Tag Archives: poetry

SEARCH AND YOU’LL FIND Poem Devotional

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March 9
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I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me. – Proverbs 8:17(NLT)
SEARCH AND YOU’LL FIND
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you seek the Lord with all your heart
You will find him, he will stay and never depart
He loves all those who love faithfully seek him
He shows himself to them and grants them peace.
Whenever you hunger for knowing Jesus
You will know that he considers you very precious
Search and you will find, ask and it will be given
If you follow his will, you’ll have a taste of heaven.
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Have you ever lost something and had a hard time finding it? Many times I struggle to remember where I put something. I am usually a very organized person but when I get overwhelmed with “busy-ness” and lack of sleep, I fail to have a mind that is clear and focused.
The bible tells us that God is love and that he loves us all. Proverbs 8:17 gives us more reassurance that when we search or seek him, he will show himself to us. Though God loves us unconditionally, he also rewards those who faithfully loves him and manifest their devotion by hungering for him and having a personal relationship with him and the people around them. How many times did we fail to see the Lord’s will in our lives because we were so busy chasing other things instead of seeking him?
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PRAYER
Lord, help me prioritize you first in all that I do.
REFLECTION
How come some believers struggle knowing their purpose in life?
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

TRUTH IS SIMPLE AND CLEAR Poem Devotional

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March 8
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My words are plain to anyone with understanding, clear to those with knowledge.
– Proverbs 8:9(NLT)
TRUTH IS SIMPLE AND CLEAR
A poem and essay by ILMA
The word of God is truth
It frees us from what is untrue
Truth is simple, clear and not complex
It brings us freedom and is never fuzzy.
Scriptures is plain to those with understanding
It is vague to the lawless and those living in sin.
Truth exposes lies and sets a person free
Sin makes us blind and bound to slavery.
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Some people find it hard to read the bible and get something out of it. One of the reasons they fail to benefit from Scriptures, is because they are treating it like any other ordinary book. They fail to see that it extraordinary and has life in itself. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that all Scriptures is God-breathed and is there to guide us, teach us, correct us when we do wrong and provide a way out. In other words, it is like a map so that we can navigate effectively this corrupt world. Since it is unlike any other book, it should be read differently. It is through God’s word that we learn more about the character of God and how he wants us to live. He reveals to us many things in this powerful book. Only those who seek him will hear his voice and will understand it.
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PRAYER
Lord, let your Holy Spirit never depart from my heart and mind.
REFLECTION
Why do you think it is hard for unbelievers to comprehend Scriptures?
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

CHOOSE PEACE OVER CONFLICT Poem Devotional

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March 6
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Don’t pick a fight without reason, where no one has done you harm. -Proverbs 3:30(NLT)
CHOOSE PEACE OVER CONFLICT
A poem and essay by ILMA
A true believer pursues peace at all times
Conflicts or arguments, he doesn’t find
When someone has done you wrong
Pray and gently confront the person.
Don’t pick a fight without reason
Jesus will never overreact to treason
He kept silent instead of retaliating
He chose peace over all kinds of fighting.
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Psalm 34:14 asks us to turn from evil and do good, to seek peace and pursue it. Hebrews 12:14 says that we must make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy.
Romans 14:19 tells us to aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. James 3:18 states that those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. Why do you think God asks us to choose peace over conflict?
In English, the word peace means an absence of civil disturbance or hostilities or a personality free from internal or external strife. The bible meaning of peace is deeper than this English definition. The Hebrew root “slm” means to be complete or whole or to be well. No wonder we are commanded to pursue it. Peace is not just a passive result of not having conflicts. It is a state of wholeness that God wants us to always be experiencing.
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PRAYER
Lord, show me whenever my peace is being compromised.
REFLECTION
How can a person literally pursue peace on a daily basis?
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

EXUDE YOUR LIGHT Poem Devotional

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March 4
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Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine in you.
– Isaiah 60:1(NLT)
EXUDE YOUR LIGHT
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you exude the light that comes from Christ
Your heavenly Father is going to transform your life
Let your light shine for all the people to see
It will glorify your Lord and he will set you free.
Darkness can never hide in God’s light
He exposes all evil as he shines so bright
Radiate your love for it will bring many to Christ
Jesus’ radiance manifests in all of believers’ lives.
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I’ve been a photographer for almost three decades now. The camera lens consists of one or more precisely shaped pieces of glass or plastic called elements. Its main function is to focus and direct the incoming light. The light coming through the elements is “bent” or directed to the image sensor where the information about the light is captured
The camera lens is an extremely important part of the camera. That is because the type of lens and the quality of the lens being used will contribute greatly to the sharpness and overall appearance of the picture.
I’d like to compare the role of light in producing great pictures through the lens. Just like how important light is in photography, we also need to exude God’s light so we can affect other’s lives and make a difference.
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PRAYER
Lord, help me to always exude your light to everyone I meet.
REFLECTION
How can a believer exude God’s light in practical ways?
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 SERVING WELL Poem Devotional

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March 3
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You must show appreciation to all who serve well. -1 Corinthians 16:18(NLT)
ON SERVING WELL
A poem and essay by ILMA
Those who serve the Lord and others devotedly
They show how much they love God faithfully
When we do it to others as we would do it for the Lord
We are following his command and bringing him laud.
Let us applaud those who serve faithfully
They are exuding love and humility
Only by serving others can we prove we love Jesus
It shows that we value others as very precious.
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One of the most taken for granted job is the service industry. Many people look up to higher positions in their chosen field because it pays more money and gives them prestige and power. Somehow the idea that leading others by being in top positions will make others respect them more. We live in a world where “service” is something to be ashamed of. Power and positions are given value while serving others are for those who are poor and uneducated.
In God’s economy, it is the opposite. Jesus’ ministry focused on serving others. Jesus was the epitome of “servant leadership.” He didn’t flaunt his power and authority. Even though he was God, he served his own disciples. He shepherded his flock by guiding them and catering to their needs. He championed serving others. We must show appreciation to those who faithfully serve others with much love.
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PRAYER
Lord, show me never to miss an occasion to serve others.
REFLECTION
How can serving others be a ministry for the Lord?
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

WHEN TO GIVE Poem Devotional

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March 2
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On the first day of each week you should put aside a portion of the money you have earned. -1 Corinthians 16:2(NLT)
WHEN TO GIVE
A poem and essay by ILMA
To give is more blessed than to receive
We honor the Lord when we give
On the first day of each week
A portion of our wage we must give.
When you cheerfully give, you are praising him
It keeps you from selfishness and all kinds of sins
God is generous to provide us all our needs
Why don’t we make him first when we give?
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Billy Graham said “We have found in our own home, as have thousands of others, that God’s blessing upon the nine-tenths, when we tithe, helps it to go farther than ten-tenths without His blessing. Other Christians who tithe do so simply because they respect the Old Testament principle and find it a helpful place to begin in their giving. The matter of your giving is between you and God, and He always takes into account our circumstances. He knows when they are beyond our power to direct and control. The important thing is that we see giving as a privilege and not a burden. It should not be out of a sense of duty, but rather out of love for the Lord and a desire to see His kingdom advanced.”
When you prioritize giving to God’s kingdom, you are honoring him.
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PRAYER
Lord, give me a cheerful heart to give.
REFLECTION
What hampers people from giving generously to God’s kingdom?
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

SAVED FROM EMPTINESS Poem Devotional

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March 1
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God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors.
– 1 Peter 1:8(NLT)
SAVED FROM EMPTINESS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you still living an empty life?
If you want to be free, run to Jesus Christ
He ransomed us from this emptiness and isolation
He rescued us from desolation and brought us salvation.
We can walk away from bondage into freedom
Why not believe him instead and choose his kingdom?
God paid a high price so you can live a life that is free
Seek him, you ‘ll have peace and never feel empty.
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There were five decades of my life spent feeling empty. I tried to fill the desolation through achievements, performance, seeking approval and finding love in the wrong places. Because of the degree of the pain that came with this emptiness, I made many wrong choices and decisions which kept me in bondage to sin for many years. When I hit rock bottom, that’s when I finally heard God’s call to me. The Lord revealed to me the cause of such loneliness. In 1 John 4:8, I learned that God is love and those who do not live in love does not know God. I realized that I felt empty because I wasn’t seeking him and was disobedient to his will. He showed me that I have been freed from emptiness when Jesus died on the cross for me.
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PRAYER
Lord, show me how to share the miracle when you freed me from emptiness.
REFLECTION
Why do you think so many people feel empty inside them?
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

NOWHERE TO HIDE Poem Devotional

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February 28
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The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.
– Proverbs 20:27(NLT)
NOWHERE TO HIDE
A poem and essay by ILMA
When the light of the Lord penetrates your spirit
There is nowhere to hide, better seek it
God’s light pierces your entire being
It exposes your heart and every little thing.
Why do you keep on running and hiding?
Let him change you, instead of keeping on sinning
The Lord sees all of your hidden intentions
Repent each time you succumb to temptations.
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Have you ever kept running from something you feared so much? There were many decades of my life that I did this because I feared rejection and abandonment. Whenever I get close to someone, I would self-protect so I can ensure that I won’t be hurt. So, even before this person can prove their love for me, I already had a strategy to run. It became a coping mechanism so I can protect myself from possible people who would reject, abandon or neglect me. It was a tiring way to live because there are no healthy or lasting relationships. I wasn’t able to give others to get close enough to hurt me. It wasn’t a good way to live life with people whom you have relationships with.
I did this avoidant act also with God because I was full of shame from disobeying him. But I had nowhere to hide from his great love for me.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for unceasingly shining your light on me.
REFLECTION
Why do you think people hide from God’s light?
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

MY FORTRESS Poem Devotional

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February 27
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God is my strong fortress, and he makes my way perfect. – 2 Samuel 22:33(NLT)
MY FORTRESS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Why do you doubt the Lord’s faithfulness?
He supplies you your strength, he is your fortress
Why don’t you have enough faith, he saved you
He gave you his life and made you born again and new.
The Lord is our fortress, he makes our way perfect
He loves us so much, he rescues us and protects
Rely only on him and you will have victory
Depend on yourself and you will die slowly.
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Fortress is defined as a fortified place, a stronghold, especially a large and permanent fortification sometimes including a town. A fortress is a large building or complex of buildings used as a military stronghold. In a military sense, a fortress is often called a “fort.” Forts are built in order to secure a nation from infiltration or attack from another nation or enemy. They are walls to defend the country from invasion and capture.
My country of origin was the Philippines and we have forts that was built so that the Spanish conquistador will remain our conqueror, until the British came and took over the fort, and later on the Americans.
The bible tells us that the Lord is our strong fortress. He makes our ways perfect and only in him are we assured of victory over the enemy’s tactics.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for being my fortress.
REFLECTION
How can abiding in the Lord ensure your victory over the world’s corruption?
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

UNWAVERING MERCY Poem Devotional

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February 26
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Whenever your people turned and cried to you again for help, you listened once more from heaven. In your wonderful mercy, you rescued them many times.
– Nehemiah 9:28(NLT)
UNWAVERING MERCY
A poem and essay by ILMA
Have you ever been forgiven again and again?
The Lord gives you mercy seventy times seven
He gives you forgiveness afresh each morning
He listens to your cry for help as you are praying.
He is faithful to understand you and give you grace
He never fails to hear the pleas of the human race
Run to his throne and he will never fail you
He is all-loving, he always rescues and renews.
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One of the hardest things to do is to forgive someone who has done you wrong. Human nature makes us respond to hurt in a vengeful reaction. We react to pain with either a flight or fight response. In Exodus 21, we hear that an eye for an eye is how we should respond to a fight. In Matthew 5, we hear the teaching that we must not resist an evil person but if someone slaps us on the right cheek, we must offer the other cheek. Does this mean that we are to allow ourselves to be abused? It means that we need not avenge ourselves from the wrong done to us, but forgive instead. The Lord grants us mercy without cease. Why can’t we do the same for others?
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PRAYER
Lord, give me the grace to grant forgiveness to those who have wronged me.
REFLECTION
How do you know that you have already forgiven someone?
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