Tag Archives: ILMA BARAYUGA-DOHERTY

FEED ON GOD’S WORD Poem Devotional

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August 29________________________________________
So I opened my mouth and he fed me the scroll. “Fill your stomach with this,” he said. And when I ate it, it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. –Ezekiel 3:2 (NLT)
FEED ON GOD’S WORD
A poem and essay by ILMA
What do you feed your mouth and body?
Do you consume what makes you healthy?
If you feed on garbage, it will make you sick
God’s word is as sweet as honey in your lips.
Come to the throne and feed on God’s truth
It will deepen your relationships and bring fruit
Fill your whole being with his word
It will equip you to overcome this world.
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We are bombarded with all kinds of food in boxes these days. Most people are always in and are enticed to take convenient fast foods. No wonder we have a rise of all kinds of terminal illnesses and diseases. Because of unhealthy choices and lifestyle, we are practically digging our own graves.
Do you remember what Adam and Eve ate in the Garden of Eden? They were feeding on plants and fruits in that garden. They had a healthy and ideal life. Even our early primitive people fed on grains and starches and lived healthy lives.
The bible encourages us to feed on the Scriptures. It says that it tastes like honey in the mouth when we say it. It nourishes our spirits.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to consume only your word.
REFLECTION
What filthy things have you been feeding your soul with?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

BALANCE Poem Devotional

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August 28________________________________________
For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love. –Lamentations 3:31-32 (NLT)
BALANCE
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you feel down and weary
Don’t succumb to sin or worry
When life poses much difficulty
God will later bring tranquility.
Though God allows grief, he also brings compassion
Because of his unfailing love, he will never abandon
When life isn’t what you expect it to be
He will be there to guard to set you free.
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Have you ever ridden a bicycle? I couldn’t remember who taught me how to bike, but I saw pictures of me riding my tricycle at age 4. I learned to ride the bicycle if I remember right was around 7-8 years old. Someone told me that if I know how to fall, then I will be able to bike well because I will be able to overcome that fear of falling. Biking is all about balance. If we don’t know how to balance, we would fall. I remembered being instructed to focus way far ahead where I am going and never to look down on the ground or I will lose my balance. I like to think that this is the same way with your spiritual ride with God. If we keep our focus on him, we will remain balanced. We shouldn’t allow trials to lose our balance.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to focus on you.
REFLECTION
What makes your life out of balance?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

DEPENDING ON GOD Poem devotional

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August 27________________________________________
The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.
-Lamentations 3:25(NLT)
DEPENDING ON GOD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you run to the throne when in need?
Do you seek his Word and constantly read?
To live independently of God is dangerous
It leads to a life of being constantly impetuous.
The Lord is good to those who depend on him
Those who seek his truth will be redeemed
Depend only on your heavenly Father for all things
Then you will find peace and joy in everything.
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Do you recall how a child is? They constantly depend on their parents and caregivers around them. They trust them immensely and will run to them for anything. Their childlike dependency on adults makes them very vulnerable, but those who love them will surely make a way that they are safe and protected. This is exactly how God wants us to rely on him, just like a child. He requires us all to be like little children or we won’t enter his kingdom. When a child relies on her parents for her or his needs, the parent must meet that basic need. When they are not provided safety, love and the basic human needs, they become corrupted and confused. God will never want us to live this way.
The bible talks of the goodness of God especially to those who depend on him and those who seek him.
PRAYER
Lord, let me always rely on you.
REFLECTION
What hinders you from total reliance on God?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

LIFE THROUGH FAITH Poem Devotional

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August 26________________________________________
The Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” – Romans 1:17 (NLT)
LIFE THROUGH FAITH
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you know someone who is desperate?
They seem lifeless and have no faith
A life without trust is a hopeless one
If you want to have life, believe in the Son.
The Good News tells us how we’re right in his sight
Why don’t we just grow our faith in Jesus Christ?
It is through faith that a righteous person gains life
It is by believing God that we will live in the light.
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Many people live their lives without joy and purpose. They just go about their daily lives doing routines that sometimes do not even make sense to them. Some people just live for the sake of satisfying themselves. No wonder, we live very dull lives and we never get to where God wants us to be.
The Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. Scriptures say that it is through faith that a righteous person has life. We need not perform or seek approval in order to have the live that God wants us to have. We only need to grow our faith in God.
PRAYER
Lord, make me see clearly your vision in my life.
REFLECTION
Why do you think people don’t have much faith in God?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

LIKE STRAY SHEEP Poem Devotional

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August 24________________________________________
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. – Isaiah 53:6 (NLT)
LIKE STRAY SHEEP
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you don’t abide and go your own way
You are like a sheep who has strayed
Some believers do not follow God’s will
No wonder they cannot be still.
When we leave the path of righteousness
We open ourselves to covetousness
Like stray sheep, we need a shepherd
God gave his only Son so we can be herded.
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Have you ever seen how sheep behave when they get lost? It was funny to watch the family movie “Babe.” The hero of the movie was a pig who acted like a dog and was trained to shepherd the sheep. When a sheep is lost, it looks so vulnerable and confused. It reminded me how we people behave when we do not have someone to lead us and care for us.
The bible tells us how believers are like stray sheep. We are so vulnerable to the dangers around us in this world, just like the sheep are to the wolves and other predators. When we leave the path that God wants us to take and go on our own, we become susceptible to get lost and fall into danger. I God is faithful to save all the lost sheep through Christ.
PRAYER
Lord, never let me stray.
REFLECTION
Relate a time when you strayed from God and its consequences.________________________________________
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

UPSIDE OF BEING ORDINARY Poem Devotional

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August 23________________________________________
The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures.
Acts 4:13 (NLT)
UPSIDE OF BEING ORDINARY
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you wish you were not like anyone at all?
There are people who are special and yet fall
Some persons are simple and ordinary
Yet the Lord used them for proclaiming his glory.
God works through ordinary people to fulfill his promises
He chose the regular and weak to be his witnesses
The upside of being ordinary is that God uses them
Be thankful if you are simple for it is
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I grew up thinking that I was a very ordinary girl. When I was seven, my teacher discovered that I could sing well. Even my aunts thought I was really good at it and had me join singing contests. As I turned high school, I realized that I don’t want to be ordinary. I want to be good at what I do. I became a cadet officer, a volleyball and basketball team captain, a jazz dancer and wrote songs and poems. I also had a very close relationship with God during this trying stage of my life. Later on, all my ordinariness turned into special gifts that God used so I can witness for his kingdom.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for using me for your glory.
REFLECTION
Why do you think God chooses ordinary people for his kingdom business?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

A FAITHFUL GOD! Poem Devotional

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August 22________________________________________
The Lord says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am! To a nation that did not call on my name.” –Isaiah 65:1 (NLT)
A FAITHFUL GOD!
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you hear the Lord calling your name each day?
Do you ignore him and continue going your own way?
When was the last time you ask God’s help?
Do you seek him for wisdom or rely on yourself?
The Lord is faithful to respond to your requests
Do you humble yourself to God or do you inquest?
The Lord is waiting for you to call on his name
Why do you keep making God wait in vain?
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Have you ever been pursued by someone? If it is a person that you totally like, wouldn’t you be so happy to know that he or she is after you? On the other hand, if it is someone you are not interested in, you probably wouldn’t like the idea of him or her following you around. It would probably seem like stalking to you.
When you became a born again Christian, didn’t you vow to love the Lord your God? Why is it that a lot of believers are not even in love with God? The book of Isaiah clearly illustrate how God waits on us faithfully.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your patience with me.
REFLECTION
How have you repaid God’s faithfulness?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

RESULT OF ENABLING Poem Devotional

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August 21________________________________________
Hot tempered people must pay the penalty. If you rescue them once, you will have to do it again. –Proverbs 19:19 (NLT)
RESULT OF ENABLING
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you have someone who never stops asking for help?
They run to you always and never rely on their own selves
When a person continually rescues another
They end up being constantly bothered.
If you continue to enable someone who isn’t responsible
You will be headed for futility and your life will crumble
Do not interrupt the law of responsibility
It is an insult and defiance to God the Almighty.
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I was an enabler to my only child for almost 26 years. I came from a culture where families are closely knit and there is not much room for setting boundaries. Children depend on their parents when they are young, but where I come from, even adult children in their twenties or even older, still stay with their parents. I have a brother in his 50’s who still live with my parents. Sometimes the parents even expect their adult children to care for them even if these children have their own families to take care of. It was such a culture of enmeshment where boundaries where never clear and spoken. As a result, we lived very chaotic lives.
The bible clearly warns us not to tamper with the law of responsibility. When we do, we are interrupting God’s plan.
PRAYER
Lord, show me how to give up and let go.
REFLECTION
What do you think are the consequences of enabling someone irresponsible?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

ON TESTING GOD Poem Devotional

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August 20________________________________________
They stubbornly tested God in their hearts, demanding the foods they craved. They even spoke against God himself, saying “God can’t give us food in the wilderness.”
–Psalm 78: 18-19 (NLT)
ON TESTING GOD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you question God’s provisions?
Do you easily succumb to temptations?
God is powerful, mighty and all-knowing
Why do you demand what he has already given?
Do not test God or speak against him
Your unbelief will cause you to continually sin
His power and wisdom is unmatched
Be faithful to him who loves you so much.
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I was in my late twenties and just coming out of a very toxic relationship. I bargained with God that he can have me if he gives me a new start and grant me that job that I wanted so badly. It didn’t occur to me that I was testing him. I was wallowing in so much sin that time so I didn’t even realize that I was demanding God to give me what I want, the way I want it and right at that time. I even told him that I will leave this unhealthy relationship if he gave me that job I thought was really good for me. He denied me that job and I was so angry with God, but later on, he actually gave me a much better job. The Israelites demanded and tested God stubbornly.
PRAYER
Lord, teach me how to wait on you patiently.
REFLECTION
Why do you think people test God?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

THE SECRET TO PRODUCTIVITY Poem Devotional

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August 19________________________________________
Our people must learn to do good by meeting the urgent needs of others; then they will not be unproductive. – Titus 3:14 (NLT)
THE SECRET TO PRODUCTIVITY
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you find yourself doing and yet not completing?
Are you trapped in tasks that you are not accomplishing?
Is your day full of yourself instead of your sisters and brothers?
Are you able to meet the urgent needs of others?
The secret to productivity is to serve one another
It reduces your selfishness when you care for others
When you cater to other’s needs, you sow fruits
It allows the Spirit to bring into fruition God’s truth.
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Have you ever find yourself into a whole day of activities and yet feel at the end of the day that you were fruitless? I have spent many days of unproductivity. I think we should be well aware that the enemy’s goal is to steal, kill and destroy us. One of the easiest thing to steal from us is our time. He does it very subtly by suggesting to do worthless things and to listen to all his lies so that we get wrapped up in the cycle of the mind. He delays and wants us not to make decisions when we are faced with challenges. He wants to paralyze us into being productive. The antidote to productivity is to meet the urgent needs of others according to the bible.
PRAYER
Lord, forgive me for my selfishness.
REFLECTION
What kind of activities keep us from doing God’s will?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com