Monthly Archives: June 2014

THE ONE AND ONLY SOURCE Poem Devotional

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June 18                                                              The Power of God’s Word
They all depend on you to give them food as they need it. When you supply it, they gather it. You open your hand to feed them, and they are richly satisfied. But if you turn away from them, they panic. – Psalm 104:27-29
THE ONE AND ONLY SOURCE
A poem and essay by ILMA
You are the one and only source of life
Without your mercy and love, we will lose light
We all depend on you for food for survival
If you don’t supply our needs, we are bound to die.
We open our hands to receive your provision
We are deeply grateful for your wisdom and vision
Lord, never leave me alone in this world, for I will panic
You are the only reason for my life to be ecstatic.
Have you ever wondered how the birds and the bees and all of living creatures survive and thrive? If you look around nature, you will experience God’s magnificence. He will whisper to you through the gentle breeze. He will shine and make you feel alive as you look at the sun. He will make you feel his presence at the landscape and seascapes around you. Psalm 104 praises the Lord for the provision he gives all his creatures. We all depend on the one and only source of life, God.
PRAYER
Lord, I praise you for your creation.
REFLECTION
Why do we need to magnify and praise the Lord daily?

THE MESSAGE NOURISHES Poem Devotional

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June 17                                                                               The Power of God’s Word
You must give them my messages whether they listen or not. But they won’t listen, for they are completely rebellious. Son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not join them in their rebellion. Open your mouth and eat what I give you.–Ezekiel 2:8,9 (NLT)

A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you hear the message that God sent?
Do you ignore, twist it or bend?
Are you obeying and following his commands?
Do you fight him and constantly demand?
The message comes from your creator
Without his word, you will continually make blunders
Do not join the rebels, open your mouth and receive his message
Consume the truth that will set you free and you’ll be granted courage.
What happens when someone sends you a message? In this Information age, we receive and give messages constantly. Sometimes we are aware of what we send or receive, but there are also moments when we clearly do not comprehend the message we get or give out. Communication barriers are hindrances to receiving the correct information. These hurdles block us from receiving or giving the message clearly.
In Ezekiel, the Lord gives him a message to tell the Israelites to stop rebelling and accept his spiritual food, which is his word. The Lord commands them to receive his message which will set them free.
PRAYER
Lord, keep me constantly hungry for you.
REFLECTION
How is the message our spirit’s nourishment?

POOR BUT RICH Poem Devotional

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June 16                                                                            The Power of God’s Word
Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing and yet we have everything.
–2 Corinthians 6:10 (NLT)
POOR BUT RICH
A poem and essay by ILMA
Be glad when you are in pain, for you are chosen
You are promised a place in God’s kingdom in heaven
Your heartaches here on earth are temporary
Joy will replace that pain on the contrary.
You are poor and yet rich in spirit
Share openly what you have and give it
Be a blessing to others and you will be blessed
The Father gives to those who follow what he says.
The world’s connotation of poor and rich are so different from God’s perspective. Society puts premium on material wealth, power, fame, outward beauty, intelligence and human skills or talents to be considered as rich. It is very different in God’s economy. He considers those who are pure in heart, mind and soul as those who are rich. Those who are undergoing so much pain in life and have lost their way are the poor in spirit. God sent Jesus, to save those who are hurting and lost. The bible tells us that those in pain and are poor must not stop giving spiritual riches to others. Even if they own nothing, they have God’s spirit.
PRAYER
Lord, keep me joyful despite hardships.
REFLECTION
Why are we supposed to bless others?

WHEN CRUSHED AND OVERWHELMED Poem Devotional

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June 15                                                                          The Power of God’s Word
We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. –2 Corinthians 1:8-9 (NLT)
WHEN CRUSHED AND OVERWHELMED
A poem and essay by ILMA
When times are tough and you are crushed
You must rely on God and trust
Even though you feel you can’t endure
You will overcome this trial and mature.
When you are ignored, ridiculed and belittled
Don’t lose hope and be defeated
Stop relying on yourself and turn to God
He has the answers and he will provide.
There are times when I feel so crushed and overwhelmed. It usually is a sign that there is some unmet need or that my expectations are not met. Do you think God expects you to do something for him or be someone that you are not? Many people live without uncovering the lies that was passed on to them by generations of traditions and rituals.
The bible tells us to rely on the Lord, when we are crushed and overwhelmed. God is a god who can raise the dead. In other words, no matter how bad the situation is or how seemingly hopeless it is, God has an answer.
PRAYER
Lord, give me strength to carry on.
REFLECTION
Why is “trusting” God the only solution to overwhelming situations?

THORN IN THE FLESH Poem Devotional

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June 14                                                                 The Power of God’s Word
Even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.
–2 Corinthians 12:7 (NLT)
A THORN IN THE FLESH
A poem and essay by ILMA
As we continue to follow and believe Christ
A thorn in the flesh, we will find
Although we have received revelations
We are not exempt from trials and tribulations.
We are not to become proud so we won’t stumble
We accept the thorn to prompt us to stay humble
God wants us to stay on track
He never wants us to turn our backs.
The interesting part of being a Christian is that we are not free from troubles. Many unbelievers think that believers have more earthly privileges than them. On the contrary, the closer you are with Christ, the more hardships you encounter. As humans, we have limited minds and we will never be able to fathom what God is doing in our lives. Sometimes, he refines us with trials so we can be purified and cleansed just as gold is refined through fire. The bible tells us that even though we have revelations from God, He protects us from becoming proud, so he allows a thorn in our flesh.
PRAYER
Lord, show me how to accept the thorn in my flesh.
REFLECTION
Why do we need to be positive amidst suffering?

PRIORITIZE PREACHING GOD’S KINGDOM Poem Devotional

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June 13                                                                   The Power of God’s Word
Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead. Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.–Luke 9:60 (NLT)
PRIORITIZE PREACHING GOD’S KINGDOM
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you consumed by worries and apprehensions?
Do you find excuses to avoid prayers and devotions?
Are your family concerns more important than your godly duties?
Is your work or career hampering you from divine responsibilities?
You were created to be part of a heavenly plan
Preach God’s truth and follow his commands
Prioritize God and be guided by his word and Spirit
Make him first in everything and you’ll easily overcome defeat.
Many Christians find it hard to prioritize preaching God’s kingdom. Many believers are consumed with earthly duties. It is good to take care of one’s physical needs and responsibly provide for your families, but a follower of Christ must put spiritual duties first and foremost in their lives.
In Luke 9:60, Jesus replied to a man who desired to follow him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead. Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.” This response was to challenge the disciple and show him how much worldly concerns he uses to justify follow Jesus right away. We, believers sometimes get caught up in the world and forget to prioritize our godly duties.
PRAYER
Lord, help me prioritize.
REFLECTION
Why do we need to prioritize God above all things and people?

TROUBLES PRODUCE GLORY Poem Devotional

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June 11                                                                         The Power of God’s Word
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever.
–2 Corinthians 4:16-17(NLT)
TROUBLES PRODUCE GLORY
A poem and essay by ILMA
Does trouble bring you down?
Do you constantly feel consumed and bound?
When we are beset by tribulations
We need to focus on God’s love and salvation.
Though our bodies are dying
God is constantly renewing
Troubles may seem disheartening
Yet it produces for us a glory that is astounding.
I grew up surrounded by people who constantly complained. It was a common thing to hear criticisms and demands from members of my family. It seems like there is never enough one can do to satisfy the expectations of someone. The worst thing is that these expectations were all unspoken and hidden. Thus, trouble and conflicts thrived greatly in our household. Yet, something inside me told me to never give up. I didn’t realize then that it was God’s spirit who walked me through my life’s troubles.
The bible tells us that we must never give up when we encounter troubles. It is so small in comparison to the glory that is awaiting us when we die for Christ.
PRAYER
Lord, let me see trouble as a stepping stone to glory.
REFLECTION
How can troubles strengthen us?

HOW TO RECEIVE GOD’S MERCY Poem Devotional

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June 10                                                                                   The Power of God’s Word

But I will be merciful only if you stop your evil thoughts and deeds and start treating each other with justice; only if you stop exploiting foreigners, orphans and widows; only if you stop your murdering; and only if you stop harming yourselves by worshiping idols.  -Jeremiah 7:5,6(NLT)     

HOW TO RECEIVE GOD’S MERCY

A poem and essay by ILMA

Are you in need of God’s grace and mercy?

What does it take to receive his promises and be happy?

If you despise unfair treatment and advocate justice

The Lord will keep his promises and grant you peace.

If you treat orphans, widows and foreigners kindly

He will meet all your needs and bring your prosperity

If you stop harming yourselves by worshipping idols

He will fill your life with bounty and make you very capable.

“Mercy is like a judge finding you guilty, but then withholding any punishment. Grace is getting something you could never have imagined; an unfathomable gift.!” – I was struck by this in Acts 17:11 article on the web. It clearly defines the word mercy and grace.

God talks to Jeremiah in chapter 7 how we are to receive God’s mercy. He gave a list of requirements to fulfill to be able to access it:

  • Stop evil thoughts and deeds
  • Treat each other justly
  • Stop killing
  • Stop worshipping idols

PRAYER

Lord, grant me mercy.

REFLECTION

Why do you think God gave requirements to grant mercy?

CLEANSED BY CHRIST’S BLOOD Poem Devotional

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June 9                                                                               The Power of God’s Word
Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean and our bodies have been washed with pure water.–Hebrews 10:22 (NLT)
CLEANSED BY CHRIST’S BLOOD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do your sins make you remorseful and wallow in guilt?
All you need to do is confess them and let Christ clean it
Because of grace, mercy and the love of God
Our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood.
Let us go right into his presence with sincere hearts
As we believe, he renews our mind to have a fresh start
Our bodies have been washed with pure water
We will be redeemed and join his kingdom that lasts forever.
Are you guilt ridden most of the time? Are you hard on yourself and others? Are you critical and judgmental of yourself and others? If you say yes to these three questions, you must be living in guilt. One of the devil’s tactics is to make you stay guilty and not confess your sins. He likes to steal our peace and joy.
The bible tells us that Christ’s blood have been sprinkled on us when we believe. There is no reason for us to stay in guilt because Christ paid for our sins at the cross.
PRAYER
Lord, keep me free from guilt.
REFLECTION
How can guilt be an invitation to the enemy?

ANTIDOTE TO GREED Poem Devotional

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June 8                                                                         The Power of God’s Word
Greed causes fighting trusting the Lord leads to prosperity–Proverbs 28:25 (NLT)

A poem and essay by ILMA
Whenever you cater to your selfish nature
You compromise your integrity and stature
Greed causes conflicts and trouble
Trusting the Lord gets you out of the rubble.
Trust the Lord for it leads to prosperity
Seek him first and you will live in honesty
Bring to him all that you have and he will multiply
The Lord is faithful, all your needs, he will supply.
Greed has been the cause of many conflicts in people’s lives. Sadly, the world has propagated the concept of selfishness in many ways. We are bombarded by marketing strategies disguises wants as needs in order to feed our egos. If our lives are not focused on God, we will easily fall prey to these temptations.
The bible tells us that greed causes fighting but trusting the Lord leads to prosperity. There are many stories in the bible that shows this truth. Cain killed his brother Abel, Saul plotted to kill David; David desired another woman so badly that he killed the husband; Judas sold Jesus because of greed. Many nations have been at war because of greed. The love for control and power is so prevalent in our society. Faithfulness in the Lord will break all poverty.
PRAYER
Lord, keep me away from greed and let me trust you more.
REFLECTION
How can you avoid greed?