April 15
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YOU O LORD ARE GOOD AND FORGIVING
Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.
3 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
Abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.6 Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;
Listen to my plea for grace.7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.
8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours.
9 All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord,
And shall glorify your name.– Psalm 86:1-9
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The ESV student study bible says that this is an individual lament of David in a situation win which a band of insolent men seek his life. It confesses of God’s goodness and mercy. He also acknowledges in verse 5 that his own sins may have contributed to his enemies’ plans. I love how David honestly runs to the Lord for help and acknowledging his neediness. His trust in the Lord is astounding and so is his deep knowledge of the character of the God he serves. He is confident that because of God’s goodness and mercy, he will deliver him from these men seeking to kill him. His humble heart has never failed to confess and admit his sinfulness, yet it never stopped him from depending on God and hoping that God will keep his promise to redeem and protect his beloved faithful servants.
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ADORATION: Praise be to the God who is the Good and full of forgiveness. Bless his heart.
CONFESSION: Lord, you are the God who saves and graciously grant mercy.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for always being there for me especially when I need protection and deliverance.
SUPPLICATION: May all God’s people have a dependence and confidence in the Lord.
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REFLECTION
• How can we develop confidence instead of succumbing to fear in times of trouble?
• What do you think is David’s secret in asking boldly the Lord for help?
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DELIVER & PROTECT ME FROM MY ENEMIES ILMA’S VLOG
April 13
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DELIVER & PROTECT ME FROM MY ENEMIES
Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me;
2 Deliver me from those who work evil, and save me from bloodthirsty men.
3 For behold, they lie in wait for my life; fierce men stir up strife against me.
For no transgression or sin of mine, O LORD,
4 For no fault of mine, they run and make ready. Awake, come to meet me, and see!
5 You, LORD God of hosts, are God of Israel. Rouse yourself to punish all the nations;
Spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. 6 Each evening they come back,
Howling like dogs and prowling about the city.
7 There they are, bellowing with their mouths with swords in their lips—
For “Who,” they think, “will hear us?”8 But you, O LORD, laugh at them;
You hold all the nations in derision.9 O my Strength, I will watch for you,
For you, O God, are my fortress. – Psalm 59:1-9
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In 1 Samuel 19, we hear an account how Saul tries to kill David. He even talked to his son Jonathan who was a friend to David to plot for his life. But Jonathan warned David so he fled from Saul. In verse 11, Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning, but David’s wife, Michal told her father’s plot to kill him, so David fled through the window that night. In this psalm, David pleads to God to be delivered from these enemies who want so much to kill him. He describes how they are bloodthirsty and howling like dogs and prowling about the city. We still witness David’s trust and dependence on God despite all these evil and wicked men who want him dead. He declares that God is his fortress and he is confident that he will be protected and delivered from these enemies by his faithful God.
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ADORATION: Praise the Lord, our faithful protector and deliverer. He is mighty to save.
CONFESSION: Forgive me when I succumb to panic or fear when I am attacked by evil.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for your steadfast love and protection.
SUPPLICATION: May all God’s people remember to run to him for deliverance and victory over the plots of the enemy.
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REFLECTION
• How do you deal with people who scheme and plot evil to you?
I WILL CAUSE YOUR NAME TO BE REMEMBERED ILMA’S VLOG
April 12
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I WILL CAUSE YOUR NAME TO BE REMEMBERED
10 Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear:
Forget your people and your father’s house,11and the king will desire your beauty.
Since he is your lord, bow to him.12 The people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts,
The richest of the people. 13 All glorious is the princess in her chamber,
With robes interwoven with gold. 14 in many-colored robes she is led to the king,
With her virgin companions following behind her.
15 With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king.
16 In place of your fathers shall be your sons; you will make them princes in all the earth.
17 I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations;
Therefore nations will praise you forever and ever. – Psalm 45:10-17
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This hymn celebrates a royal wedding and in verse 10-12 the song turns to the bride. Her loyalty now is to her husband, the king and no longer to her father’s house. The song speaks of the king’s enduring line. The marriage of a Davidic king is not a private matter. It is crucial for the fulfilling of God’s promises, not simply to Israel but to the nations.
In this psalm, we see how the princess is encouraged to be loyal to her king because she isn’t in her father’s house anymore. It shows that she is to submit to her king and her sons will be the replacement for her father. It is essential that she contributes for her king to be remembered.
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ADORATION: Praise the Lord, the king of heaven and earth.
CONFESSION: Forgive me Lord each time I don’t follow authority.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for giving us leaders who can rule over us.
SUPPLICATION: May all people submit to their rulers and leaders as they would to the Lord Jesus Christ.
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REFLECTION
• Why should women submit to their husbands and be faithful to them? Why is a woman’s submission to her husband essential in a marriage?
MY HELP AND MY DELIVERER! ILMA’S VLOG
April 9
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MY HELP AND MY DELIVERER!
I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog,
And set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.
4 Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud,
To those who go astray after a lie!5 You have multiplied, O LORD my God,
Your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.
6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear.
Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me:
8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” – Psalm 40:1-8
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This psalm of David manifests his total dependence on God. It also shows how he is so much patient. We know that patience is a fruit of the Spirit and so we can actually deduce that he is a led by God’s Spirit to constantly hope for God’s deliverance. He praised the Lord for his help and deliverance, something David has never failed to exude. Even in the direst situation, he still praises the Lord. His confidence must have come from his deep intimate relationship with his Lord and Deliverer. He even blessed those who put their trust in the Lord and proclaim him as the only God who is incomparable with any other gods.
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ADORATION: Praise our Lord, our Help and our Deliverer! He is steadfast and faithful.
CONFESSION: Forgive me Lord whenever I fail to trust you especially in times of troubles.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for letting me experience adversities so I can rely on you and grow my faith and endurance.
SUPPLICATION: May all the people of God trust only in the Lord who delivers us from evil.
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REFLECTION
• How can David still delight to do God’s will in the midst of attacks from his enemies? How can we develop a patience and confidence in God like David?
THE RIGHTEOUS GOD ILMA’S VLOG
April 8
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THE RIGHTEOUS GOD
8 The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness
And according to the integrity that is in me.
9 Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous—
You who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God! 10 My shield is with God,
Who saves the upright in heart. 11 God is a righteous judge,
And a God who feels indignation every day.12 If a man does not repent,
God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow;
13 He has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief
And gives birth to lies.15 He makes a pit, digging it out,
And falls into the hole that he has made.16 His mischief returns upon his own head,
And on his own skull his violence descends.
17 I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness,
And I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High. – Psalm 7:8-17
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In this psalm of David, he emphasizes how God is a righteous God. He judges people according to their integrity. The Lord is the only one who knows everything. He knows what we are thinking even before we think of it. He sees our hearts and every intention we have is never hidden from him. This psalm gives us a reminder how to live righteously so that we do not have to contend with the consequences of wrong choices and actions. If we love the Lord, we will do what is right and true. We will give him glory for being a just judge and a rewarder of good.
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ADORATION: Lord, you are worthy of praise and glory, you are righteous and just.
CONFESSION: Forgive me when I fail to choose the right thing at times.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for your truth that keeps me in check with staying right.
SUPPLICATION: May all Christians never forget that all our actions have consequences and that we have a righteous judge who rewards good and punishes evil.
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REFLECTION
• Why do we have to remember that God hates evil and won’t allow it to thrive?
• Do you think it is fair to punish those who do evil? Why or Why not?
MY REFUGE AND MY FORTRESS ILMA’S VLOG
April 5
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MY REFUGE AND MY FORTRESS
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and buckler.5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
Nor the arrow that flies by day,6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.7 A thousand may fall at your side,
Ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.
– Psalm 91:1-8
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This Psalm is a tender psalm describing the confidence that the believer may have through all types of dangers and challenges. The psalmist manifests a strong trust in the Lord as he declares that the Lord is his sanctuary in times of danger and his stronghold that will protect him from the tactics and attacks of his enemies. He believes that only the Lord will fight for him and if he depends on God’s strength, he will be able to courageously walk through all kinds of dangers, challenges, trials and adversities.
Do we exercise this kind of dependence on God or do we panic or become fearful because we rely on our own strength? This is a great prayer to utter especially now that the whole world is faced with a global pandemic. Instead of trying to figure out how we can beat this coronavirus, why aren’t we letting God take control of things and do our part to depend on him for protection? Why aren’t we making him our refuge and fortress?
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ADORATION: Praise you Lord, for being the God who knows all things and delivers his own people from evil and plague.
CONFESSION: Forgive me when I give in to panic or anxiety over anything that I have no control of. Pardon me each time I try to fix things instead of relying on you.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for your promise of deliverance for your people.
SUPPLICATION: May all believers remember to trust him with all their hearts and mind.
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REFLECTION
• Why do people forget to run to God as their refuge and fortress?
I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD! ILMA’S VLOG
April 4
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I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD!
9 There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
10 I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. 11 “But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not submit to me.12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
To follow their own counsels.13 Oh, that my people would listen to me,
That Israel would walk in my ways! 14 I would soon subdue their enemies
And turn my hand against their foes.
15 Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him, and their fate would last forever.
16 But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”– Psalm 81:9-16
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This second half of this psalm written by Asaph is a reminder to the Israelites that the Lord is a God who is jealous and wouldn’t want any competition. This psalm recalls the proofs that God presents to his people. Asaph reminds them of what God has done for all of them. He delivered them out of Egypt, fed them and provided their needs. Despite all of what God has done, the Israelites didn’t listen to God and continued to have stubborn hearts and followed their own ways. The Lord turned them over to their hardened hearts. Despite all the promised he gave to his people, they still continued with their disobedience.
How easily do we forget that there is only one powerful God who doesn’t want any other idols consuming his own people. He wants loyalty for he is faithful and steadfast in his love for us. In the midst of a global pandemic, isn’t God admonishing us to heed his call and follow his commands? We have been all so busy with modern day idols that we have forgotten who has given us all things and delivered us from evil.
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ADORATION: Bless the Lord who reproves his people and save them.
CONFESSION: Forgive us for not making you the center of our lives.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for the reproof to heed your call Lord.
SUPPLICATION: May all of God’s people give up stubborn and hard hearts.
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REFLECTION
• Why do humans forget that God is the only one in control of their lives?
OH, THAT MY PEOPLE WOULD LISTEN TO ME ILMA’S VLOG
April 3
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OH, THAT MY PEOPLE WOULD LISTEN TO ME
Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob!
2 Raise a song; sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp.
3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day.
4 For it is a statute for Israel, a rule of the God of Jacob.
5 He made it a decree in Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt.
I hear a language I had not known: 6 “I relieved your shoulder of the burden;
Your hands were freed from the basket. 7 In distress you called, and I delivered you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
8 Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
– Psalm 81:1-8
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The ESV study bible’s commentary on Psalm 81 says that this psalm resembles the Old Testament prophets’ oracles, so perhaps it is best to think of it a s a prophetic hymn. The primary function of the Old Testament prophets is to challenge God’s people to covenant faithfulness. They tell of covenant blessings or punishments that will come depending on the people’s response.
The new moon and full moon are the beginning and middle of months in ancient Israel. This may show that the psalm was intended for the feast day of Trumpets (Lev 23:23-25), where the Israelites were instructed to have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation and they shall not do any customary work on it; and shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.’” It may also be intended for the feast of Booths (Lev 23:33-36) where they shall dwell in booths for seven days so that the generations may know that God made the Israelites dwell in booths when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.
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ADORATION: Praise the Lord for being faithful to deliver his people
CONFESSION: May all believers heed God’s instructions and commandments.
THANKSGIVING: Let us be grateful for a God who provides all our needs and our salvation.
SUPPLICATION: May all of God’s people listen to all that God cautions them with.
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REFLECTION
• Why do many people not heed the admonishments of God?
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE GOD IS THE LORD!
April 2
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BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE GOD IS THE LORD!
9 I will sing a new song to you, O God; upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
10 Who gives victory to kings, who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, whose mouths speak lies
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12 May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars
Cut for the structure of a palace; 13 may our granaries be full,
Providing all kinds of produce; may our sheep bring forth thousands
And ten thousands in our fields;14 may our cattle be heavy with young,
Suffering no mishap or failure in bearing; may there be no cry of distress in our streets!
15 Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD! – Psalm 144:9-15
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This psalm asks the Lord to be delivered from those who continually lie and bewitch others. It also declares the character of God who delivers his people from the hands of foreigners whose purpose is to bring lies. It is a prayer of blessing for God’s people’s offspring in verse 12. It also is a prayer for being blessed with bounty in verse 13 and for protection in verse 14. It speaks of the privilege of being a people whose God is the Lord Almighty.
It is sad that many Christians nowadays fail to bless their families at different stages of their lives and special occasions. Many of us have forgotten the promises that God has made to his people through blessing declarations. Maybe we could learn from the Jews as how blessings is almost a part of their daily lives, whether they eat, drink or in the face of many natural events. By doing so, they acknowledge that God is involved in everything. Isn’t this something Christians should practice as well?
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ADORATION: Bless the Lord for all that He is, powerful, mighty and steadfast in his love.
CONFESSION: May all those who believe in the Lord make God a part of all their lives.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for all the promises and bounty you pour on your people
SUPPLICATION: May all of God’s people involve the Lord in everything they do.
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REFLECTION
• What does a prayer of blessing do to someone? Why is it a good practice to do?
MAN’S DAYS ARE LIKE PASSING SHADOW ILMA’S VLOG
April 1
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MAN’S DAYS ARE LIKE PASSING SHADOW
Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle;
2 He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer,
My shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.
3 O LORD, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him?
4 Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.
5 Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down! Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
6 Flash forth the lightning and scatter them; send out your arrows and rout them!
7 Stretch out your hand from on high; rescue me and deliver me from the many waters,
From the hand of foreigners, 8 whose mouths speak lies
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.– Psalm 144:1-8
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During this time of global pandemic, many of us begin to think that our days are like passing shadows. We have no assurance in this world because we are not created for this earth. We are just passing through in this world but many of us forget that because we become familiar and comfortable with our lives here on earth. We are distracted constantly to focus on things that are really not important. Sometimes we get consumed by our love for our families or with possessing and accumulating things so we can feel valued by others. We easily forget that we were all created to serve our Creator. He made us for himself. We are not our own and yet we continue to control our lives. We believe in lies that we can protect ourselves or that we have the answers to everything. We forget that man is like a breath and his days are like passing shadow. Let us remember to praise the Lord. Let us bow down to him who always wants what is best for us.
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ADORATION: Bless the Lord for creating man in his image. Praise him for his creation
CONFESSION: Forgive me whenever I get distracted with the noise and the lust of this world.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for giving me value by claiming me as your child.
SUPPLICATION: May all people recognize that our lives are fleeting and we are like a mist. We are here now and gone tomorrow. May we glorify God by the way we live.
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REFLECTION
• How can we not lose focus on the purpose of our lives here on earth?