Category: Weakness

When I’m alone

Ruth Kirk

Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him (Deuteronomy 13:4; NLT).

Lord, when I’m alone,
I cling to you;
And, when I’m depressed,
I trust in you.

Lord, when I’m afraid,
I cling to you;
And, when I’m distressed,
I trust in you.

Lord, when I’m in pain,
I cling to you;
And, when I ask, ‘Why?’,
I trust in you.

Lord, when I despair,
I cling to you;
And, when I must die,
I’ll trust in you.

Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory (1 Peter 1:21; NLT).

References 

From the depths of despair, O LORD, I call for your help (Psalm 130:1; NLT).

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).

Trust in God, and trust also in me (John 14:1; NLT).

I want your will to be done, not mine (Luke 22:42; NLT).

 

When we’re sick

Ruth Kirk

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3; NIV).

When we’re sick
You heal us, Lord,
And when we’re bound,
You free us.

When we’re poor
You feed us, Lord,
And when we’re scared,
You guard us.

When we’re wrong
You love us, Lord,
And when we’re sad
You cheer us.

When we’re weak
You help us, Lord,
And when we’re lost
You save us.

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

References

The Lord frees the prisoners (Psalm 146:7; NLT).

He who feeds on me will live (John 6:57; NKJV).

He guards the paths of the just (Proverbs 2:8; NLT).

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

Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me (Psalm 23:4; NLT).

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

Our God is a God who saves! (Psalm 68:20; NLT).

 

My Guardian

Ruth Kirk

The Lord is your Guardian (Psalm 121:5; ISV).

You are the Guardian
Of my life:
Whatever I must face,
You share.

You are the Guardian
Of my mind:
However dark my thoughts,
You’re there.

You are the Guardian
Of my heart:
No matter how I feel,
You’re near.

You are the Guardian
Of my soul:
In life and death,
You’re always here.

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).

Worthless

Ruth Kirk

This blog is dedicated to E.M, with my deepest thanks for her timely email and much-needed encouragement.

Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away. So he went to her bedside, took her by the hand, and helped her sit up. Then the fever left her, and she prepared a meal for them (Mark 1:30-31; NLT).

Lord,

I’ve always felt
Completely worthless,
But now, at last,
This has begin to change.

Today, you took my hand
And led me forward:
Lord, your ways are wonderful –
And strange!

You are great and perform wonderful deeds. You alone are God (Psalm 86:10; NLT).

Can you uncover the mystery of the divine? Can you discover the limits of Shaddai? They are as high as heaven – what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol – what can you know? Their measure is longer than the world, and wider than the sea (Job 11:7-9; TIB).

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine” (Isaiah 55:8; NLT).

Your light

Ruth Kirk

My lover is mine, and I am his (Song of Songs 2:16; NLT). 

O my Father
And my Mother,
Sister Spirit,
Christ, my brother;
Saviour, Teacher,
Friend, and Lover:
You are God,
I want no other:

Strength in weakness,
Truth in silence,
Love in anguish,
Peace in pain:
You are God,
There is no other:
Now, I glimpse
Your light again.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined (Isaiah 9:2; RSV).

Home

Ruth Kirk

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them” (John 14:23; NIV).

He made darkness his covering (Psalm 18:11; NLT).

Lord,
You make your home
In darkness,
Here, beside me,
Night and day.

Lord,
You talk with me
In silence,
Even though
I cannot pray.

Lord,
You dance with me
In stillness,
Though I’m nothing –
Weak and poor.

Lord,
You’re here
When I am lonely:
We are one
For evermore.

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).

You are here

Ruth Kirk

Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38; NLT).

Lord,
In my anguish,
My dread and my panic,
My worry and weeping:
I trust you are here.

Lord,
In my anger,
My shame and my failure,
My troubles and sorrows:
I sense you are here.

Lord,
In my sickness,
My pain and my weakness,
My darkness and silence:
I know you are here.

Lord,
In my breathing,
My growing and changing,
My living and dying:
I’m glad you are here.

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).

Should I feel guilty?

Ruth Kirk

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief (Psalm 22:1-2; NLT).

Lord,

Should I feel guilty
When you seem so far away?
When I can neither worship you,
Nor see your face, nor pray?

Is it my fault that darkness reigns,
And I feel so alone?
That I have lost your presence,
And my heart has turned to stone?

Am I to blame that faith has failed?
Yahweh, is this a test?
Am I still safely in your hands?
Is it that I’ve transgressed?

Look on me with your mercy, Lord;
Strengthen my failing trust:
You know how small and weak I am –
Nothing at all but dust.

He knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust (Psalm 103:14; NLT).

Life events

Ruth Kirk

Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me (Psalm 22:11; NLT).

When life, Lord,
Tugs my failing strength
Too far away from you,
My body hurts.

When stress, Lord,
Stretches my frail mind
Too far away from you,
My thinking reels.

When pain, Lord,
Drags my fragile love
Too far away from you,
My heart despairs.

When life events, Lord,
Sweep my soul
Too far away from you,
My spirit yields.

Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit (Matthew 27:50; NKJV).

Sharing

Ruth Kirk

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).

Yahweh God,
You formed my flesh,
So, what need have I to pray?
Instead, I share each strength
And weakness, Lord, with you,
So I don’t stray.

Yahweh God,
You shaped my mind,
So, what need have I to pray?
Instead, I simply share my thoughts
With you, my Lord,
Throughout each day.

Yahweh God,
You know my heart,
So, what need have I to pray?
Instead, I share my joys
And sorrows, Lord,
With you, along the way.

Yahweh God,
You are my soul,
So, what need have I to pray?
I’m your temple;
We are one –
And you know all I want to say.

You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD (Psalm 139:4; NLT).