TROUBLES PRODUCE GLORY Poem Devotional

Posted on June 11, 2014 by ilmaarts

June 11 The Power of God’s Word
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever.
–2 Corinthians 4:16-17(NLT)
TROUBLES PRODUCE GLORY
A poem and essay by ILMA
Does trouble bring you down?
Do you constantly feel consumed and bound?
When we are beset by tribulations
We need to focus on God’s love and salvation.
Though our bodies are dying
God is constantly renewing
Troubles may seem disheartening
Yet it produces for us a glory that is astounding.
I grew up surrounded by people who constantly complained. It was a common thing to hear criticisms and demands from members of my family. It seems like there is never enough one can do to satisfy the expectations of someone. The worst thing is that these expectations were all unspoken and hidden. Thus, trouble and conflicts thrived greatly in our household. Yet, something inside me told me to never give up. I didn’t realize then that it was God’s spirit who walked me through my life’s troubles.
The bible tells us that we must never give up when we encounter troubles. It is so small in comparison to the glory that is awaiting us when we die for Christ.
PRAYER
Lord, let me see trouble as a stepping stone to glory.
REFLECTION
How can troubles strengthen us?

HOW TO RECEIVE GOD’S MERCY Poem Devotional

Posted on June 10, 2014 by ilmaarts

June 10 The Power of God’s Word

But I will be merciful only if you stop your evil thoughts and deeds and start treating each other with justice; only if you stop exploiting foreigners, orphans and widows; only if you stop your murdering; and only if you stop harming yourselves by worshiping idols. -Jeremiah 7:5,6(NLT)

HOW TO RECEIVE GOD’S MERCY

A poem and essay by ILMA

Are you in need of God’s grace and mercy?

What does it take to receive his promises and be happy?

If you despise unfair treatment and advocate justice

The Lord will keep his promises and grant you peace.

If you treat orphans, widows and foreigners kindly

He will meet all your needs and bring your prosperity

If you stop harming yourselves by worshipping idols

He will fill your life with bounty and make you very capable.

“Mercy is like a judge finding you guilty, but then withholding any punishment. Grace is getting something you could never have imagined; an unfathomable gift.!” – I was struck by this in Acts 17:11 article on the web. It clearly defines the word mercy and grace.

God talks to Jeremiah in chapter 7 how we are to receive God’s mercy. He gave a list of requirements to fulfill to be able to access it:

Stop evil thoughts and deeds
Treat each other justly
Stop killing
Stop worshipping idols

PRAYER

Lord, grant me mercy.

REFLECTION

Why do you think God gave requirements to grant mercy?

CLEANSED BY CHRIST’S BLOOD Poem Devotional

Posted on June 9, 2014 by ilmaarts

June 9 The Power of God’s Word
Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean and our bodies have been washed with pure water.–Hebrews 10:22 (NLT)
CLEANSED BY CHRIST’S BLOOD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do your sins make you remorseful and wallow in guilt?
All you need to do is confess them and let Christ clean it
Because of grace, mercy and the love of God
Our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood.
Let us go right into his presence with sincere hearts
As we believe, he renews our mind to have a fresh start
Our bodies have been washed with pure water
We will be redeemed and join his kingdom that lasts forever.
Are you guilt ridden most of the time? Are you hard on yourself and others? Are you critical and judgmental of yourself and others? If you say yes to these three questions, you must be living in guilt. One of the devil’s tactics is to make you stay guilty and not confess your sins. He likes to steal our peace and joy.
The bible tells us that Christ’s blood have been sprinkled on us when we believe. There is no reason for us to stay in guilt because Christ paid for our sins at the cross.
PRAYER
Lord, keep me free from guilt.
REFLECTION
How can guilt be an invitation to the enemy?

ANTIDOTE TO GREED Poem Devotional

Posted on June 8, 2014 by ilmaarts

June 8 The Power of God’s Word
Greed causes fighting trusting the Lord leads to prosperity–Proverbs 28:25 (NLT)

A poem and essay by ILMA
Whenever you cater to your selfish nature
You compromise your integrity and stature
Greed causes conflicts and trouble
Trusting the Lord gets you out of the rubble.
Trust the Lord for it leads to prosperity
Seek him first and you will live in honesty
Bring to him all that you have and he will multiply
The Lord is faithful, all your needs, he will supply.
Greed has been the cause of many conflicts in people’s lives. Sadly, the world has propagated the concept of selfishness in many ways. We are bombarded by marketing strategies disguises wants as needs in order to feed our egos. If our lives are not focused on God, we will easily fall prey to these temptations.
The bible tells us that greed causes fighting but trusting the Lord leads to prosperity. There are many stories in the bible that shows this truth. Cain killed his brother Abel, Saul plotted to kill David; David desired another woman so badly that he killed the husband; Judas sold Jesus because of greed. Many nations have been at war because of greed. The love for control and power is so prevalent in our society. Faithfulness in the Lord will break all poverty.
PRAYER
Lord, keep me away from greed and let me trust you more.
REFLECTION
How can you avoid greed?

SIN WHISPERS TO THE WICKED Poem Devotional

Posted on June 5, 2014 by ilmaarts

June 5 The Power of God’s Word
Sin whispers to the wicked deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all. In their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they really are.
–Psalm 36:1-2 (NLT)

A poem and essay by ILMA
Are your thoughts pure or awful?
Is your heart clean and faithful?
Sin whispers to the wicked deep inside
They do not follow God and abide.
They have no fear of the Lord
They only care to give themselves applaud
They cannot see how wicked they really are
Sin has allowed them to be isolated and far.
Have you ever experienced the cruelty of wicked people? They can easily hurt someone so pure. They have no reverence for the Lord. All they care about is to cater to their desires and cave in to sin. They have no idea that they are sinning because they have totally been blinded by the enemy to live in the lie that they are their own gods. Pride had been deeply indoctrinated in their hearts to give an objective evaluation of their evil ways.
The bible tells us that sin whispers to the wicked within their hearts. They have no fear of God. In their blind conceit, they cannot even see how wicked they really are. They have been blinded by their pride.
PRAYER
Lord, give me a pure and humble heart that seeks you.
REFLECTION
Why is humility our greatest tool to combat sin?

WALK IN FREEDOM Poem Devotional

Posted on June 4, 2014 by ilmaarts

June 4 The Power of God’s Word
I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments.
–Psalm 119:45(NLT)

A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you walk in love or in fear?
Is your mind constantly stirred?
Do you allow the Spirit to bring you wisdom?
Are you faithful to walk in love to gain freedom?
The commandments will release you from bondage to sin
Obedience to his commands keeps you strong and empowers you within
Walk in freedom by devoting yourself to God’s truth
It frees you from slavery to anything that has taken root.
Generational sins, curses and patterns are attitudes, actions, beliefs, behaviors, and/or habits that we have inherited from our family or relatives. We then “enter into” the same sin pattern and make it our own. It is usually repeated throughout our life as well as by individuals in successive generations. It took many decades before I was released from generational sins passed on in my family of origin. I am thankful to God for breaking the patterns in my family through me. It didn’t exempt me from the effects of these generation sins, but God used it to reclaim me and my entire clan. The bible tells us that freedom is the result of devoting our lives to following God’s commands. Obedience will protect us from the bondage to sin.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to obey you always.
REFLECTION
Why is obedience an integral part in our salvation?

LOVE GOD ABOVE ALL Poem Devotional

Posted on May 31, 2014 by ilmaarts

May 31 The Power of God’s Word
If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. –Matthew 10:37 (NLT)
LOVE GOD ABOVE ALL
A poem by ILMA
Do you spend more time honoring your father and mother?
Do you take time to pray and be with your heavenly father?
What preoccupies your mind and heart?
Do you invest in spending time with God or stay apart?
If you love your sons or daughters more than the Lord
You do not deserve to be worthy of his love and his word
Love God above all else and you will reap a harvest
He promised all will be will if you make him first.
There are many kinds of things that we can idolize such as a house or a car that we love so much, but what if it is a loved one that is your idol? When you have a family, it is good to be in a healthy relationship with them, but when you prioritize your parents or children more than God, then you are not worthy of being called God’s people. The bible says that we must put God first in all. His command says that we love him first, then our neighbors as ourselves.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to make you first in everything.
REFLECTION
Why should we prioritize God?

FAITH MAKES YOU RECEIVE THE SPIRIT

Posted on May 28, 2014 by ilmaarts

May 28 The Power of God’s Word
You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. –Galatians 3:2 (NLT)
FAITH MAKES YOU RECEIVE THE SPIRIT
When you received Christ as your savior
You also got his spirit living inside your heart and soul
Faith makes your heart the home of Christ
It protects you from the devil’s tactics and lies.
The spirit of God will teach and guide you
It helps your mind to be aware and renewed
It protects you from going against God’s will
It defends you from the enemy’s ploy to steal.
Ephesians 6:12 says: For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. This means that there is a constant spiritual war that we don’t visually see, but is real. How can we win a battle when we don’t know how the enemy’s strategies? The devil has kept many people living in lies that gave him a foothold on their hearts. They became his slaves.
The bible tells us that faith makes us receive the Spirit of God. It is the first step to allowing the spirit to work and strengthen us to win the spiritual battle of unseen forces. It is the spirit that corrects us and teaches us to do right.
PRAYER
Lord, let your spirit stay in my heart.
REFLECTION
Why is faith essential in salvation?

EXAMINE YOUR WAYS

Posted on May 28, 2014 by ilmaarts

May 27 The Power of God’s Word
Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord. Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven. –Lamentations 3:40-41 (NLT)
When things don’t go well in your life
Do you examine your ways or continually fight?
Do you resort to blaming and pitying yourself?
Why not confess instead and ask God for help.
When rebellion and disobedience dominate your heart
Everything is a struggle no matter where you start
Lift your heart and hands to God in heaven
He will protect and provide you with a haven.
Do you examine your ways on a daily basis? Many people do not reflect on what they think and do. Actions speak out our minds and hearts. Our decisions and reactions are greatly influenced by what preoccupy our minds. If we constantly think of negative things, the results will be destructive choices. On the other hand, if we renew our minds and feed it with the truth that comes from God, we will reap all the promises he has made to us. We will harvest the fruits of the spirit and have peace and joy.
In Lamentations, we are summoned to examine and test our ways and turn back to the Lord. We must lift our hearts and hands to God in prayer and supplication.
PRAYER
Lord, hold captive my heart and mind.
REFLECTION
Why is it important to examine our thoughts and ways regularly?

WISDOM BUILDS, FOOLISHNESS DESTROYS Poem Devotional

Posted on May 26, 2014 by ilmaarts

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