Tag Archives: ILMA’s Poem Devotional

CONSEQUENCES OF SELF-RELIANCE Poem Devotional

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June 23________________________________________
But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me; you will soon fall down in great torment.
-Isaiah 50:11 (NLT)
CONSEQUENCES OF SELF-RELIANCE
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you think that you can live on your own?
Have you reaped the harvest of what you’ve sown?
Watch out if you live in your own light
It will soon be extinguish and be out of sight
If you think that you can live without God’s insights
You will fall in great torment and will never be right
The consequences of self-reliance is damaging
It leads to sin; hearts are constantly hardening.
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I have lived so many years of my life being independent and self-sufficient. I took pride in individuality and not asking help. I thought that it was a good thing to owe nothing to anyone. I was made to believe that successful people never depended on anyone but themselves. Self-reliance is a concept generated by this materialistic world. In God’s economy, the opposite of independence is what God requires from us. He wants us to be totally dependent on him for everything, just like an infant or a child would be to their parents.
The bible warns those who live in their own light. The consequences of self-reliance is fatal and destructive to the hearts and minds of believers. It hardens the heart.
PRAYER
Lord, keep me focused on your light alone.
REFLECTION
How can a believer practice total dependence 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

THE POWER OF SILENCE Poem Devotional

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June 22________________________________________
But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise.
-Matthew 27:14 (NLT)
THE POWER OF SILENCE
A poem and essay by ILMA
How do you respond to an allegation?
Do you defend yourself without hesitation?
Do you flare up in anger in response to accusations?
Do you resist to react to lies that lead to rejection?
When Jesus Christ was betrayed and persecuted
Like a lamb, he was silent and never reacted
No matter how much charges they hurled at him
He made no response and didn’t give in to sin.
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What do you do when someone slander you or accuse you of something you never did? Before I was a born again Christian, I used to react instantly without thinking. I learned to be reactionary from someone I lived with for so many years. This is why the bible cautions us to stay away from angry people because we can easily learn their ways. Words rain from my mouth when someone spread lies and rumors about me. I always confront people when they attack me. I had a friend, who never said a word whenever people say negative things about him and I used to tell him, that he needs to fight for his right. God dealt with my reactions one day.
Jesus was a great example of the power of silence. He never made a response to all the charges against him. He prayed for them instead.
PRAYER
Lord, teach me to forgive instantly.
REFLECTION
How do you respond to accusations?
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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

KEY TO LIFE Poem Devotional

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June 21________________________________________
You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. – Deuteronomy 30:20 (NLT)
KEY TO LIFE
A poem and essay by ILMA
Have you been living life to the fullest?
Are you walking on the path to happiness?
Make a choice to serve the Lord your God
You will find peace and joy if you bring him laud.
Commit yourself firmly to Jesus Christ
Serving and obeying him the key to your life
It is in him that you will have wisdom and insight
Only in Christ can you be godly and be right.
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Have you ever pondered how you live your life? I lived many decades of my life feeling empty and always running. I didn’t know that the cause of such emptiness is because I didn’t obey the Lord and commit myself to him fully.
How many people live their lives without knowing the key to it? Many just go through the motions of life without even giving it a thought. The philosopher Socrates said “An unexamined life is not worth living.” I agree with this saying. There is a thin line between a meaningful life and a worthless one. Obeying and committing yourself to the Lord is the key to life according to the bible. It is the dividing line that makes the difference between a full and an empty life.
PRAYER
Lord, fill my life with you.
REFLECTION
Where is the direction of your life going?
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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

RESCUED FROM EVIL Poem Devotional

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June 19________________________________________
Jesus gave his life for our sins just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. –Galatians 1:4 (NLT)
RESCUED FROM EVIL
A poem and essay by ILMA
We live in a world full of evil
Where pain and suffering is real
Many of us are bonded to sin
But Christ has no sin in him.
Jesus gave his life to recue us
He freed us from bondage and lust
He paid a high price on the cross
Are you accepting him or staying lost?
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Rescue is defined as saving someone from a distressing situation. I lived in the Philippines for 43 years and had witnessed a lot of calamities such as earthquakes, typhoons, fires, and illnesses and accidents. After being exposed to such disasters, one becomes immune to the effects of helplessness and trauma brought about by such experience. You learn to live on survivor mode almost always. When I came to Canada, it was a long time before I actually learned to relax and let go. What I didn’t realize was the aftermath of all those traumas on my whole being. It made me a very independent and self-sufficient person, never depending on anyone but myself. It made me distrustful and always watching my back. Jesus rescued us from this evil world when he died. He obeyed God’s plan to wipe all our sins and be born again.
PRAYER
Remind me to ask your help always, Lord.
REFLECTION
What bondages and sin have God rescued you from?
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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

Beauty for Ashes poem devotional

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June 17________________________________________
To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. – Isaiah 61:3 (NLT)
BEAUTY FOR ASHES
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you mourning over losing someone?
Have you been enslaved by anyone?
How much have you been suffering in this life?
There’s hope for those who cannot see the light.
God promised a crown of beauty for ashes
Jesus received beatings and so many lashes
He died so that sinners can be redeemed
Be joyful, he saved us and cleared us of sin.
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It is not hard to feel despair in this wicked and chaotic world we live in. There are so many hopeless and lonely people. I used to be one when I was bonded to sin. What is ironic is that I thought I was saved but then my life was still full of discontent and longings. I did everything to satisfy my cravings and to provide for all my needs. I didn’t’ realize that Christ had already died for me and that I am free from the darkness of sin. I didn’t have to do anything for him to love me more. He already does and he has died for me already.
The bible talks in Isaiah about the promise of God to those who mourn. He will replace their sorrow with a crown of beauty. He will deliver them from despair.
PRAYER
Lord, help me never to despair.
REFLECTION
Relate a time when you were delivered from hopelessness.
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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

ALL BECAUSE OF OBEDIENCE Poem Devotional

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June 16________________________________________
And through your descendants, all nations of the earth will be blessed, all because you have obeyed. – Genesis 22:18 (NLT)
ALL BECAUSE OF OBEDIENCE
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you struggle following God’s commands?
Has there been much trials from life’s demands?
All because of one man’s obedience
Abraham became God’s preference
Because he followed without question
God made him father of all nations
When obedience becomes paramount
Blessings will be poured out in much amount.
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Obedience is defined as compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another’s authority. Obedience is very important in families, organization, companies, and in our relationships. Without it, chaos, confusion, rebellion and conflicts. When children do not obey their parents, consequences of their wrong actions rebound on them. When Christians do not follow God’s commands, they separate themselves to him through sin. No wonder, God made a big deal of obedience. He chose Mary to be the mother who bore Jesus because of her obedience. Joseph became the father of Jesus because he obeyed the instructions of the angel to marry the virgin mother of Christ.
The bible talks about the aftermath of Abraham’s obedience. He became the vehicle for which the people of God became blessed. He was the epitome of faith because he was able to obey God even if it involved giving up his most beloved son, Isaac. As a result. God made him father of all believers.
PRAYER
Lord, instill in me an obedient spirit.
REFLECTION
What hinders you from obeying 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

EVERLASTING LIGHT Poem Devotional

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June 15________________________________________
Your sun will never set: your moon will not go down. For the Lord will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end. –Isaiah 60:20 (NLT)
EVERLASTING LIGHT
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you grieving over the loss of someone?
Do you feel alone or sometimes want to run?
Are you living in total darkness and confusion?
Have joy, Christ will be your light in all seasons.
The sun will never set nor the moon go down
The Lord will be your everlasting light all year round
Your days of mourning will come to an end
His eternal life will just be around the bend.
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Have you ever been excited over an expected outcome? I used to look forward to finishing a project I first brainstormed in my mind. Even as a child, I started to be exposed to my aunt’s sewing which initiated my creative thinking. As I look at other people’s clothes, I imagine in my head how these clothes must have been put together. I would be obsessed by it until I actually visualize how they will be finished if I made them. The expectancy of executing what was in my mind motivated me to relentlessly finish a project. When it is done, it feels ecstatic.
In Isaiah 60, the Lord promises Jerusalem its future glory after all that it went through. He promised them everlasting light. In other words, never ending bliss.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your faithful promises.
REFLECTION
Which promises of God do you eagerly await?
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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

RELENTLESS Poem Devotional

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June 13________________________________________
Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. – Matthew 7:7 (NLT)
RELENTLESS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you have a need that hasn’t been met?
Are you in bondage and afraid of death?
Are you hungry to be loved and accepted?
Have you been abandoned or rejected?
Relentlessly ask the Lord and he will answer
Keep on seeking and you fill find it later
The door will open if you keep on knocking
The Lord will reveal himself if you keep on seeking.
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Persistence is one of my traits. I don’t stop until I find what I am looking for. I don’t easily give up when I want to do something. I can be relentless oftentimes especially when it entails creativity. Sewing was my first taste of creativity. I grew up with an aunt who was a seamstress and just kept on watching her sew. By age 9, I can sew my own clothes from undoing some of my old clothes. I figured out how to sew by destroying some of my clothes and redoing it again like a puzzle.
The bible tells us to be relentless in our prayer requests and in seeking the Lord. It is in our persistent diligence that we get answered prayers and blessings poured out on us.
PRAYER
Lord, give me courage to be diligent.
REFLECTION
When was the last time you prayed persistently and got answers?
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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

MADE RIGHT BY FAITH Poem devotional

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June 12________________________________________
Therefore since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.- Romans 5:1 (NLT)
MADE RIGHT BY FAITH
A poem and essay by ILMA
You don’t have to do much but have faith
It will make you right and bring good fate
When Jesus Christ died for us on the cross
He cleansed us from sin and brought back the lost.
We can have peace if we believe
We can choose Him and receive
We are made righteous by our faith
We are made holy by God’s grace.
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I grew up in an environment where criticism was the norm and affirmation hardly was ever given away. No matter how hard I tried to do the right thing, I always fell short of my family’s expectations. I grew up bitter and resentful. I became a pessimist and was very hard on myself.
Until a few years ago, God revealed to me the spirit of performance and approval that had enslaved many years of my life. He stirred my heart and told me that I don’t have to do anything for him to love me more. He already does. The bible says that it is only in our faith that we are made right in God’s sight and that we can have peace because Christ has already died for us.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your sacrifice on the cross.
REFLECTION
What struggles do you have that keeps you from experiencing peace?
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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

MAY GOD’S WILL BE DONE Poem Devotional

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June 11________________________________________
Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true. “- Luke 1:38 (NLT)
MAY GOD’S WILL BE DONE
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you struggle to hear God’s voice?
Are you constantly faced with a choice?
If you are a servant of the Lord
You will want to bring him laud.
It is meditating on his words that you see
He will speak to you directly and clearly
He will make you understand his plans
If you will follow the footsteps of his Son.
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When the angel Gabriel announced to Mary about her conception of the son of God, she was confused and disturbed at first (Luke 1:29). She had questions about how her conception will happen when she was a virgin. She didn’t have an argument with Gabriel. It was enough for her to hear that it is the Holy Spirit’s power that will do everything planned by God. She obeyed despite her confusion.
How often do we just obey like Mary did? Oftentimes when we are presented with circumstances beyond our understanding, we wallow in the perplexity of the situation. I sometimes fall into analysis and human reasoning and most of the time, it paralyzes me to just do what needs to be done.
Mary was a great model of obedience and this is probably why God chose her to be the person to bring Christ into this world.
PRAYER
Lord, teach me obedience.
REFLECTION
What stops you from obeying 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