLT).

I am the light of the world (John 9:5; NLT).

Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14; NIV).

He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:19-20; NIV).

Rivers of living water will flow from his heart (John 7:38; NLT).

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

Just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him (Colossians 2:6; CSB).

Jesus is my gospel

Ruth Kirk

Image: John Woodman

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

1. Jesus is my gospel,
My way, and my good news;
Jesus is the Word of God:
My Lord, the One I choose.

2. Jesus is my shepherd,
My truth, my sword, my shield;
Jesus is my living bread:
In him, God is revealed.

3. Jesus is my spirit,
My mind, my heart, my soul;
Jesus is my life, and death:
Through him, God makes me whole.

 

References

1. Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my Gospel (2 Timothy 2:8; NIV).

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

This is the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God (Mark 1:1; NLT).

His name is the Word of God (Revelation 19:13; NIV).

Choose today whom you will serve (Joshua 24:15; NLT).

2. I am the good shepherd (John 10:14; NLT).

Jesus told him, “I am […] the truth” (John 14:6; NLT).

He is your protecting shield and your triumphant sword (Deuteronomy 33:29; NLT).

I am the living bread (John 6:51; NLT).

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15; NLT).

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being (Hebrews 1:3; NIV).

3. We all share the same Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13; NLT).

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5; NKJV).

I will give them one heart (Jeremiah 32:39; NLT).

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned to the Jordan River (Luke 4:1; NLT).

I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised (Luke 24:49; NLT).

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

If we die with him, we will also live with him (2 Timothy 2:11; NLT).

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).

Love

Ruth Kirk
Image: David Mark, Pixabay

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).

We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19: NIV).

1. I love you, Lord, my Teacher,
With all my fragile mind,
Because you first loved me, Lord,
And you are always kind.

2. I love you, Lord, my Shepherd,
With all my stubborn heart,
Because you first loved me, Lord,
And you’re with me, in the dark.

3. I love you, Lord, my Refuge,
With all my barren soul,
Because you first loved me, Lord,
And you have made me whole.

4. I love you, Lord, my Saviour,
With all my feeble might,
Because you are my Maker,
My Way, my Peace, my Light.

References

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

You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am (John 13:13; NLT).

How kind the Lord is! (Psalm 116:5; NLT).

2. I am the good shepherd (John 10:14; NLT).

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me (Psalm 23:4; NLT).

3. You are a refuge from the storm (Isaiah 25:4; NLT).

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).

4. I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Saviour (Isaiah 43:3; NKJV).

God created human beings in his own image (Genesis 1:27; NLT).

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

The Lord is peace (Judges 6:24; NLT).

I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life (John 8:12; NLT).

Our nourishment

Ruth Kirk

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

1. Lord,
You are our guiding star,
Our shepherd’s staff,
Our way.

2. Lord,
You are our nourishment,
Our bread, our truth
Each day.

3. Lord,
You are our sacrifice,
Our great High Priest,
Our life.

4. Lord,
You are our Mighty God,
Our Saviour,
And our light.

References

1. The star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem (Matthew 2:9; NLT).

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).

2. Cry out for this nourishment (1 Peter 2:2; NLT).

I am the living bread (John 6:51; NLT).

3. He offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins (Hebrews 7:27; NLT).

We have a Great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God (Hebrews 4:14; NLT).

4. He will be called […] Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6; NIV).

The Father sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world (1 John 4:14; NLT).

I am the light of the world (John 8:12; NIV).

We are your body

Ruth Kirk
Image: Jesus.Christ.org, Yandex

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

1. We are your body;
We are your bones;
We are your flesh
And your blood.

2. We are your temple;
We are your home;
We are your priests
And your love.

3. You are our Shepherd;
You are our Guide;
You are our staff
And our rod.

4. You are our Saviour;
You are our Friend;
You are our Lord
And our God.

References

1. You are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it (1 Corinthians 12:27; NIV).

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

You are the living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests (1 Peter 2:5; NLT).

Whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17, NLT).

3. I am the good shepherd (John 10:14; NLT).

He will guide us until we die (Psalm 48:14; NLT).

Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me (Psalm 23:4; NLT, alternative translation).

4. He has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Saviour (2 Timothy 1:10; NLT).

You are my friends (John 15:15; NLT).

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

The breath of life

Ruth Kirk

1. Lord,
You are the Breath of Life:
Our flesh, our bones, our blood;
Our strength, our mind, our heartbeat,
Our spirit, and our love.

2. Lord,
You are the Bread of Life:
Our water, and our wine;
Our land, our flocks, our shelter,
Our harvest, and our vine.

3. Lord,
You are the Light of Life:
Our lantern, staff, and rod;
Our way, our guide, our Shepherd,
Our Saviour, and our God.

4. Lord,
You are the Book of Life:
Our crucible, our soul;
Our faith, our hope, our passion,
Our dawning, and our goal.

References

1. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person (Genesis 2:7; NLT).

2. I am the bread of life (John 6:48; NLT).

3. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life
(John 8:12; NIV).

4. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5; NLT).

You never tire

Ruth Kirk

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary (Isaiah 40:28; NIV).

1. You never tire of hearing: Lord, I love you!
You never tire of listening to my cares.
You never tire of stirring me to learn, Lord;
You never tire of answering my prayers.

2. You never tire of hearing: I rejoice, Lord!
You never tire of welcoming my praise.
You never tire of spurring me to grow, Lord;
You never tire of shepherding my ways.

3. You never tire of hearing: Father, help me!
You never tire of comforting my tears.
You never tire of sharing all my sorrows;
You never tire of lightening my fears.

4. You never tire of hearing: Lord, I’m sorry!
You never tire of helping me forgive.
You never tire of pardoning my sins, Lord;
You never tire of wanting me to live.

5. You never tire of hearing: Thank you, Father!
You never tire of giving me your Son.
You never tire of pouring out your Spirit;
You never tire of me – for we are one.

 

References

1. He hears us (1 John 5:15; NLT).
I love you, Lord; you are my strength (Psalm 18:1; NLT).

2. I rejoice in the Lord (Psalm 104:34; NLT).
The Lord is my shepherd […] He guides me along right paths (Psalm 23:1,3; NLT).

3. He helps me (Psalm 28:7; NLT).
In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them (Isaiah 63:9; NLT).

4. I am deeply sorry for what I have done (Psalm 38:18; NLT).
My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life (John 10:10; NLT).

5. We thank you, O God (Psalm 75:1; NLT).
I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one – as you are in me, Father, and I am in you (John 16:21; NLT).