Tag Archives: poetry

EVIL SCHEMES BOUNCE BACK Poem Devotional

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Nov 24
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If you set a trap for others, you will get caught in it yourself. If you roll a boulder down on others, it will crush you instead. -Proverbs 26:27(NLT)
EVIL SCHEMES BOUNCE BACK
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you succumb to the temptation of hurting others
You run the risk of the consequence of losing one another
If you set a trap for others, you will get caught in it yourself
Forget your own little schemes and don’t focus on the “self”.
Whatever you do to your sisters and brothers
It will be given back to you by others
Think only of pure and righteous things
It will bring you strength to overcome sin.
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I’d like to quote an article about karma by Fritz Chery. Many people ask if Karma is biblical and the answer is no. Karma is a Hinduism and Buddhism belief that says your actions determine the good and the bad that happens to you in this life and the afterlife. Karma is associated with reincarnation, which basically says what you do today will determine your next life. With Karma you get what you deserve. In Christianity Jesus got what you deserve. Grace is the opposite of Karma. Karma isn’t found in the Bible. Instead, Scriptures talk a lot about reaping and sowing. Reaping is the result of what we’ve sown. Sow evil and you will reap it. Do good and you’ll gain it.
PRAYER
Lord, let me never entertain evil schemes.
REFLECTION
How can the law of sowing and reaping affect a Christian’s 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

DON’T BE DAZZLED BY EXTERNALS Poem Devotional

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Nov 23
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Smooth words may hide a wicked heart, just as a pretty glaze covers a clay pot.
-Proverbs 26:23(NLT)
DON’T BE DAZZLED BY EXTERNALS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you easily swayed by what you hear and see?
Don’t be dazzled by externals, search for what’s real
Smooth words may hide a wicked heart
Just as a pretty glaze covers a clay pot.
Externals may hide what is really true inside
Some people are not authentic, they try to hide
The fruit of the Spirit manifests in a heart that is pure
The godly will see the truth and they cannot be lured.
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Many of us humans are very visual. We are easily dazzled by what we see on the outside. Sometimes we put so much emphasis on the externals rather than what is inside someone’s heart or mind. The enemy knows this weakness that is in all of us mortals. This is why he uses many beautiful things on the outside just to lure us into bondage. He dazzles us with drama and grandiosity. He lies to us and cons us into accepting his lies so he can trap us into moving to his camp. The minute we entertain more externals and physical stuff, we open the door for the enemy to easily infiltrate us. The bible warns us to be wary of smooth talkers. They may easily be hiding a wicked heart.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to focus more on the spiritual and unseen rather than the physical things.
REFLECTION
Why do you think we are cautioned into being dazzled by externals?

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

OUTCOME OF LOVING PLEASURE Poem Devotional

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Nov 22
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Those who love pleasure become poor; those who love wine and luxury will never be rich.-Proverbs 21:17(NLT)
OUTCOME OF LOVING PLEASURE
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you always seek to gratify yourself?
Do you give generously or give others’ help?
Those who love pleasure become poor
Obsessing to get your wants makes you a fool.
Those who love wine and luxury will struggle
It makes it hard for them to go through a hurdle
Poverty results from obsessing and loving pleasures
Aim for riches in heaven instead of worldly treasures.
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Philippines was my country of origin which was under the rule of Spain for 300 years. We were westernized by this conquest and we were influenced so much by it. I lived long enough to see the aftermath of being colonized. Filipinos learned colonial mentality. A colonial mentality is the attitude that colonized people feel themselves to be inferior to their colonizers based on the fact of colonization. Colonial mentality is most evident in the preference for Filipino mestizos (primarily those of mixed native Filipino and white ancestry, but also mixed indigenous Filipino and Chinese, and other ethnic groups). As a result of being conquered, we learned to fight to overcome poverty and oppression. We became obsessed for entitlements to alleviate the bondage and poverty.
We are cautioned about the outcome of loving pleasure. Pleasure in itself isn’t bad but obsessing it results in poverty.
PRAYER
Lord, please let me never take my focus out of you.
REFLECTION
What happens when we become obsessed with gratifying ourselves?
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

THINK BEFORE YOU ACT Poem Devotional

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Nov 21
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The wicked bluff their way through, but the virtuous think before they act.
-Proverbs 21:29(NLT)
THINK BEFORE YOU ACT
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you always react before you think?
Don’t do anything first, allow the thought to sink
Whenever you respond to something or a situation
Reflect on what the truth is so you can avoid temptations.
The wicked bluff their way through every chance
The virtuous think before they act on each circumstance
Prudence allows you to think before you act on something
It helps you from being foolish and automatically reacting.
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I have known many people who do not think before they act. It has cost them so many troubles and challenges in life because they are oblivious to what is going on. Our brain contains billions of nerve cells arranged in patterns that coordinate thought, emotion, behavior, movement and sensation. While all the parts of our brain work together, each part is responsible for a specific function — controlling everything from our heart rate to our mood. The difference between humans and animals is that we can think and make decisions. We have a will and we can communicate by speaking what we want to say and reason. We are not like animals who do things only instinctively.
We must think before we act so that we don’t suffer consequences of our actions and choices. The godly acts with caution but fools don’t think.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to think before reacting or doing something.
REFLECTION
What happens when we don’t think before we act?
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

HASTE MAKES MISTAKES

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Nov 20
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Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes. -Proverb 19:2(NLT)
HASTE MAKES MISTAKES
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you always want to get things done quickly?
Do you find yourself always running in a hurry?
It is no good to have enthusiasm without knowing
It is wise to seek counsel before you start doing.
Fools do things without planning and meditation
It brings about chaos and leads to destruction
Haste leads to troubles and mistakes
It wastes time and leads to high stakes.
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We live in a very fast paced world. Fast food, fast money, fast relation, fast manufacturing, and many more. Everyone wants to be gratified instantly. No one waits patiently anymore. When we want something, we want it right away, without delay. No wonder we make wrong choices and suffer the consequences of these foolish hasty decisions.
I know someone who is always in a hurry. It is so hard to be with this person because you feel like you are always in their way. When I make conversation with her, I feel like she doesn’t hear a thing I say because she is already on her way to do something else. It is stressful to have a relationship with someone who is always in a hurry. The bible says that we need to treat others kindly. We need to be enthusiastic yet wise and not hurry to avoid mistakes.
PRAYER
Lord, teach me how to do things with enthusiasm and discernment.
REFLECTION
When was the last time you did something in a hurry and regretted the result?
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

HOW TO GAIN WISDOM Poem Devotional

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Nov 19
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If you stop listening to instruction my child, you will turn your back on knowledge.
– Proverbs 19:27(NLT)
HOW TO GAIN WISDOM
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you allow yourself to learn from wise persons?
Do you heed experienced people’s instruction?
If you seek knowledge and truth in God’s word
You will be able to victoriously live in this world.
You need humility and obedience to gain insight
Pride and arrogance keeps you away from God’s light
Pursue it and never turn your back on knowledge
You will discover that it will bring you lots of privileges.
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In this day and age, we are bombarded by so much information. Gone are those days when people go to a library to read and research about something. Now, everything is at your fingertips. Just open your computer and voila, the internet will give you lots of data to choose from. Sometimes it is a good thing and yet we still have to check the validity of such sources and find out whether they are legit or not. We need to discern which ones are telling the truth and which ones are fabricated. The only way we can gauge authenticity is by knowing God’s word. If you know the truth, it will set you free from all forms of lies and deception in this world. Heed God’s instructions and you’ll gain knowledge. Listening to instructions brings you closer to wisdom.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to be able to heed your instructions always.
REFLECTION
What blocks people from pursuing wisdom and knowledge?
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

PEACE BRINGS HEALTH Poem Devotional

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Nov 18
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A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones.
– Proverbs 14:30(NLT)
PEACE BRINGS HEALTH
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are there troubles lurking in your life?
Is darkness covering God’s light?
Are there some sins you need to confess?
Do you pursue peace that brings good health?
You are compromising your health when you envy
It is like cancer in the bones, this thing called jealousy
Embrace peace like you would your beloved
It will bring you a balanced life that is so sacred.
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There are 7.6 million deaths each year worldwide brought about by cancer. Many different types of cancer are caused by various genetic and environmental factors, but there is also, one that is mostly missed out: repressed emotions and unexpressed anger.
Research conducted by the University of Rochester and Harvard School of Public Health found that people who suppress anger have a 70 percent higher risk of dying from cancer. A University of Michigan study found that suppression of anger predicted earlier mortality in men and women.
Ephesians 4:26 tells us to be angry and yet not sin. We should not let the sun go down while we are still angry. So, when we don’t, it gets piled up and repressed. We lose our peace. We compromise our health both physically and spiritually. Discontent and jealousy is also like cancer to the bones. It eats us up.
PRAYER
Lord, show us how to pursue peace at all cost.
REFLECTION
Why do you think lack of peace affects our health?
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

CONSEQUENCES OF HARD WORK

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Nov 17
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Work hard and become a leader, be lazy and become a slave. – Proverbs 12:23(NLT)
CONSEQUENCES OF HARD WORK
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you diligently work hard towards a balanced life?
Are you content and grateful that you live in God’s light?
When you work diligently and faithfully, you become a leader
When you succumb to laziness, you become a loser.
The consequences of your hard work is a life of freedom
The result of laziness and complacency is usually boredom
Hard work entails patience and persistence
Laziness only breeds poverty and impatience.
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There are many positive consequences of those who work hard. They are able to get paid for their hard work. People rely on them because they are stable. They have food to eat, and place to sleep because they are responsible to provide for their own needs. They won’t be without provision because God honors those who work hard. They become leaders because people see the good examples they set, a life of diligence, persistence and integrity. They become role models for others to emulate.
On the other hand, lazy people becomes poor because they do not want to exert effort to meet their own needs. They rely on others to do things for them. They usually want much but get little according to Proverbs 13:4, but those who work hard will prosper. The lazy are slaves and have no freedom.
PRAYER
Lord, please help me to never stop using all the resources you gave me.
REFLECTION
What do you think is the root cause of laziness?
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 ONE LOVES MONEY Poem Devotional

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Nov 16
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Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.
– Proverbs 11:28(NLT)
WHEN ONE LOVES MONEY
A poem and essay by ILMA
When a person becomes obsessed with money
The focus is to get more of it to have plenty
The love of money is the root of all evil
It opens a very wide door for the devil.
When you trust in your money, and down you go
If you trust in the Lord, there is always an overflow
The godly flourish live leaves in the spring
Making money your first is clearly a sin.
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Matthew 6:19-20 says “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.” We are warned of the danger of accumulating worldly wealth because they don’t last forever. We are asked to store treasures in heaven instead so that they cannot be stolen or be destroyed. The next verse concludes “For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be. Many people do not see that it is sin to love money. Money in itself is not bad. We need money so we can have physical comforts and needs satisfied, but to be obsessed with it is idolatry which is putting it first than God.
PRAYER
Lord, guard my heart from greed.
REFLECTION
Share an experience of someone you know loves money so much that it brought about their downfall.
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

SEARCH ONLY FOR THE GOOD Poem Devotional

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Nov 15
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If you search for good, you will find favor; but if you search for evil, it will find you.
– Proverbs 11:27(NLT)
SEARCH ONLY FOR THE GOOD
A poem and essay by ILMA
To those who seek the Lord and his truth
They will find favor and his teachings will take root
If you search for evil, it will find you
If you look for the good, it will renew you.
Search only for the good so you can stay out of trouble
The enemy seeks to destroy you and throw you in a rubble
Seek him and let the Lord be the first priority in your life
It will bless you and cloak you with his dazzling living light.
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Proverbs 23:7 states that as a man thinks, so is he. Dr. Becca Levy, from the Yale School of Public Health, has found some extraordinary benefits of an optimistic outlook. In one study, she looked at 660 people who’d completed a survey about their attitude to aging in 1975, then correlated their responses to the ages at which they died. “We found that individuals with a more positive view of aging tended to live seven-and-a-half years longer than those with more negative views of aging,” says Dr. Levy.
The book of Proverbs suggests that you must search for the good to find favor and avoid looking for evil, for it will find it’s way to you.
PRAYER
Lord, let me always look for only the good that comes from you.
REFLECTION
Why are we advised not to search for evil? What happens when we do?
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