Tag Archives: poetry

END TO SIN’S CONTROL Poem Devotional

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January 26
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The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. – Romans 8:3(NLT)
END TO SIN’S CONTROL
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you submit yourself to Christ
You will find victory in this life
The law wasn’t able to save us
Instead it kept us bonded to lust.
God sent his only son as a sacrifice
He did this so we can have eternal life
He brought an end to the control of sin
Let’s exercise dominion over it so we can win.
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The bible tells us that we are all sinners and only the act of Christ’s dying on the cross gave us control over sin. When we commit our lives to Jesus, everything is turned over. We begin to experience power that comes from knowing God’s word. We get be convicted by the Holy Spirit and shown a way to win over temptations. In the Old Testament, the law was the only thing that mattered but when Jesus came to the world, everything changed. We are no longer bound by the law but by love and grace that comes from God’s unfailing love.
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PRAYER
Lord, remind me to exercise the authority you have given me to win over sin.
REFLECTION
Why do some believers live fearful lives in this world?
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

POWER THAT FREES YOU FROM SIN Poem Devotional

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January 25
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So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life giving spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. – Romans 8:1-2(NLT)
POWER THAT FREES YOU FROM SIN
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you committed and gave your life to Jesus
You have been considered very precious
Now, you don’t have to feel condemned
You belong to him and he has redeemed.
In your own strength, you can do nothing
Only God’s Spirit will make you win over sin
Because you belong to him, you live in freedom
He grants this to those who belong to his kingdom.
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We live in a society where there is much emphasis in human power rather than in the power that comes from the only source of life, the Lord Jesus Christ. When new year comes, many people make resolutions to change and better themselves. I used to do this but end up frustrated. I was a fool. I didn’t know the truth that without Jesus, I can do nothing. I loved self-help books that empowered me to do things through their advice. When I became born again, the Spirit corrected that wrong notion that I can do things on my own effort. We don’t give the Lord much credit for what he does. Only his power can free us from sin.
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PRAYER
Lord, always remind me that I am nothing without you.
REFLECTION
Describe a time when you had supernatural power coming from the Spirit of God.
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

GOD’S INTERVENTION poem devotional

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January 24
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For the time has come for me to avenge my people, to ransom them from their oppressors. I was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So I myself stepped in to save them with my strong arm, and my wrath sustained me.
-Isaiah 63: 4-5 (NLT)
GOD’S INTERVENTION
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you are oppressed or depressed
Don’t lose hope for your Lord will be there
Your heavenly Father will intervene in your situation
And you will be amazed at his unwavering devotion.
The Lord will avenge his people and rescue them
He will ensure their oppressors will be incriminated
The Lord will always step in to ransom his people
Run to your Creator and witness his faithfulness.
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Intervention is defined as “to intentionally become involved in a difficult situation in order to improve it or prevent it from getting worse.” Most counselors, social workers, therapists or mediators fulfill this duty to ensure that their clients’ situations are confronted without much damage to them.
When we encounter much trials in life, sometimes God allows us to go through it for he might be teaching us something or strengthening our faith and endurance. In this verse from Isaiah, the Lord stepped up just at the right time to ransom his people from their oppressors. You may not understand why he allows suffering, but God is in control. In his perfect timing, he will rescue you.
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PRAYER
Lord, help me to hold on to your promises during trials.
REFLECTION
When and how did God intervene in your suffering?
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

LIKE A GARDEN IN EARLY SPRING Poem Devotional

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January 23
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The Sovereign Lord will show his justice to the nations of the world. Everyone will praise him! His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, with plants springing up everywhere. – Isaiah 61: 8(NLT)
LIKE A GARDEN IN EARLY SPRING
A poem and essay by ILMA
God’s righteousness is like a garden in early spring
Like plants springing up everywhere, his goodness will be seen
The Sovereign Lord will show his justice to all nations
He will protect all his people from all kinds of temptations.
The Lord is like a gardener who sows his seeds on the ground
His words water each seed so fruits of his Spirit can be found
Praise the Lord for his love, provision and faithfulness
Devote your life to him and you will harvest righteousness.
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I love flowers, plants, trees and gardens. When I moved to Canada from the Philippines, my visual and smell senses were heightened by the variety of colors and scents from God’s wonderful creation. When I migrated to Canada, I had to give away plants that I tended for 15 years back in the Philippines and these people I handed them down to were so grateful. Now that I am surrounded by much gardens and vast landscapes of various plants, flowers and trees, I thank the Lord for such blessings. God’s righteousness is likened to a garden in early spring. It fills the earth with all of his goodness.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your goodness that is everywhere in your creation.
REFLECTION
What can stop us from experiencing God’s righteousness and missing it?

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

A COVENANT WITH THE LORD Poem Devotional

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January 22
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For I, the Lord, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them. – Isaiah 61: 8(NLT)
A COVENANT WITH THE LORD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Have you given your life to Christ?
If you did, he will transform your life
You will no longer compromise
You will look forward for his prize.
He gave you a covenant and will keep his promises
He is faithful to help you in all your weaknesses
Be joyful when you encounter sufferings
You can grow in your faith and keep enduring.
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Have you ever been into an agreement with someone? We usually want to take into consideration what we will gain when we enter into a commitment with someone. We don’t want to get involved with dishonest people or those without integrity. Just like marrying someone, we want to make sure that we are getting tangled with someone who can make us grow. Getting into an agreement with crooks or wicked people will likely turn us to the way they are.
The Lord gets into a covenant with all those who love him. He promises to protect them and take care of them. He especially rewards those who continue to live honest and pure lives. God gives them assurance of his faithfulness by keeping his promises as part of this covenant.
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PRAYER
Lord, deliver me from ungodly and wicked people.
REFLECTION
Why is it important for us to choose carefully those whom we will get into commitment with?
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

CROWN OF BEAUTY FOR ASHES Poem Devotional

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January 21
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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)
CROWN OF BEAUTY FOR ASHES
A poem and essay by ILMA
Have you been grieving for something lost?
You have been promised a crown from the Lord
This crown replaces all the pain from your losses
He will replace all the ashes of death with beauty.
The Lord gives you hope when there is despair
He will bring you to a resolution and find a way
Run to the Lord for all your cares and burdens
He will restore and bring you closer to heaven.
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For five decades, the enemy have kept me in bondage from all the pain that traumatic experiences and losses brought in my life. There were stages in these years that I was in deep despair. I was blinded by the enemy to keep believing the lies that I have learned since I was a small child. I had no idea that there were many promises to those who love the Lord until I became born again and hungered for knowing the truth. The Lord revealed to me many of his teachings to correct all the lies that I was made to believe. In a few years, he delivered me from all the ugliness of my experiences and gave me a crown of beauty.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for recycling all the ashes into the beauty you have made me.
REFLECTION
How can we easily recognize the beauty in the ugly experiences we encounter?
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

END OF MOURNING Poem Devotional

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January 20
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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)
END OF MOURNING
A poem and essay by ILMA
Is there a loss that you are grieving for?
Don’t fret, pray instead and take it to the Lord
God cares for all his people who are suffering
He will give you his light that is everlasting.
The Lord is there to help and give you comfort
Your days of mourning will come to a halt
He loves you and will release you from pain
Your dark days will be over and you will finally gain.
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When you have lost something or someone in your life, it may take a while to recover. Denial of the loss usually makes it longer to heal from it. We can easily deceive ourselves when we refuse to accept that we had a loss. For many decades, I went through so many losses and it was much later that I realized how I used many coping mechanisms such as denial in order to alleviate the pain that came with it. The longer I kept shrugging it and hiding from the agony of it, the further I regressed. We can be stuck in a stage of grieving and hamper us from moving forward. The bible says we must give up mourning and let God’s light shine on us.
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PRAYER
Lord, be with me in my agony and losses.
REFLECTION
How can we deal with grief in a positive way?
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

GOD’S RESTORATION BUSINESS Poem Devotional

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January 18
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Though you were once despised and hated, with no one traveling through you, I will make you beautiful forever, a joy to all generations. -Isaiah 60:18(NLT)
GOD’S RESTORATION BUSINESS
A poem and essay by ILMA
If you felt despised and hated by someone
Don’t feel alone, God sent you his only Son
He will restore your former beauty by his truth
He will make you new and let peace take root.
When you are ignored and neglected
He will refresh you and make you rejuvenated
He loves those who are poor and oppressed
He sent Jesus for you to follow and bring out your best.
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There are many renovation and restoration architectural shows on television these days. What amazes me is one show called Grand Designs where some people would buy properties and very old dilapidated buildings and the hard work they put into restoring or renovating it to something definitely new or to its old glory. God is into the restoration business. The prophet Isaiah talks about the promise of God’s restoration to Israel in this verse. He told them that even if they were once loathed and hated by many other countries, he will make them almost new and bring about blessings and favor to the next generations to come.
God is in the restoration business. Will we put our life and all our resources and invest in his kingdom so we can be restored and renewed?
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for restoring me and making me beautiful again after all the pain I went through.
REFLECTION
How can we participate in God’s restoration business?
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

WOE TO IDOLS & IDOLATRY Poem Devotional

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January 16
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What sorrow awaits you who say to wooden idols, ‘Wake up and save us!’ To speechless stone images you say, ‘Rise up and teach us!’ Can an idol tell you what to do? – Habakkuk 2:19 (NLT)
WOE TO IDOLS & IDOLATRY
A poem and essay by ILMA
What sort of idols are you giving praise?
Is it money, power or any new craze
What sorrow awaits those who have idols
They are making God so very jealous.
When people prioritize other things over the Lord
They lose much by following the standards of this world
Why waste time on things that fade away
Only the Lord is the real God who can save.
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The New Living Translation gives a background to the book of Prophet Habakkuk. He preached during the last days of Judah, before its fall to Babylon in 586 B.C. He foresaw the impending doom and was troubled by two things: why God allowed the people of Judah to sin and how God could use a sinful nation like Babylon to punish Judah. Desperate for answers, Habakkuk boldly and confidently took his complaints directly to God which the Lord replied with righteousness ultimately prevailing despite the impending dark days ahead.
Habakkuk 2:18-19 is a warning to all regarding idols and idolatry. How meaningless it is to put your trust in idols carved by man. He warns the people to give up idolatry for there is much sorrow awaiting them.
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PRAYER
Lord, convict me of any idols in my life.
REFLECTION
What is the gauge that something or someone is becoming an idol?
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

NOT OF THIS WORLD Poem Devotional

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January 15
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My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”
-John 18:36 (NLT)
NOT OF THIS WORLD
A poem and essay by ILMA
We were created by God to live in this world
Yet we are not of this life according to his word
God’s kingdom is something we cannot see
It is a place where we are free and have peace.
Jesus’ kingdom is not one that is earthly
It has dominion over everything you can see
The kingdom of God is invisible yet powerful
You will have a taste of it if you stay faithful.
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For many years, I didn’t actually know the real purpose of my existence. I was being tossed around by the systems of this world and the standards that it has set. I was a slave of performance, work and materialism. I craved for many things and worked hard at getting my desires met. I thought that was what life was all about, until the Lord called me to come back to him. It was when I became born again that I realized that even though I live in this world, it is not the destiny that my Lord have planned for me. God’s kingdom cannot be found in the world we live in.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for letting me take part in your kingdom.
REFLECTION
How can we be authentic believers in this very chaotic world?
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