Tag Archives: Christian poem

PROVERBS 16 WARNING TO THE ARROGANT

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November 3

PROVERBS 16

The plans of the heart belong to man,
    but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
    but the Lord weighs the spirit.
3 Commit your work to the Lord,
    and your plans will be established.
4 The Lord has made everything for its purpose,
    even the wicked for the day of trouble.
5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
    be assured, he will not go unpunished.
6 By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,
    and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.

                                                                    – Proverbs 16:1-6

PROVERBS 16 WARNING TO THE ARROGANT

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Watch out you haughty and arrogant people!

Your pride will not go unpunished and unnoticed

Everyone who are wise in their own eyes will crash

Be wary for you will all come falling down

Thinking that you are better than anyone

Is an abomination to the Lord your God.

Why do you think God hates the proud? Did he make us in his image so we can think highly of ourselves? Solomon warns us of arrogance in verse 5. He says that it is an abomination to the Lord. The Hebrew word tōʻēḇā is often translated as “abomination” and is primarily used to describe idolatry. In Psalm 10:3-4, the psalmist described the arrogant. It says “ For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain cursesand renounces the Lord. In the pride of his facethe wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.” From these supporting verses, we can conclude that arrogance is loathed by God because it is idolatry and does not acknowledge him.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think arrogance is idolatry and why is it such a big sin to God?

PROVERBS 15 THE LORD IS FAR FROM THE WICKED

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November 2

PROVERBS 15

29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
    but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
    and good news refreshes the bones.
31 The ear that listens to life-giving reproof
    will dwell among the wise.
32 Whoever ignores instruction despises himself,
    but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.
33 The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,
    and humility comes before honor.

                                                                    – Proverbs 15:29-33

PROVERBS 15 THE LORD IS FAR FROM THE WICKED

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When someone is wicked, the Lord is far from him

God loathes all kinds of evil and abominates sin

Those who does all kinds of unrighteousness

Must not expect anything from God who is righteous

The Lord is wrathful to all those who loves sin

But he hears the prayers of all those who loves him.

Many unbelievers and people who call themselves Christians but are taught false teachings and do not follow God’s truth think that God is near to all. We witness here in verse 29 that the Lord is far from the wicked. In contrast to that, he hears the prayer of the righteous. Does that mean that prayers of the wicked are not heard by God? If you read between the lines in verse 29, we know that the answer to this question is a resounding “Yes, God does not hear the prayers of the wicked, but he hears the prayers of the righteous.”

If you don’t know the word of God, you’d think that he is a biased God. God is righteous and there is nothing evil in him. He cannot go against his character. So, he must loathe evil. It just makes sense that the acts of the wicked are an abomination to him.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think God hears only the prayers of the righteous?

PROVERBS 15 THE KNOWLEDGE SEEKER

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October 30

PROVERBS 15

13 A glad heart makes a cheerful face,
    but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.
14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
    but the mouths of fools feed on folly.
15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,
    but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord
    than great treasure and trouble with it.
17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is
    than a fattened ox and hatred with it.
18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,
    but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.

                                                                    – Proverbs 15:13-18

PROVERBS 15 THE KNOWLEDGE SEEKER

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Those who wants to serve the Lord seeks his truth

He cannot tolerate sin or lies; he exposes what is untrue

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge

Those who love the Lord are kind and empathetic

The knowledge seeker discerns what is evil and good

He constantly pursues what is pleasing to the Lord.

One of the manifestations of a true believer is that he is a knowledge seeker. He pursues truth that gives him the ability to live a life of serving the Lord. The book of James stresses the importance of pursuit of wisdom in chapter 1 verse 5. He says that if anyone lacks wisdom, that person has to ask God who gives generously to all and without reproach. James also expounds that the wisdom that comes from God is first of all pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. Hosea 4:6 also reminds us that people are destroyed for lack of knowledge and rejecting knowledge will lead to detrimental consequences.

REFLECTION

  • Why is it essential for Christians to be knowledge seekers?

PROVERBS 15 GOD SEES ALL THINGS

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October 29









PROVERBS 15



7 The lips of the wise spread
knowledge; not so the hearts of
fools.
8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to
the Lord,
    but the prayer of
the upright is acceptable to him.
9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
    but he loves
him who pursues righteousness.
10 There is severe discipline for him who forsakes
the way;
    whoever hates reproof
will die.
11 Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord;
    how much more the
hearts of the children of man!
12 A scoffer does not like to be reproved; he will
not go to the wise.



                                                
                   – Proverbs 15:7-12









PROVERBS 15
GOD SEES ALL THINGS



A poem by
ILMA inspired by these verses



How can you
hide from God who is the Maker of heaven and earth?



He sees all
things including the depths of hell and everything in the dark



No one can
fathom things like God can because he created everything



He sees the
ways of man, especially their thoughts and their intentions



He knows
every word that comes out of our mouths even before we say it



He can bring
life into anyone he chooses to and bring death to those who sin.









Verse 11
mentions Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord. 
No one can describe to us how hell looks like, the place assigned for
those who have not received the grace and salvation that God has offered. It is
a place of unfathomable torment and damnation. Abaddon means destruction
according to one commentary in the blue-letter bible website. In Revelation
9:11, we know that Abbadon is the Hebrew name for the king over the angel of
the bottomless pit, the devil himself. 
That prince of this world, even though he thinks he can destroy or
deceive us, will not be hidden from God himself.  No matter how cunning and sly he is, that
would not escape God’s omnipresence.



There is
nothing in our hearts that he doesn’t see, so why try to avoid his loving
kindness and his offer for salvation?











REFLECTION



·       Why do you think people try to hide from
others and from God himself?



PROVERBS 15 THE GENTLE SPIRIT

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October 28

PROVERBS 15

A soft answer turns away wrath,
    but a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,
    but the mouths of fools pour out folly.
3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
    keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life,
    but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
5 A fool despises his father’s instruction,
    but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.
6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
    but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.

                                                                    – Proverbs 15:1-6

PROVERBS 15 THE GENTLE SPIRIT

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Anyone who has a gentle spirit gives a soft answer

They do not utter harsh words or stirs up anger

They speak only what is honorable, true and lovely

They are understanding and patient with others

They rend their mouth and utter what is life giving

The gentle spirit is driven by the Spirit of the Lord

It does not give in to desires that come from this world.

In 1 Peter 3:3-4 he describes the importance of a gentle spirit just like Solomon talks about in this proverb. Peter admonishes us to let our adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

While the world focuses on satisfying the desires of the flesh which leads to sin, the gentle spirit is a gift given to those who love the Lord with all their hearts, soul and mind.

REFLECTION

  • If it is precious in God’s eye for us to have this kind of gentleness and stillness, how come many of us struggle having a quiet and calm spirit?

PROVERBS 14 SLOW TO ANGER VERSUS A HASTY TEMPER

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October 27

PROVERBS 14

29 Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,
    but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
30 A tranquilheart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.
31 Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker,
    but he who is generous to the needy honors him.
32 The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing,
    but the righteous finds refuge in his death.
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding,
    but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.
35 A servant who deals wisely has the king’s favor,
    but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.

                                                                    – Proverbs 14:29-35

PROVERBS 14 SLOW TO ANGER VERSUS A HASTY TEMPER

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Those who follow the way of the righteous are slow to anger

They know how to rend their emotions even though in times of danger

They have patience and a mind that does not to jump to conclusions

They don’t judge others; they see the big picture and have understanding

The one who is wicked and self-centered are quick to get angry

They are impatient, don’t listen and don’t care for the welfare of others

They quickly judge others without all the facts; they have a hasty temper

The wicked only want self-gratification in the fastest time possible.

James 1:19-20 reiterates Solomon’s proverb here in verse 29. The book of James expounds the importance of holding your reactions. He says in the mentioned verse in chapter 1 “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. So, the absence of self-control in a man is a result of the absence of the Spirit of God in him according to Paul in Galatians 5:17. The desires of the flesh and Spirit are in opposition.

REFLECTION

  • How can we develop a patient attitude towards others?

PROVERBS 14 THE WISE AND THE FOOLS

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October 25

PROVERBS 14

15 The simple believes everything,
    but the prudent gives thought to his steps.
16 One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil,
    but a fool is reckless and careless.
17 A man of quick temper acts foolishly,
    and a man of evil devices is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly,
    but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil bow down before the good,
    the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,
    but the rich has many friends.
21 Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner,
    but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.

                                                               – Proverbs 14:15-21

PROVERBS 14 THE WISE AND THE FOOLS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Those who fear the Lord are cautious and prudent

They know what to say and are mindful of their timing

They guard their mouths and speaks words of life

The wicked on the other hand are careless and reckless

They always say the things that would hurt someone

They have no control over their tongue and emotions.

In these following verses, Solomon continues to compare the wise against the fools. One of the characteristics of a wise person is that they are mindful of what they say and they aim to build up and encourage others. They show concern to their neighbors and have self control.

On the other hand, the fools and the wicked have no respect for anyone else. They do not care for the welfare of other, are reckless and only interested in their own pursuits.

REFLECTION

  • Why is it important to know the difference between the cautious & the reckless?

PROVERBS 14 THE HEART KNOWS ITS BITTERNESS

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October 24

PROVERBS 14

8 The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,
    but the folly of fools is deceiving.
9 Fools mock at the guilt offering,
    but the upright enjoy acceptance.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness,
    and no stranger shares its joy.
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
    but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There is a way that seems right to a man,
    but its end is the way to death.
13 Even in laughter the heart may ache,
    and the end of joy may be grief.
14 The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways,
    and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.

                                                                  – Proverbs 14:8-14

PROVERBS 14 THE HEART KNOWS ITS BITTERNESS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When we experience pain, the heart knows it well

It is better to address the pain so we don’t dwell on it

Be watchful that you don’t share bitterness with others

You may inflict and infect them towards one another

Instead, run to the Lord who knows your heart better

Let him guide you towards acceptance instead of being bitter.

Bitterness is the root of many sins. One does not get bitter instantly. It begins with discontent and can morph into envy and grumbling. It may also lead towards anger and disillusionment. Solomon talks about how the heart knows its bitterness. Sometimes, we don’t want to address our pains. When we do this, we allow bitterness and discontent to take root in our hearts. Before we know it, many other sins follow such as envy, anger, grumbling, prejudice, murder or slander, and many other sins.

REFLECTION

  • Why is it important for us to address bitter roots and be aware of them?

PROVERBS 14 WHEN THE WICKED SEEKS WISDOM

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October 23

PROVERBS 14

The wisest of women builds her house,
    but folly with her own hands tears it down.
2 Whoever walks in uprightness fears the Lord,
    but he who is devious in his ways despises him.
3 By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back,
    but the lips of the wise will preserve them.
4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
    but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
5 A faithful witness does not lie,
    but a false witness breathes out lies.
6 A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain,
    but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.
7 Leave the presence of a fool,
    for there you do not meet words of knowledge.

                                                                  – Proverbs 14:1-7

PROVERBS 14 WHEN THE WICKED SEEKS WISDOM

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When evil people are in pursuit of knowledge

They do so because they want accolades

They are not concerned with true learning

But are only after prestige and boasting

When the wicked seeks wisdom, it is for his own gain

They pretend to be wise but they are truly insecure and vain.

We live in the information age where we are bombarded with so much facts and data as we get access to information like never before. Just in our fingertips lie the power of knowledge. But when we do not have the fear of the Lord, knowledge could be self-serving and evil. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.

REFLECTION

  • How can you know if one is truly wise or just intelligent?

PROVERBS 13 THE WICKED SUFFERS WANT

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October 22

PROVERBS 13

21 Disasterpursues sinners,
    but the righteous are rewarded with good.
22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
    but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.
23 The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food,
    but it is swept away through injustice.
24 Whoever spares the rod hates his son,
    but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
25 The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite,
    but the belly of the wicked suffers want.

                                                          – Proverbs 13:21-25

PROVERBS 13 THE WICKED SUFFERS WANT

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Those who are wicked and evil have insatiable longings

They can never have enough and are always in pursuit of cravings

The righteous on the other hand count their blessings

They are content with whatever they have been given.

Solomon continues to lay down the benefits and disadvantages of seeking good versus pursuing wickedness. One of the symptoms of going the way of the wicked is that they are in constant want. They are never satisfied with what they have. They always want more and they will do anything to get that desire.

Have you ever seen television shows documenting the lives of hoarders? It is such a sorry sight to see how their greed has led them to isolate and live unhealthy lifestyles. Even though we know that it is a mental health condition that could have resulted from either a loss or a lifestyle of greed, it is likely that they do not know the Lord who can be their assurance. They somehow feel a sense of control when they gather more to replace the loss of something or someone. There is an insatiable longing to collect and hold on to things which traps them into such depravity. Solomon gives us a picture that such control and inability to let go of things is a result of the evil of greed and power.

REFLECTION

  • Share an experience manifesting how the wicked suffers want.