Tag Archives: ILMA’s Poem Devotional

ECCLESIASTES 4 THE VANITY OF ENVY & DISCONTENT

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September 8
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ECCLESIASTES 3
16 Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. 18 I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. 19 For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. 20 All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him? – Ecclesiastes 3:16-22
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ECCLESIASTES 3 FINDING PEACE AND JOY IN WORK AND LIFE
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
If we look at this world we live in, we can be discouraged and scared
Injustices and wickedness abound and righteousness is a novelty and is rare
We can be consumed by the fear of the unknown and the danger around us
The future may seem so dark and desperately bleak and hopeless
We can worry ourselves to death and think about what’s going to happen
But all of these futile things humans do make their lives full of chaos and sadness
It is useless to worry about things that hasn’t come yet; we are not in control
Let us remember that it is a sin to be anxious; it shows our mistrust to the Lord.
Humans can be so concerned with their work and find their own value through it
But it can also make us lose our peace and joy if we do it for its own sake
The Lord gave us all the ability to work and to be productive in our lives
But if that gift of toil becomes an obsession, then we lose our joy and peace
Let us all be thankful that we have been made in God’s image and be fruitful
If we let God’s Spirit guide our lives, we will bear the Spirit’s fruit and be useful
Jesus is the only source of peace in this world; without him, we will perish
Count your blessings and all your abilities and opportunities and you will flourish.
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REFLECTION
• How can man easily turn a gift from God into a source of anxiety and worry?

ECCLESIASTES 3 GOD IMPRINTS ETERNITY IN MAN’S HEART

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September 7
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ECCLESIASTES 3
9 What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away. – Ecclesiastes 3:9-15
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ECCLESIASTES 3 GOD IMPRINTS ETERNITY IN MAN’S HEART
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
God loved man so much that he made him like him
He made everything beautiful in God’s own time
The Lord designed mankind so he will long for him
This is God’s imprint of eternity in man’s heart.
Whether a man knows God or not, he is designed for eternal life
This is why we have a sense of what is right or wrong inside us
Those who don’t know God would call it gut feeling or conscience
But for those who love God, they know that it is the Spirit’s guidance.
When we pursue material things, we fail to recognize eternal things
If we truly examine our hearts, we will trace this truth inside us
Everything that we receive from God is a gift to get closer to eternity
But because of sin, we fail to truly walk in the Spirit towards our maturity.
Do you find yourself wanting to end suffering and long to be with the Lord?
That too, is a manifestation of that imprint that he has put in our hearts
Let us then, remember that we are made to spend eternity with him
Let’s not be enmeshed by this world’s constant lure to rebel and sin.
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REFLECTION
• What are some of the manifestations of eternity in man’s heart?

ECCLESIASTES 3 A TIME FOR EVERY MATTER UNDER HEAVEN

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September 6
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ECCLESIASTES 3
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.– Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
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ECCLESIASTES 3 A TIME FOR EVERY MATTER UNDER HEAVEN
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
God made all things at certain times
He created the light and call it day
When the day ends, he called it night
These are some of the boundaries he made
The Lord is a God of order; he won’t allow chaos
He gave life to us, but because of sin, we will also perish.
God gave us a chance to repent so we can be alive again
He gave us his only Son so we can be cleansed and be reborn
He created us in our mother’s womb so we can be alive at birth
Then, he allowed us to grow but there’ll be a time for our end
There is a time and season for all things in this life on earth
There is no reason to cling to one time, that is just how he made it to be.
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REFLECTION
• What happens when we cling on to a certain season that we go through?

ECCLESIASTES 2 DO MEN VIEW LIFE IN LIGHT OF ETERNITY

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September 5
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ECCLESIASTES 2
24 There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, 25 for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? 26 For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. – Ecclesiastes 2:24-26
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ECCLESIASTES 2 DO MEN VIEW LIFE IN LIGHT OF ETERNITY
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
Every morning when you wake up, are you preoccupied with habits?
Are you automated when it comes to the things in your daily life?
Humans make so much fuss about what will give him pleasure or not
Are you living a life that has true meaning in the light of afterlife?
Does your work and goals in life make you wiser each day?
Do you do things for someone else’s benefit or only for yourself?
Men work very hard just so he could hoard wisdom, wealth and power
He even prays regularly to receive much blessings and favor.
What is the point of all the meaninglessness that life has to offer?
Is there a reason for living or do we exist on earth just for pleasure?
If the Lord has a purpose for our lives, how come we live for ourselves?
Did he create mankind so that we can pleasure ourselves with what he gave us?
Do we even care to find out why we are here according to God’s plan?
Do we stop to examine our hearts to see God’s imprint in us?
All that this earthly life gives us is to chase after what is transitory
Life on earth is all useless if it doesn’t view it in light of eternity.
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REFLECTION
• What can change your worldview of life into the light of eternity?
• Why do humans like to focus much on the pleasures of life rather than pleasing the Lord?
• What are automated practices and mindsets that make our lives meaningless?

ECCLESIASTES 2 THE POINTLESS VEXATIONS OF HUMANS

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September 4
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ECCLESIASTES 2
18 I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, 19 and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21 because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? 23 For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity. – Ecclesiastes 2:18-23
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ECCLESIASTES 2 THE POINTLESS VEXATIONS OF HUMANS
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
Each day that comes, man seeks to pursue recognition and control
He works very hard so that he can fulfill all his cravings and desires
He chases wisdom and wealth so he can have a taste of power
He toils so that he can pass on and leave a legacy to his children
Man worries about the inheritance he would leave behind
Would they be handed over to those who deserve it?
Restless and in despair of not knowing what happens to their legacy
The pointless vexations of humans are futile and this makes it all vanity.
Humans get consumed by what he chases after
Like a ball, he goes around and around in circles
He worries about so many things in this life
As his vexations pile up, he becomes vexed by his death
What is the point of all these worries and anxieties?
It is the meaninglessness of what this life offers
Only God’s steadfast love can pacify these vexations
He alone can complete us and get us off from desolation.
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REFLECTION
• Where does anxiety and vexations stem from?

ECCLESIASTES 2 DEATH IS INEVITABLE & LIFE IS FLEETING

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September 3
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ECCLESIASTES 2
12 So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. 13 Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. 14 The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. 15 Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. 16 For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! 17 So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. – Ecclesiastes 2:12-17
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ECCLESIASTES 2 DEATH IS INEVITABLE & LIFE IS FLEETING
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
Whether we live our lives chasing after wisdom
Or if we hold on to a life of reckless abandon
We will inevitably face death as it is a part of this life
Fools or wise, rich or poor, we will all eventually die.
The wise has his pursuit of wisdom and chase it with passion
The fool chooses to walk in darkness, chaos and deception
But they all will come to the same culmination, their life ends
So, what is the point of all this striving? It is just meaningless.
If our purpose in life is to chase dreams or be reckless
Is it worth living since our lives will eventually vanish?
What if we live for someone who will give us a life without end?
Won’t our lives be worth living if we have assurance of eternity?
Physical death will then be a welcome thought because we will be united with Christ
Our lives will be with purpose and no longer vain when we serve the One who was Risen
Fear of failure, death and being not good enough will no longer haunt us
We will see then that life is not our master, but it is Jesus, who is our Savior.
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REFLECTION
• Why do some people fear death? How should believers view death?

WHY DO YOU HIDE YOURSELF? ILMA’S VLOG

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April 19
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WHY DO YOU HIDE YOURSELF?
10 Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
Let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
3 For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,
And the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD.
4 In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;
All his thoughts are, “There is no God.”5 His ways prosper at all times;
Your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
6 He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
Throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”
7 His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
Under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
8 He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;9 he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;
He lurks that he may seize the poor; he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.
– Psalm 10:1-9
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We hear the psalmist’s lament as to how God hasn’t shown himself in his current situation. There is almost a sound of desperation as he enumerates how the poor have been pursued by the arrogant and wicked people. He clearly states how the greedy and evil people have boasted about their defiance of a God and how they blindly think that they are immovable. He also emphasizes how these wicked people murder the innocent and helpless individuals. He can’t understand why God isn’t doing anything about it.
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ADORATION: Praise the Lord for his steadfast love that endures forever.
CONFESSION: Forgive me Lord for being so impatient and angry when violence prevails.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for giving me an opportunity to witness these suffering.
SUPPLICATION: May all those who witness the needy and poor being discriminated act on God’s command to free the oppress.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think God allows the poor and vulnerable to suffer?

FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING ILMA’S VLOG

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April 17
________________________________________FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING
Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
From everlasting to everlasting, you are God. 3 You return man to dust
And say, “Return, O children of man!” 4 For a thousand years in your sight
Are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.
5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
Like grass that is renewed in the morning: 6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
In the evening it fades and withers.7 For we are brought to an end by your anger;
By your wrath we are dismayed.8 You have set our iniquities before you,
Our secret sins in the light of your presence.
9 For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
– Psalm 90:1-9
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This community lament is written by Moses, probably during the time of Deuteronomy, as they were about to cross the Jordan River and enter the Promised Land. This lament is addressed to the next generation after Moses have led the people, which are their parents out of Egypt through the crossing of the Red Sea which was parted for them- and yet they rebelled, so God swore that they would not ever the land (Numbers 14:20-36). The psalm recalls how God have been their dwelling place in all these generations and admits their rebellion. As a consequence of such lawlessness, they are suffering the wrath of God.
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ADORATION: You are a God from everlasting to everlasting. You are the alpha and omega.
CONFESSION: Forgive me Lord, when I unknowingly rebel against you.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for your faithfulness even though at times I am not loyal.
SUPPLICATION: May all God’s people remember what God has done for their ancestors and live in obedience to God’s laws.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it pointless to hide sins from God? What is the importance of confession and repentance in a believer’s life?

LET US GO TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD Poem Devotional

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February 13
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LET US GO TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!”
2 Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3 Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together,
4 To which the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD,
As was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5 There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! “May they be secure who love you!
7 Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!”
8 For my brothers and companions’ sake I will say, “Peace be within you!”
9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God I will seek your good. – Psalm 122:1-9
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This psalm is one of the 15 Songs of Ascents, sung by worshipers who were on their way up to the temple. It shows the joy of being God’s chosen city, Jerusalem and being in the house of the Lord to worship. The Songs of Ascents include Psalms 120-134.
The song begins with an invitation to all the pilgrims to set on a journey to go to the house of the Lord. The style of writing which the psalmist wrote this song is personification, giving human attributes to Jerusalem. The pilgrims were alluding to the way the city was built firmly and how it was designed to seat the thrones of the house of David in verses 3-5. Then the pilgrims say a prayer of peace and security for the whole place. It stresses in the last verse that because of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, the people will seek to do what is right. We see how special the temple is to be located in their city.
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ADORATION: Praise to your faithfulness O, Lord! You built your temple amongst your holy people. You are generous and loving. We rejoice for your provision.
CONFESSION: Forgive me when I defile the temple of the Lord with my sinful nature.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for living inside me when I accepted you as my Savior.
SUPPLICATION: May all believers remember to keep their hearts, mind, body and spirit pure as it is the temple of the Lord. May they be united with other believers in worship.
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REFLECTION
• How is keeping oneself holy and being united with other Christians a form of worshiping the Lord? Why is it important to go to the body of Christ?