Monthly Archives: August 2015

TROUBLES BRING COMFORT Poem Devotional

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September 1________________________________________
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. –2 Corinthians1:4 (NLT)
TROUBLES BRING COMFORT
A poem and essay by ILMA
Is something bothering you these days?
Don’t worry, for your troubles will not last always
Whenever you are troubled, be joyful
God’s spirit will comfort so you can be fruitful.
He grants us comfort so we can serve one another
He gives us comfort so we can share it to others
When we receive comfort after our troubles
He expects us to give the same to our sisters and brothers.
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When we experience pain, suffering or traumas, it is impossible to be joyful. But the bible says that we should be happy when we have troubles because it brings us to a place of healing and builds our character and endurance (James 1:2). I experienced a lot of pain and traumas in my life as a very young child. I became a very bitter young adult because of all the effects of those painful events. I felt hurt in the nth degree that’s why I easily empathize with those in pain. Somehow deep inside me, I felt that the pain I feel with be lesser if I help comfort someone else’s pain. The bible summons us to be joyful when we have pain for God will comfort us.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for comforting me always.
REFLECTION
When was the last time you comforted someone?
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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

RETURN HOME

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August 31________________________________________
“Return home, you wayward children,” says the Lord. “for I am your master.” And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding. –Jeremiah 3:14, 15 (NLT)
RETURN HOME
A poem and essay by ILMA
When was the last time you talked to God?
Have you gone wayward and never bring him laud?
Don’t you realize that you can’t go far without him?
You need to return home so you can be redeemed.
When you choose a life outside of his will
You are opening up the door for Satan to steal
Without God, you will be lost and astray
Believe Christ, the Spirit can remain in you and stay.
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From age twelve to twenty eight, I went wayward. I served my own self and never really aligned my will with God’s. I satisfied my own desires and relied heavily on myself and what the world expected from me. What was the aftermath of sixteen years of rebellion? In a nutshell, it was chaos and bondage Because of all the wrong notions I had about life which was dumped on me by the world, my family of origin, human traditions and culture.
When I became a mother, God pulled me out of bondage to sin and confusion. It took many decades before I totally surrendered every aspect of my life to him.
The bible says that God summons us to go back to him so he can guide us.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your love.
REFLECTION
What stops you from returning home to God?
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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

ABANDONED & FORSAKEN GOD Poem Devotional

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August 30________________________________________
Does a young woman forget her jewelry? Does a bride hide her wedding dress? Yet for years on end my people have forgotten me. – Jeremiah 2:32 (NLT)
ABANDONED & FORSAKEN GOD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Does your heart dwell only on temporary things?
Are you concerned only with shiny bling?
Like a young woman who can’t forget her jewelry
Believers must not take for granted the Almighty.
Do you always spend time with Jesus?
Are you keeping all your promises?
When you forsake the love and call of Christ
You are endangering and compromising your life.
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If there is someone who has experienced abandonment, it would be Jesus Christ and God. How many believers actually spend regular time studying God’s word or praying? How many Christians have believed lies from the enemy and stopped seeking the truth? A lot of us is so busy to even have a time to rest. We work unendingly because we want to satisfy our pleasures. We barely talk to God.
The bible talks about a God who is abandoned and forsaken by his own people. Jeremiah illustrates how God’s people have taken him for granted in so many occasions. They have created their own images and idols to satisfy their cravings. They live reckless and corrupt lives. He illustrated how a bride would never forget her wedding dress. We ought to treasure God this way too. He is our treasure.
PRAYER
I am sorry when I take you for granted Lord!
REFLECTION
How can you avoid abandoning God in this chaotic world?
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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

FEED ON GOD’S WORD Poem Devotional

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August 29________________________________________
So I opened my mouth and he fed me the scroll. “Fill your stomach with this,” he said. And when I ate it, it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. –Ezekiel 3:2 (NLT)
FEED ON GOD’S WORD
A poem and essay by ILMA
What do you feed your mouth and body?
Do you consume what makes you healthy?
If you feed on garbage, it will make you sick
God’s word is as sweet as honey in your lips.
Come to the throne and feed on God’s truth
It will deepen your relationships and bring fruit
Fill your whole being with his word
It will equip you to overcome this world.
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We are bombarded with all kinds of food in boxes these days. Most people are always in and are enticed to take convenient fast foods. No wonder we have a rise of all kinds of terminal illnesses and diseases. Because of unhealthy choices and lifestyle, we are practically digging our own graves.
Do you remember what Adam and Eve ate in the Garden of Eden? They were feeding on plants and fruits in that garden. They had a healthy and ideal life. Even our early primitive people fed on grains and starches and lived healthy lives.
The bible encourages us to feed on the Scriptures. It says that it tastes like honey in the mouth when we say it. It nourishes our spirits.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to consume only your word.
REFLECTION
What filthy things have you been feeding your soul with?
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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

BALANCE Poem Devotional

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August 28________________________________________
For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love. –Lamentations 3:31-32 (NLT)
BALANCE
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you feel down and weary
Don’t succumb to sin or worry
When life poses much difficulty
God will later bring tranquility.
Though God allows grief, he also brings compassion
Because of his unfailing love, he will never abandon
When life isn’t what you expect it to be
He will be there to guard to set you free.
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Have you ever ridden a bicycle? I couldn’t remember who taught me how to bike, but I saw pictures of me riding my tricycle at age 4. I learned to ride the bicycle if I remember right was around 7-8 years old. Someone told me that if I know how to fall, then I will be able to bike well because I will be able to overcome that fear of falling. Biking is all about balance. If we don’t know how to balance, we would fall. I remembered being instructed to focus way far ahead where I am going and never to look down on the ground or I will lose my balance. I like to think that this is the same way with your spiritual ride with God. If we keep our focus on him, we will remain balanced. We shouldn’t allow trials to lose our balance.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to focus on you.
REFLECTION
What makes your life out of balance?
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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

DEPENDING ON GOD Poem devotional

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August 27________________________________________
The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.
-Lamentations 3:25(NLT)
DEPENDING ON GOD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you run to the throne when in need?
Do you seek his Word and constantly read?
To live independently of God is dangerous
It leads to a life of being constantly impetuous.
The Lord is good to those who depend on him
Those who seek his truth will be redeemed
Depend only on your heavenly Father for all things
Then you will find peace and joy in everything.
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Do you recall how a child is? They constantly depend on their parents and caregivers around them. They trust them immensely and will run to them for anything. Their childlike dependency on adults makes them very vulnerable, but those who love them will surely make a way that they are safe and protected. This is exactly how God wants us to rely on him, just like a child. He requires us all to be like little children or we won’t enter his kingdom. When a child relies on her parents for her or his needs, the parent must meet that basic need. When they are not provided safety, love and the basic human needs, they become corrupted and confused. God will never want us to live this way.
The bible talks of the goodness of God especially to those who depend on him and those who seek him.
PRAYER
Lord, let me always rely on you.
REFLECTION
What hinders you from total reliance on God?
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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

LIFE THROUGH FAITH Poem Devotional

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August 26________________________________________
The Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” – Romans 1:17 (NLT)
LIFE THROUGH FAITH
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you know someone who is desperate?
They seem lifeless and have no faith
A life without trust is a hopeless one
If you want to have life, believe in the Son.
The Good News tells us how we’re right in his sight
Why don’t we just grow our faith in Jesus Christ?
It is through faith that a righteous person gains life
It is by believing God that we will live in the light.
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Many people live their lives without joy and purpose. They just go about their daily lives doing routines that sometimes do not even make sense to them. Some people just live for the sake of satisfying themselves. No wonder, we live very dull lives and we never get to where God wants us to be.
The Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. Scriptures say that it is through faith that a righteous person has life. We need not perform or seek approval in order to have the live that God wants us to have. We only need to grow our faith in God.
PRAYER
Lord, make me see clearly your vision in my life.
REFLECTION
Why do you think people don’t have much faith in God?
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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

DESPISED AND REJECTED Poem Devotional

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August 25________________________________________
He was despised and rejected-a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised and we did not care.
–Isaiah 53:3 (NLT)
DESPISED AND REJECTED
A poem and essay by ILMA
Have you ever experienced being turned down by someone?
It is not pleasant to be around an abusive loved one
When you are despised and rejected by a person
There is no need to justify or find any reason
Look at Jesus who totally understands you
He wants you to follow him so you will be renewed
He died so you can be healed and have the wisdom to see
Why don’t you give up offense and let yourself be free?
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I remembered so many sad and painful experiences as a very young girl. I carried these traumatic experiences with me for over five decades until I finally accepted Christ in my heart and relinquished all power and control to him. For many years, my life’s theme was rejection. I saw everything in the filter of abuse and rejection. Each time I get triggered, I would get offended and felt as if I was despised and rejected. It enslaved me for many years. I believed the lie that the enemy put in my heart and head.
The bible tells us that Jesus himself was despised and rejected and we actually turned our backs on him and looked the other way when we choose sin.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for saving me.
REFLECTION
How do you think Jesus feels when you reject him?
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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 STRAY SHEEP Poem Devotional

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August 24________________________________________
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. – Isaiah 53:6 (NLT)
LIKE STRAY SHEEP
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you don’t abide and go your own way
You are like a sheep who has strayed
Some believers do not follow God’s will
No wonder they cannot be still.
When we leave the path of righteousness
We open ourselves to covetousness
Like stray sheep, we need a shepherd
God gave his only Son so we can be herded.
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Have you ever seen how sheep behave when they get lost? It was funny to watch the family movie “Babe.” The hero of the movie was a pig who acted like a dog and was trained to shepherd the sheep. When a sheep is lost, it looks so vulnerable and confused. It reminded me how we people behave when we do not have someone to lead us and care for us.
The bible tells us how believers are like stray sheep. We are so vulnerable to the dangers around us in this world, just like the sheep are to the wolves and other predators. When we leave the path that God wants us to take and go on our own, we become susceptible to get lost and fall into danger. I God is faithful to save all the lost sheep through Christ.
PRAYER
Lord, never let me stray.
REFLECTION
Relate a time when you strayed from God and its consequences.________________________________________
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

UPSIDE OF BEING ORDINARY Poem Devotional

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August 23________________________________________
The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures.
Acts 4:13 (NLT)
UPSIDE OF BEING ORDINARY
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you wish you were not like anyone at all?
There are people who are special and yet fall
Some persons are simple and ordinary
Yet the Lord used them for proclaiming his glory.
God works through ordinary people to fulfill his promises
He chose the regular and weak to be his witnesses
The upside of being ordinary is that God uses them
Be thankful if you are simple for it is
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I grew up thinking that I was a very ordinary girl. When I was seven, my teacher discovered that I could sing well. Even my aunts thought I was really good at it and had me join singing contests. As I turned high school, I realized that I don’t want to be ordinary. I want to be good at what I do. I became a cadet officer, a volleyball and basketball team captain, a jazz dancer and wrote songs and poems. I also had a very close relationship with God during this trying stage of my life. Later on, all my ordinariness turned into special gifts that God used so I can witness for his kingdom.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for using me for your glory.
REFLECTION
Why do you think God chooses ordinary people for his kingdom business?
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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