June 9
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1 JOHN 2
28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
– 1 John 2:28-29
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1 JOHN 2 ABIDING IN GOD BRINGS CONFIDENCE
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
Do you doubt or fear that your knowledge isn’t sufficient?
Are you obsessed to appear intelligent, good or efficient
Do you cringe at the thought that you will be shamed by others?
Are you always cautious and careful to impress one another?
We can all get caught up by the standards we set on ourselves
Because of world systems, we often think we need to look our best always
We get accustomed to get approval from those whom we look up to
We often compare ourselves with others and often feel like a failure.
God made humans in his own image and also “perfect” in many ways
But because of the fall, we often listen to accusations and Satan’s lies
The enemy constantly want us to doubt ourselves and our abilities
He steals the gifts that God gave us and marinates us in so much fears.
God gave us not a spirit of fear but of power, love and self-discipline
We may only have the confidence if we walk in the God’s Spirit he instilled
If we abide in him and all his commandments, we will have confidence
Only the truth exposes all kinds of fear that is caused by believing lies.
When you abide in God, all systems of the world become obvious
Strongholds set by the devil can no longer enslave or have a hold on us
The word of the Lord is the source of hope, love and courage
Keep close to it and you will surely break all kinds of bondage.
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REFLECTION
• Why is human knowledge not a true source of confidence?
• Where do we get confidence according to these following verses?