April 28 The Power of God’s Word
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. –James 1:19,20 (NLT)
QUICK TO LISTEN
A poem by ILMA
Are you quick to listen or to react?
Are you defensive or do you listen to facts?
When we rend our mouth and our emotions
We find peace and come up with resolutions.
Have an ear that is swift to pay attention
Guard your mouth so you can overcome temptations
Carefully watch your thoughts and emotions
Reacting hastily can bring trouble and destruction.
Have you ever regretted a quick reaction you made to someone? Has there been something you said that you wish you could have refrained from escaping your lips? In our fast paced world, it is almost impossible not to react swiftly. I used to teach my students that one of the barriers to effective communication is poor listening skills.
The bible tells us that we must be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger because it does not manifest the righteousness of God. In other words, the righteous person knows how to control their emotions, their mouth, and their reactions. Self-control is a fruit of the spirit of God. The absence of such fruit shows spiritual immaturity.
PRAYER
Lord, teach me how to have self-control.
REFLECTION
Why is self-control essential in enjoying a peaceful and joyful life?
Tag Archives: Christian poems
THE SECRET TO WISDOM Poem Devotional
April 27 The Power of God’s Word
Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. –Proverbs 19:20 (NLT)
THE SECRET TO WISDOM
A poem by ILMA
Do you want to gain wisdom and insight?
Seek God’s word and your mind will be right
When you heed instructions from the wise
You will gain knowledge from good advice.
Get all the guidance and teachings you can take
They will help you avoid mistakes and heartaches
The secret to wisdom is seeking God’s word
It will bring victory over this corrupt world.
Have you ever talked to a very wise person? If you ask the secret to their wisdom, they will probably include a life full of challenges and opportunities to grow. My paternal grandmother always had a lot of wise words to share and inspiring stories that shows her insight about many different aspects of life.
The bible tells us that the secret to wisdom is to get all the advice and instructions you can. It will lead you to a rich and blessed life. Most people who only want to follow their own thinking don’t go very far in life. They stay where they are and are afraid of changes. Those who never want to listen to anyone’s advice or instruction end up having limited knowledge and insight.
PRAYER
Lord, give me humility to seek other’s advice and counsel.
REFLECTION
Why is consulting someone else a good idea when making decisions?
GOD SEES WHAT THE WICKED DOES Poem Devotional
April 22 The Power of God’s Word
The Righteous One knows what is going on in the homes of the wicked; he will bring disaster on them. –Proverbs 21:12 (NLT)
A poem by ILMA
Do you often wonder why God allows evil to happen?
Why do people’s hearts continually harden?
How can we help those who are experiencing violence?
Are we bold enough to expose their insolence?
God sees the evil things the wicked does
He watches over those who obey and trusts
He may allow wickedness to take place
God will bring justice and that is what his word says.
Evil lurks in our society. A lot of people have lost faith in God because of the prevalence of wickedness. People question why God would allow such things to happen especially to the weak and vulnerable. I’ve had my share of blaming God for the many sufferings I’ve experienced in life until I studied his word. He revealed to me that after all the pain I went through, he was there to protect me and later on bring justice to my abusers. He also taught me to forgive so I can be free. The bible tells us that God is a god of justice. We may not be able to comprehend why bad things happen, but God is always watching and promised to bring justice.
PRAYER
Lord, teach me how to trust you.
REFLECTION
Why is faith essential especially in times of crisis?
ALL FOR GOOD Poem Devotional
April 18 The Power of God’s Word
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
-Romans 8:28 (NLT)
ALL FOR GOOD
A poem by ILMA
When times are rough and challenging
Do you endure and keep on believing?
When you are rejected and violated
Do you get discouraged or feel offended?
When it all seems hopeless and looks like we are doomed
God causes everything to work together for our good
He is the only one who knows and sees
Give back his love and trust him completely.
Do you find it hard to completely trust someone? This is an area in my life that I struggled a lot with. It could be because I am a very visual person and that I have to see things to believe. Just like the apostle Thomas who has to see Jesus to believe that he has resurrected, I have a hard time just having faith unless I see it.
The bible tells us that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love him and who are called according to his purpose. In other words we are invited to trust God completely because he has the best plan for the lives of those whom he has chosen.
PRAYER
Lord, show me how to trust you completely.
REFLECTION
Why is faith essential in a believer’s salvation ?