REBUKE AND DISCIPLINE PURIFY HEART Poem Devotional

December 29________________________________________
Physical punishment cleanses away evil, such discipline purifies the heart.
-Proverbs 20:30(NLT)
REBUKE AND DISCIPLINE PURIFY HEART
A poem and essay by ILMA
When we are faithful believers of Christ
We will not avoid rebuke and correction in life
Physical punishment cleanses away evil
Discipline purifies and wards off the devil.
Do not be afraid when you are rebuked by truth
Because God loves you, he wants you to choose good
Don’t fear pain and suffering, it will make you endure
Jesus went through pain so you can be made new.
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Matthew Henry’s concise commentary on Proverbs 20:30 says that “Severe rebukes sometimes do a great deal of good. But such is the corruption of nature, that men are loth to be rebuked for their sins. If God uses severe afflictions, to purify our hearts and fit us for his service, we have cause to be very thankful.”
It is a wonder how our world has become a world of comfort. It avoids all forms of hardships, trials and sufferings. Not many people want to be corrected or told what to do or referred to face the truth. Discipline has become a novelty in our society. Very few people are responsible for the consequences of their own actions. Freedom has been twisted in its meaning.
The bible reminds us that rebuke, physical punishment and discipline are all very important processes that we need to go through in order to grow.
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PRAYER
Lord, help me to face rebuke and correction from you.
REFLECTION
Why do you think people are scared of suffering and discipline?
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

UNTIL GOD DISCIPLINES YOU Poem Devotional

October 15________________________________________
I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word.
– Psalm 119:67 (NLT)
UNTIL GOD DISCIPLINES YOU
A poem and essay by ILMA
I used to rebel and live a life of reckless abandon
Until the Lord called my full attention
He convicted me as I read his word
He asked me to let go of the system of this world.
I began to study and follow his will
His word calmed me and made me still
His only Son Jesus died so I can be saved
Until I obeyed him, I wasn’t bold and brave.
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I have wandered off from the Lord almost four decades of my life. I accepted Jesus when I was seven years old as a result of being neglected and ignored. I was desperate for attention. I felt invisible and minimized by the people I lived with. I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t provided with love. As a result, I started talking aloud to Jesus on my way to my kindergarten class. The Holy Spirit guided me all those first fourteen years of my life even though no one from my family guided me.
I began to deepen my relationship with God, but the enemy snatched that wonderful relationship by using the abandonment and lack of love in my family. I became rebellious towards my family. Until God disciplined me and asked me to turn to him again, I lived in anger.
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PRAYER
Lord, help me to never resist your discipline.
REFLECTION
How can rebellion derail you from God’s will?
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

WHEN YOU REJECT CORRECTION Poem Devotional

May 23________________________________________
If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding. -Proverbs 15:32(NLT)
WHEN YOU REJECT CORRECTION
A poem and essay by ILMA
If you reject correction, you will harm yourself
But if you listen to discipline, you’ll grow in wisdom
Make sure that you don’t stay in bondage
Truth will definitely keep you in constant freedom.
When you allow the Holy Spirit to guide you
Your mind will be transformed and you will be “new”
Let the mind of God change the way you think
You will discern how to stay free and out of sin.
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Why do you think it is very easy for us to rebel or disobey? The source of this natural response has its roots from the first sin in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were pretty much given everything they needed, without having to work for anything. They had a very comfortable life but when the serpent came to convince them that God was keeping them from the tree of knowledge of good evil so they won’t have the same powers as his, it all changed. Greed was introduced in their hearts and the desire to have equality with God became the source of all sins.
The bible says that God corrects all those he loves. We need to listen to his correction so that we will grow in understanding.
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PRAYER
Lord, help me to always hear you out when you correct me.
REFLECTION
How can heeding to correction lead one to his or her own growth?
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

KEY TO LEARNING poem devotional

November 20
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To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction. – Proverbs 12:1(NLT)
KEY TO LEARNING
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you want to be a wise person?
You must not just rely on human reason
To learn, you must love discipline
It is the key to progress and to win.
If you hate correction, you are foolish
When you don’t want it, you will be losing
Discipline is the key to learning
It teaches you to keep on persevering.
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One of the values that I learned from my family is “discipline.” Though I didn’t like it when I was being corrected at the beginning of my young life, I learned to appreciate it later when I became an adult. Most of my classmates and friends struggled at following deadlines and implementing a structure to follow through when they take on a task or project. It made me learn to obey even if I didn’t want to or had no idea why I needed to do it. When I was a high school teacher, it was rare to see students living disciplined lives.
Discipline made me become a self-taught artist which later on bore fruit with over 400 painting sales. “Mistakes” was also a good teacher to me because when I commit an error, it makes me do better the next time. The bible says that discipline is key to learning and it is foolish to hate correction.
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PRAYER
Lord, teach me to always choose a disciplined life.
REFLECTION
Why do you think discipline can bring wisdom and blessings?
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
November 20
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To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction. – Proverbs 12:1(NLT)
KEY TO LEARNING
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you want to be a wise person?
You must not just rely on human reason
To learn, you must love discipline
It is the key to progress and to win.
If you hate correction, you are foolish
When you don’t want it, you will be losing
Discipline is the key to learning
It teaches you to keep on persevering.
________________________________________
One of the values that I learned from my family is “discipline.” Though I didn’t like it when I was being corrected at the beginning of my young life, I learned to appreciate it later when I became an adult. Most of my classmates and friends struggled at following deadlines and implementing a structure to follow through when they take on a task or project. It made me learn to obey even if I didn’t want to or had no idea why I needed to do it. When I was a high school teacher, it was rare to see students living disciplined lives.
Discipline made me become a self-taught artist which later on bore fruit with over 400 painting sales. “Mistakes” was also a good teacher to me because when I commit an error, it makes me do better the next time. The bible says that discipline is key to learning and it is foolish to hate correction.
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PRAYER
Lord, teach me to always choose a disciplined life.
REFLECTION
Why do you think discipline can bring wisdom and blessings?
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

CORRECTION MANIFESTS LOVE Poem Devotional

burks falls 2014,barrie,erin, stanley hoop 100

June 24
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Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them. – Proverbs 13:24(NLT)
CORRECTION MANIFESTS LOVE
A poem and essay by ILMA
Parents are given authority over their children
They need to lead them to the path to heaven
Mothers and fathers who don’t love do not correct
They never guide their children; yet they criticize and reject.
Parenting is an opportunity to raise children in righteousness
We will be answerable to God who grants us mercy and holiness
Discipline your children in love and with all gentleness
They will learn the Lord’s love through your ways of kindness.________________________________________
When I was growing up, I was disciplined so much that I couldn’t feel the love of those who are correcting me. When you discipline children out of anger or instilling fear in them, there is a big chance that they will rebel and go wayward. That is what happened to me. The bible says in Colossians 3:21 that we must not aggravate our children or they will become discouraged. When you correct them in anger and not out of love, you make lead them to the path of lawlessness. Correct them as Jesus corrected those whom he loved. He never judged but used God’s truth to free them from sin.
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PRAYER
Lord, give me wisdom to raise my children in your love.
REFLECTION
How does society contribute in a world full of rebellious youth?
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

GIVE IN TO GOD’S DISCIPLINE Poem Devotional

rockwood and alines bday 284

March 9________________________________________
But God says to the wicked: “Why bother reciting my decrees and pretending to obey my covenant? For you refuse my discipline and treat my words like trash.”
-Psalm 50:16-17(NLT)
GIVE IN TO GOD’S DISCIPLINE
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you encounter difficulties and trials
Do you confront them or run in total denial?
Do you pretend to obey but ignore his teachings?
Are you following his truth or do you keep on arguing?
Give in to God’s discipline and you will enjoy this life
Succumb to his guidance and you will live in his light
Treat his words with respect and guard it with your heart
Allow God’s spirit to transform and give you a good start.________________________________________
When I was in high school, I joined the Citizen’s Army Training as a requirement of our secondary education. Just like in military, we were trained and taught skills in handling some weapons that we can use to defend ourselves in the battlefield. We were given orders and rules to follow strictly and bear consequences when we don’t obey them. Just like military discipline, we also need spiritual discipline in order for us to mature spiritually.
There were many years of my early adult life that I turned my back on God’s discipline because I was too stubborn to heed to his correction. As a result, I suffered the consequences of my insolence. We are encouraged to heed to God’s discipline.
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PRAYER
Lord, help me to be resilient and bend to your correction.
REFLECTION
Why do you think is discipline an integral factor in growth?
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

THOSE WHO HATE CORRECTION

port elgin camping 2012 223

March 19________________________________________
Whoever abandons the right path will be severely disciplined; whoever hates correction will die. – Proverbs 15:10(NLT)
THOSE WHO HATE CORRECTION
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you open to others correction?
Do you accept other’s ideas or notion?
Fools don’t care about other’s opinion
They never want to listen to reason.
Whoever turns from God will be disciplined
He made us like him so we can’t wallow in sin
Whoever hates correction will die
They open the door for all sorts of lies.
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Do you have a teachable attitude? As a teacher for almost two decades, I noticed that those who excel in my classes are those who are very open to correction. Those who fail on the other hand are mostly those who are very stubborn and close-minded. When it is time to meet those parents who are not doing well in class, I wasn’t surprised to see the same attitudes that their children show in class. I think someone who don’t want correction have the spirit of pride and arrogance. The bible says that we should never think highly of ourselves (Romans 12:3). If we do, we are actually idolizing our own selves.
God severely disciplines those who abandons the right path and especially those who do not want to be corrected. According to Proverbs 15:10, the consequence of this unteachable behavior will result in death (meaning “sin”).
PRAYER
Lord, reveal to me when I am not open to your correction.
REFLECTION
Why do you think God puts emphasis on having a teachable attitude?
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