January 13
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Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD and on his law, he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season,
And its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish. – Psalm 1:1-6
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According to the ESV study bible, the first psalm serves as the gateway into the entire book of Psalms. Those who would worship God genuinely must embrace hi law. They must love the law and see themselves as the heirs and stewards of its story of redemption. This Psalm reiterates some Proverbs as well which show us how to follow the path that the Lord wants us to take and stay away from the wide road to destruction. People of God are likened to a tree that yields much fruit which nourishes others into God’s kingdom.
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ADORATION: Lord, you are so good and so faithful to lead the way to your kingdom. Praise the Lord for his guidance and truth.
CONFESSION: Forgive me each time I take detours and not stay on the path of salvation. Sometimes I listen to my desires and selfish nature. Help me to become more like you daily.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for your word that constantly lead us to your kingdom. Thank you for bringing people to us to lead to you and to get us to do your will.
SUPPLICATION: May all believers choose the road that leads to you and never get distracted by the tricks of the father of lies. May we keep our focus only on you. May the Spirit help us discern when we are being waylaid.
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REFLECTION
• How can you know if someone is a genuine believer?
• Why is it important to meditate on God’s laws day and night?
Tag Archives: poetry
GOD’S BLESSINGS ON MAN’S EFFORTS Poem Devotional
January 12
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GOD’S BLESSINGS ON MAN’S EFFORTS
Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest,
Eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
– Psalm 127:1-5
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A special group of psalms comprising Psalms 120—134 are called Songs of Ascents or also called Pilgrim Songs. The city of Jerusalem is situated on a high hill, that’s why they are called such as they sing these psalms as they were climbing up the hill. The theme of each Song of Ascent offers much encouragement for those who seek to worship God. Psalm 127’s theme is “God’s blessings on Man’s Efforts.” This is a good reminder for all of us. Without God’s blessings, all our efforts will be in vain. Without acknowledging that he is the source of everything, we will be distracted to focus on our efforts instead of on God who gives us all things.
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ADORATION: Praise be to the God who is the source of all things. All blessings and favor come from Him, who is creator of all things.
CONFESSION: Whenever I forget to acknowledge your work in all that I do and all that I have, forgive me Lord.
THANKSGIVING: What a pleasure to receive your gifts and favors despite my sinfulness, Lord. I burst with a grateful heart that lifts up your name forever.
SUPPLICATION: May all of your creation be reminded of the generosity that you so bestow on all those who are faithful to you. May the acknowledgment of such kindness motivate us to give generously to one another as well.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think that all efforts are in vain without God’s blessings?
• What happens when we remove God in the equation of our lives?
THE LORD SURROUNDS HIS PEOPLE Poem Devotional
January 11
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THE LORD SURROUNDS HIS PEOPLE
Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So, the LORD surrounds his people,
from this time forth and forevermore.
3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
on the land allotted to the righteous,
lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong.
4 Do good, O LORD, to those who are good,
and to those who are upright in their hearts!
5 But those who turn aside to their crooked ways
the LORD will lead away with evildoers!
Peace be upon Israel! – Psalm 125:1-5
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The psalmist gives us a picture of how the Lord surrounds his people likening it to the mountains surrounding Jerusalem. The picture of a fortress or a stronghold is what we can imagine in this psalm. God is a protector from enemies and infiltrators around us. He ensures our safety and protects us so we can experience peace even in the midst of everything that may distract or derail our walk with Him.
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ADORATION: Blessings to the Lord. May He continue to shine His light on all of those who are faithful to Him. Glory to the Lord of hosts.
CONFESSION: Forgive me Lord each time I rely on my own strength, especially when I delude myself to think that I can do anything without you.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for the strength and protection you provide all your people. Thank you that you provide even though we forget to ask at times.
SUPPLICATION: May all your people recognize the strongest fortress ever on earth, that is your love and faithfulness.
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REFLECTION
• How can we remind ourselves of the fortress that God has given us each day of our lives, especially during times of attacks from the enemy?
HIS STEADFAST LOVE ENDURES FOREVER Poem Deovtional
January 10
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HIS STEADFAST LOVE ENDURES FOREVER
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!2 Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing! 3 Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!5 For the LORD is good;
His steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
– Psalm 100:1-5
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The word “steadfast” means unwavering, resolute, persistent, committed. The psalmist describes God’s love as steadfast. In this psalm, he invites us to make joyful noise to the Lord and to serve him with gladness. We are also prompted to come to his presence with singing and thanksgiving and praises. Since God created us in his image, we too, can have a steadfast love for God and for others.
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ADORATION: Your steadfast love for all your people is amazing! You are love and everything you made and comes from you is mad out of love. Praise you Lord for your faithful and persistent love for us.
CONFESSION: Forgive me when I forget to love steadfastly and hurry to do things for you. Show me to surrender to love, your faithful love.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for all that you supply me with, especially your commitment to pursue me. Thank you that you bring the people that you want us to walk with in love and in truth.
SUPPLICATION: I pray that you give me more commitment to do your will and to bring truth in spirit and love.
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REFLECTION
• Why is “steadfast love” required from Christians?
• What is the essence of the Christian walk?
• Why is “giving up” the opposite of steadfastness?
• Are believers supposed to give up when we suffer and when we don’t get our agendas met?
THE LORD REIGNS Poem Devotional
January 9
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THE LORD REIGNS
The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty;
the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
2 Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.
3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD; the floods have lifted up their voice;
the floods lift up their roaring.4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters,
mightier than the waves of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty!
5 Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house,
O LORD, forevermore. – Psalm 93:1-5
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The Lord is sovereign. No one else is. It is sad to see many of us humans to want to take that control and somehow think that we can do it. Only the Lord God Almighty can have sovereignty over all his creations. After the fall of Adam and Eve, we became inclined to want to take over that control. In this psalm, we surrender such control to the one and only King Jesus. We praise him for the things and wonders he has done to show us who is the only one who rules justly.
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ADORATION: I praise and glorify only you, Lord Jesus. You are the only one I will bow down as you are the only one who is the beginning and also the end. I worship you alone and will be faithful as you are to me.
CONFESSION: Forgive me each time I listen to myself and cater to my flesh as this is actually bowing down to me and not to you. Help me to keep my focus on you alone and make you first in all things.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for all your guidance and provision in my life. Thank you so much for all the wonders and miracles you have done to manifest your love for me.
SUPPLICATION: Please keep us away from any evil that is going to separate us from you and give us wisdom to see it whenever the enemy starts distracting us. Give us courage to confront it and have victory over the temptation.
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REFLECTION
• Why is making God first in all things very important in our walk as a Christian?
• What is going to happen if we praise the Lord daily and keep our eyes on him?
O LORD, DO NOT DELAY Poem Devotional
January 8
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O LORD, DO NOT DELAY
Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me!
2 Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life!
Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt!
3 Let them turn back because of their shame who say, “Aha, Aha!”
4 May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!”
5 But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay!
– Psalm 70:1-5
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In this psalm, we hear David prays for a haste deliverance from his enemies. David is being pursued by Saul who wants him dead. Despite all the things David did to support Saul, he was sought after by him because of jealousy. Since David was blessed with such strength to win many battles and Saul won a few, Saul’s ego got wounded. We hear David’s humble heart to seek God’s help and acknowledges his neediness before the Lord. Because he has a deep relationship with God, he addresses the Lord with such intimacy to ask him to hasten his deliverance from his enemies. How many of us believers have such confidence in our closeness with God?
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ADORATION: You are our deliverer, our protector! Praise be to the one who has made each one of us. We praise and honor your name, Lord Jesus Christ.
CONFESSION: Forgive me when I run to many things and people who cannot deliver me from the works of the enemy. Pardon my ego when I chase things that I feel insecure about to feed my pride.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for your undying faithfulness to give us protection and direction when we are attacked or when we go astray.
SUPPLICATION: Help us to focus on you always so that we will only come to you for help as you are the only one who knows what is best for us.
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REFLECTION
• Do you have an intimacy with Jesus that you have a confidence like David to pour out your heart and needs?
SEND YOUR LIGHT AND YOUR TRUTH Poem Devotional
January 7
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SEND YOUR LIGHT AND YOUR TRUTH
Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me!
2 For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you rejected me?
Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!
4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. – Psalm 43:1-5
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In this psalm, we discover how the psalmist run to the Lord for protection. How often do we do that today in our world? We have isolated ourselves from God and think that we can live our lives the way we want them without a consequence. The humility and faith of the psalmist is refreshing to hear as he humbly asks God to be taken under his wings. Hope in God is not always evident in many Christians’ lives. We allow the world to corrupt our dependency on God. We don’t always remember to let the truth set us free and end up being comfortable living in bondage to lies.
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ADORATION: You are the God who knows what is best for us. You are protector of all those who love you. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ for the powerful shield you provide.
CONFESSION: Forgive me Lord each time I forget that I need to run to you for truth and light and for protection. Let me never to assume that I can do anything without you.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for all that you do for sinners like me. Even though we don’t deserve it, you always faithfully deliver all your promises to us.
SUPPLICATION: Help us to never entertain thoughts of doing things on our own strength. When I automatically do things independently, please remind me to seek your wisdom.
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REFLECTION
• Why is seeking God for truth and light important to walk in the Spirit?
• Why do we need to worship God in spirit and in truth?
• Are you a true worshiper? How do you worship God in Spirit and in truth?
WHO SHALL DWELL ON YOUR HOLY HILL? Poem Devotional
January 6
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WHO SHALL DWELL ON YOUR HOLY HILL?
O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent?
Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
and speaks truth in his heart;
3 who does not slander with his tongue
and does no evil to his neighbor,
nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
but who honors those who fear the LORD;
who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 who does not put out his money at interest
and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved. – Psalm 15:1-5
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In this psalm, tent and holy hill refers to God’s sanctuary. In other words, the psalmist talks about who are allowed to be in this holy place. Blameless living instead of a life of wickedness is the pre-requisite for that dwelling place of God. He enumerates them as those who do what is right, speaks truth, rends their tongue and does no evil.
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ADORATION: You are worthy of praise for you are the only one who deserves to be lifted up high on a hill. You are majestic in your lovingkindness.
CONFESSION: Forgive me Lord, when I forget to keep holy and follow your ways. Give me a repentant and humble heart always.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you that you always provide many second chances to walk back to your path.
SUPPLICATION: I pray for all believers who are constantly bombarded with a battle with their own flesh and the attacks of the enemy to stay pure.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it important to keep yourself pure for the Lord?
• Do you think you will be allowed to dwell in the Holy Hill by how you live your life?
OUR EYES LOOK TO THE LORD Poem Devotional
January 5
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OUR EYES LOOK TO THE LORD
To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us.
3 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us,
for we have had more than enough of contempt.
4 Our soul has had more than enough
of the scorn of those who are at ease,
of the contempt of the proud. – Psalm 123
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The ESV student study bible notes on Psalm 123 says that this is a community lament. The faithful pilgrims feel themselves to be the objects of scorn and contempt. The psalm goes beyond simply asking for a safe journey. It seeks relief from the scorn. We, believers need to constantly fix our eyes on Jesus so that nothing in this world, not even contempt or scorn will derail us from the narrow path to him who is the way, the truth and the life.
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ADORATION: You are the source of all wisdom and power. I praise and laud you my Almighty Lord and Savior. I love you with as much love I can give. I worship you with all my heart, mind, soul and body.
CONFESSION: Forgive me whenever I succumb to pitying or defending myself from being belittled, insulted or rejected and judged. Let me allow you to fight my battles. Let me remember to be like a child, always holding your hands and letting me be led by you.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for all that you have given me. Do not let any of these gifts be a distraction in my close walk with you. Help me remember the Giver rather than the gift.
SUPPLICATION: Bless me with all the diligence and persistence I need so that I can focus on you, especially in times of trouble. Let me rejoice in times of peace and exult you always.
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REFLECTION
• What do you think God feels when we run to him when we are being ridiculed, rejected or abused?
• Why is the act of running to God for help important for Christians?
COME, BLESS THE LORD Poem Devotional
January 4
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COME, BLESS THE LORD
Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD,
who stand by night in the house of the LORD!
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place
and bless the LORD!
3 May the LORD bless you from Zion,
he who made heaven and earth! – Psalm 134
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The Hebrew word “barak” means “to kneel”. However, when written in the piel form it means to “show respect” (usually translated as “bless”). In this psalm, the servants of the Lord especially those who were in night duty at the house of the Lord brings praise to the Lord. To bless the Lord means to praise or give glory to the Lord. We recognize how the psalmist invites us to bless the Lord with our hands lifted to his Holy Place.
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ADORATION: Bless the Lord, O my soul. Praise you creator of all things. You created all things bright and beautiful. I will exalt you every minute and every second of my life.
CONFESSION: Forgive me Lord each time I don’t lift you up in praise and adoration. Because of selfishness and busy-ness, I forget to focus on you. Instead, I get concerned with my selfish desires and follow the call of the flesh.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you that you have made all creation for Jesus and through Him and with Him. I am forever grateful for the love you showed me when you gave your only Son Jesus, to die for my sins just so I can be free.
SUPPLICATION: I pray for all sinners like me, to learn humility from Jesus. Despite being God, he chose to be human and give up his life for all of us. Help me to decrease and let You increase. Give me courage to say “no” to self-satisfaction, self-preservation, self-protection, approval addiction and self-worship and pride.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it important for Christians to constantly bless the Lord?
• What happens when we forget to worship God on a regular basis?
• Why is vertical focus on the cross instead of the horizontal focus on life situations more beneficial for believers?
• What benefits do we reap when we bless others and praise God?