March 13
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MY SOUL WAITS FOR GOD ALONE
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.
3 How long will all of you attack a man to batter him,
Like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4 They only plan to thrust him down from his high position
They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse.
5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.9 Those of low estate are but a breath;
Those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up;
They are together lighter than a breath.10 Put no trust in extortion;
Set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them.
11 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God,
12 And that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man according to his work. – Psalm 62:1-12
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The ESV study bible says that this psalm is one that God’s people sing this psalm for encouragement as they oppressed by powerful, wealthy people. In such a situation, it would be easy to despair, or else to seek security in power and wealth rather than God, but David always faithfully sees the power of God in whatever he is going through. He believes that only God can be his refuge and that he always focuses on God’s steadfast love and waits for his deliverance alone.
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ADORATION: Praise the Lord, who alone is the source of power, strength and help.
CONFESSION: Forgive me Lord when I forget that you are the only one who can help me.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for being the rock that I am anchored in.
SUPPLICATION: May all believers have a faith like David has. He never wavered.
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REFLECTION
• How can we develop a faith that is strong enough to combat any adversity?
Tag Archives: Christian devotional
JOY COMES IN THE MORNING ILMA’S VLOG
March 10
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JOY COMES IN THE MORNING
I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up
And have not let my foes rejoice over me.2 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
And you have healed me.3 O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
You restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.
4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”
7 By your favor, O LORD, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face;
I was dismayed.8 To you, O LORD, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
9 “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!”
11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth
And clothed me with gladness,12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever! -Psalm 30: 1-12
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According to the ESV study bible, this psalm was written by David for the temple’s dedication which took place after his death. It was King Solomon, his son who finished the building of the temple. It praises the faithful God who always brings joy in the morning. In Lamentations 3:22-23 it says that God’s mercy never ends and they are fresh and new each morning. No matter what we are going through, joy always comes after. No matter how bleak circumstances are, God generously gives us hope and joy especially when we are faithful to love him.
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ADORATION: I exult you Lord. You are worthy, you are Mighty, you are Lord and Savior.
CONFESSION: Forgive me whenever I resort to being discouraged and hopeless.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for your mercy, always fresh each morning.
SUPPLICATION: May we all find joy in trials for it grows our faith and endurance.
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REFLECTION
• What do you do when you get discouraged with a challenging situation?
I WILL BLESS THE LORD ILMA’S VLOG
March 9
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I WILL BLESS THE LORD
Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity,
And I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
2 Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind
For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness.
4 I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites.
5 I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked.
6 I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O LORD,
7 Proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all your wondrous deeds.
8 O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.
9 Do not sweep my soul away with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 In whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the LORD.
– Psalm 26:1-12
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An article on gotquestions.org is about What does it mean to bless God? The Hebrew word translated ‘bless’ or ‘praise’ means literally ‘to kneel’, the implication being to kneel in worship. Therefore, to bless the Lord means to praise Him, exalt Him and worship Him. We offer Him our praise and blessings because He deserves them. Unlike God’s blessings upon us, which are wholly undeserved and by His mercy and grace, our blessing God is done out of an understanding that He is the true praiseworthy Creator and our heavenly Father. God is glorified when we bless and praise and acknowledge Him.
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ADORATION: Praise the Lord of all Nations, lift Him up in exultation.
CONFESSION: Forgive me when I get to be so busy to bless you my Lord and my God.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for being the perfect Father to all your children.
SUPPLICATION: May all of God’s children never forget their purpose in this life: to bring God all the glory, honor and praise.
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REFLECTION
• What are the benefits of blessing the Lord? Why do we need to make a habit of it? What happens when we don’t do it?
DELIGHT IN THE LORD’S WORKS ILMA’S VLOG
March 2
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DELIGHT IN THE LORD’S WORKS
Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,
In the company of the upright, in the congregation.
2 Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.
3 Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered
The LORD is gracious and merciful.5 He provides food for those who fear him;
He remembers his covenant forever.6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
In giving them the inheritance of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy;
8 They are established forever and ever,
To be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.9 He sent redemption to his people;
He has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name!
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom
All those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!
– Psalm 111:1-10
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The ESV bible study comments that this is a hymn of praise that celebrates the great works the Lord has done to his people. He has called them to be his own and has cared and protected them. Singing the psalm reminds the people of these deeds and encourages them to respond with a “fear of the Lord” (v10).
Does the great works of the Lord bring us to memory of how mighty and wondrous his deeds are? Doesn’t it make anyone quiver and give reverence to the only true God? As the hymn says, it is in this reverence or fear that we gain wisdom and understanding.
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ADORATION: Praise be to the Lord of all wondrous deeds, who made all things good.
CONFESSION: Forgive me each time, I fail to point to your goodness and power.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for all that you have created to make our life good and right.
SUPPLICATION: May all people fear the Lord so that wisdom will prevail in this corrupt and chaotic world.
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REFLECTION
• How is “fear of the Lord” the beginning of wisdom? Share a testimony on this.
GOD IS OUR FORTRESS ILMA’S VLOG
February 28
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GOD IS OUR FORTRESS
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
Though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy habitation of the Most High.5 God is in the midst of her;
She shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”11 The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our fortress. – Psalm 46:1-11
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This is hymn that rejoices in the strength that we can hold on to in times of troubles. The psalmist enumerates the many dangers that God’s people can face (v 2-3) such as catastrophes. Zion, the city of the Most High cannot be moved because God resides in the chosen place. Because God is our fortress, we are reminded to be still and rely on him alone. Whenever we are overwhelmed, confused and beset by troubles, we can remember to choose peace and know that God is in control.
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ADORATION: Bless the Lord for he is our fortress, our protection, our strength!
CONFESSION: Forgive me when I succumb to panic, fear and desperation.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for being my rock, my fortress, my source of strength and hope. You are so generous with your loved ones.
SUPPLICATION: May we encourage others with the strength that we draw from God and lead them to rely only on the Lord.
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REFLECTION
• Why do people easily panic when struck with disaster or suffering?
WHY ARE YOU CAST DOWN O MY SOUL -ILMA’S VLOG
February 27
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WHY ARE YOU CAST DOWN O MY SOUL?
As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?” 4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul:
How I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God
With glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation 6 and my God.
My soul is cast down within me; therefore, I remember you
From the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls;
All your breakers and your waves have gone over me.
8 By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me,
A prayer to the God of my life. 9 I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me,
While they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. -Psalm 142:1-11
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This psalm expresses a longing for peace amidst the many circumstances that depletes the soul. It is bordering between hopelessness and hopefulness. It exhibits the psalmists choosing to trust God despite the seemingly desperate situation he is experiencing. It is an honest prayer of dependence on God especially in times of weakness.
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ADORATION: Lord, you are my rock, my salvation, my hope. Praise to you Lord!
CONFESSION: Forgive me when I don’t rely on you during times of weakness.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for a solid foundation in your word.
SUPPLICATION: May we see hope in the midst of all the chaos surrounding us.
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REFLECTION
• What are the reasons why a believer can feel downcast?
• How can feeling downcast be a good chance to exercise our dependence on God?
BLESSED ARE THE FORGIVEN ILMA’s VLOG
February 26
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BLESSED ARE THE FORGIVEN
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit 3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
My strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
And I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”
And you forgave the iniquity of my sin.6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
Offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters,
They shall not reach him.7 You are a hiding place for me;
You preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
Which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.
11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy,
All you upright in heart! – Psalm 32:1-11
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This psalm is a praise and thanksgiving song to the Lord. The psalmist is full of gratitude as he points out how the Lord forgives those who are able to admit and confess their sins. It encourages God’s people not to forget to check their hearts for any impurities so they can bring it to the Lord for forgiveness. This psalm is a reminder of the steadfast love that surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord and the blessings he receives
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ADORATION: Praise the forgiving and faithful God we love!
CONFESSION: Forgive us when we hide and don’t confess our sins.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for the unconditional love you give us.
SUPPLICATION: May we have courage to face our sins and confess it to the Lord.
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REFLECTION
• Why is confession essential in a believer’s life?
• What happens when we don’t regularly examine our hearts and confess?
ASCRIBE TO THE LORD GLORY ILMA’s VLOG
February 25
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ASCRIBE TO THE LORD GLORY
Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness. 3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
The God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare,
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!” 10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
The LORD sits enthroned as king forever.11 May the LORD give strength to his people!
May the LORD bless his people with peace! – Psalm 29:1-11
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According to ESV commentary, this psalm is a hymn of praise to God for his awesome power. A thunderstorm serves as a visible representation of God’s majestic voice. It seems reasonable to suppose that setting the psalm in a thunderstorm deliberately places Yahweh over Ball, the storm-god widely worshiped in Syria-Palestine. God created the phenomena of nature. They serve his purposes and demonstrate his wisdom, glory, faithfulness and even his love.
Do we remember God during storms, earthquakes, floods and other natural phenomena? More often, we fear and fail to see the creator who is behind all of it. We are only awed by the beauty of nature and forget to see his power over such phenomena, that he is all in control.
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ADORATION: Praise the Lord who is all-powerful and mighty. May his name be glorified.
CONFESSION: Forgive me when I take control of things that I have no control over.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for your creation including the phenomena that frightens us.
SUPPLICATION: May all people attribute all things to the Maker of All, God Almighty.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it essential for Christians to ascribe glory to God? What results from it?
Psalm 146-Put Not your Trust in Princes
February 23
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PUT NOT YOUR TRUST IN PRINCES
Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! 2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.3 Put not your trust in princes,
In a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.4 When his breath departs,
He returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish
5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,
6 Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever;
7 Who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free; 8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
But the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.10 The LORD will reign forever,
Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD! – Psalm 146:1-10
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This psalm is a song of hope. All God’s people praise the Lord. They sing songs of worship to him. They declare that there is no one trustworthy put the God of Jacob, who has delivered his people from the enemies and who made a covenant with them. They worship the one and only creator of all the heaven and earth, the sea and everything in it. The character of God is recited by those who love him. They speak of his provision, protection, healing, his justice and bondage breaker. They edify the Lord by speaking of all that he has done for his people.
Do we meditate on the attributes of God in our busy lives now? We have gone so far from these faithful and committed people of God. Let us never forget to sing praises to the God who is Maker of all. We need to put our trust only in him.
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ADORATION: May the God of Jacob be blessed and praised forever by all nations.
CONFESSION: Forgive me when I fail to remember your character focus only on mine.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for making us in your image; we have hope that we can one day be like you, full of unconditional love.
SUPPLICATION: May we trust only in the Lord who made all things and knows all things.
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REFLECTION
• Why shouldn’t we put our trust in mere humans? Why trust only God?
GIVE EAR TO MY VOICE
February 22
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GIVE EAR TO MY VOICE
O LORD, I call upon you; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
And the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
3 Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!
4 Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds
In company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!
5 Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—
It is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it.
Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
6 When their judges are thrown over the cliff,
Then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As when one plows and breaks up the earth,
So shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol; 8 But my eyes are toward you, O GOD, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!
9 Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me and from the snares of evildoers!
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by safely. – Psalm 141:1-10
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The ESV study bible calls this an individual lament, a prayer that God will protect the faithful person against all insincerity and compromise. This is a prayer to God requesting the Lord to hear the plea for protection over any form of complacency, dishonesty and impurities in their hearts. We can all definitely identify with this prayer. This world is full of seductions to do evil and live compromised lives. When we fail to see that the Lord comes first, we are putting ourselves in danger of being ensnared by the evil one.
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ADORATION: Praise the Lord! He is merciful and loving. He is our protector. Hallelujah!
CONFESSION: Grant me pardon each time I compromise making you first in all.
THANKSGIVING: Thanks be to God who cares for every detail of our lives.
SUPPLICATION: May we never merge evil and righteousness together which is a form of compromise and lack of integrity.
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REFLECTION
• What compromises do you see in the body of Christ and what should you do?