January 14________________________________________
Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning. Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to you again! Give us back the joys we once had. – Lamentations 5:15,21 (NLT)
BRING US BACK LORD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Lord, bring us back to you so we can stop mourning
You created us so we can enjoy life and stop sinning
Restore us, O Lord, and give us back the joys we once had
Free us from lamenting and show us how to be glad.
Bring us back and pull us out from darkness
Help us to recover from this feeling of emptiness
Show us how to become more like you each day
Help us to prioritize you and regularly pray.
________________________________________
Have you had a loss that caused you to grieve? Has this loss made you bitter and angry? Do you know the many phases of grief? There are many ways people deal with losses. Some avoid thinking about it. Others get stuck in bitterness and anger. Some continually blame someone or the Lord for that thing or person they lost. We can wallow in self-pity and lose our joy if we don’t focus on the Lord.
It took me many decades to even realize that I had many loses that got me stuck in anger and bitterness. When God revealed them to me, he restored my grief into joy.
________________________________________
PRAYER
Lord, help me to choose joy even in the most adverse situations.
REFLECTION
How can one bring back the joy once it is gone?
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