Tag Archives: forgiveness

HARDENED HEARTS HINDER GROWTH Poem Devotional

Posted on by

December 2________________________________________
When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened.
– Matthew 13:14-15 (NLT)
HARDENED HEARTS HINDER GROWTH
A poem and essay by ILMA
People who live in un-forgiveness and offense
They are very vulnerable and lose their defense
This opens door for them not to hear what God says
It keeps them blind and waylaid to another easy way.
A hardened heart makes us unable to have joy
One becomes mistrusting and always on guard
Hardened hearts hinder growth and relations
It brings about chaos, conflict and isolation.
________________________________________
There were many years of my life spent in un-forgiveness and offense. I thank the Lord that he has released me from a hardened heart. It was shocking to discover that even though I thought I was a forgiving person. It took me many years to uncover that it was “me” that I never forgave. I didn’t realize that I blamed myself for allowing abuse to permeate my life. I couldn’t understand how God allowed bad things to happen to me. I wasn’t aware that even bad events can be used by God for good. One of the hindrances to a person’s spiritual growth is a hardened heart. Try to teach someone who is un-forgiving and he only hears his pain and being victimized. Let go of the hardness of your heart so you can grow spiritually.
________________________________________
PRAYER
Lord, forgive me when I succumb to pride.
REFLECTION
How is pride usually the source of a hardened heart?
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

FORGIVENESS ONLY THROUGH CHRIST Poem Devotional

Posted on by

September 3________________________________________
“Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins.” – Acts 13:38(NLT)
FORGIVENESS ONLY THROUGH CHRIST
A poem and essay by ILMA
If you think you can forgive others easily
You’re wrong, only Christ can grant mercy
Without faith in him, it is impossible to forgive
Go and request his grace and learn to receive.
Jesus died on the cross to pardon our sins
No other gods have conquered death and win
Through his blood, we can have grace to forgive
Commit your life to him, and constantly believe.
________________________________________
The hardest thing to do is to forgive someone you love who has betrayed you. I have been betrayed by many loved ones. It was many years before I realized that it took a while for me to forgive others. Just saying “I forgive them Lord” didn’t really mean I wasn’t going to go through the process of healing the pain it inflicted on me. It took even longer to forgive myself for allowing these people to abuse, minimize and neglect me. When I became born again, I suddenly got revelations that I was forgiving the “worldly” way. I learned that when I have forgiven someone, I have already discarded the list of wrongs they have done to me.
The bible tells us that we can only forgive because God loved and forgave us first. Without him, it’s impossible to forgive.
________________________________________
PRAYER
Lord, grant me grace to forgive easily.
REFLECTION
Who was that person who was most challenging to forgive? How did you eventually grant that person forgiveness?
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 A FAULT IS FORGIVEN Poem Devotional

Posted on by

July 17________________________________________
Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.
-Proverbs 17:9(NLT)
WHEN A FAULT IS FORGIVEN
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you forgive a wrong done to you
You are emulating Christ and being brand new
Dwelling on resentment and bad feelings
Will only open your doors to the devil.
Love prospers when a fault is forgiven
You will experience joy and blessings
Holding on to un-forgiveness makes you bitter
It doesn’t contribute to being a victor.
________________________________________
How do you know that you have forgiven someone? It is not enough to say “I forgive you.” Sometimes one must allow the process to happen. Recognizing you are wronged or offended and praying for that someone who hurt you takes a lot of courage and maturity. Some people think they have forgiven someone, yet they still keep a record of wrongs done to them. The minute something brings them back to that memory, the offense comes back in their minds. And the cycle of un-forgiveness goes on. In 1 Corinthians 13, we are reminded that love is patient, kind and does not keep a record of wrongs. When we hold on to all that others did wrong to us, we are not walking in love. Instead, we are embracing “bitterness.” Whenever we choose not to forgive, we are choosing death. Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates relationships.
________________________________________
PRAYER
Lord, remind me to always forgive myself and others.
REFLECTION
How can forgiving oneself sometimes be more challenging than forgiving others?
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 SHOW MERCY Poem Devotional

Posted on by

April 10________________________________________
There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you. -James 2:13 (NLT)
WHEN YOU SHOW MERCY
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you give mercy to others quickly
The Lord will forgive you easily
There’ll be no mercy to those who are merciless
You will be judged when you don’t grant forgiveness.
When you show mercy, you are loving
When you deny it, you are sinning
Granting forgiveness when others ask it
Is the key to living a life led by Spirit.
________________________________________
The Lord’s Prayer specifically states that we are to forgive others first before we can ask him for forgiveness. We cannot ask something that we have not given to others. How can we expect to receive something that we have deprived others of? God is a very merciful, faithful and loving God. According to Lamentations, he gives us mercy afresh each morning. We need to live in his grace and when we do, he also expects us to give what we have been given.
James warns us of the judgment we will get when we don’t grant others the mercy that God has generously given us. He also reminds us how he will lavish us with mercy when we do forgive others.
________________________________________
PRAYER
Lord, remind me to always be quick to forgive and to ask for forgiveness for my own sins.
REFLECTION
Why do you think it is hard for many people to be merciful to others?
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

FORGIVE AS YOU ARE FORGIVEN Poem Devotional

Posted on by

November 12
________________________________________
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. – Colossians 3:13(NLT)
FORGIVE AS YOU ARE FORGIVEN
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you easily get offended with others’ fault?
Make allowance for one another’s mistakes
Forgive others as you were forgiven by God
Don’t hold on to resentment, indifference or hate.
Remember that Christ has died on the cross
He sacrificed his life so you won’t be lost
He grants you fresh mercy each morning
Don’t give in to offense; count your blessings.
________________________________________
When people experience abuse and was treated harshly, they either become abusive or embrace the victim role. In my case, I assumed the victim role for many years. I got attracted to abusive people and somehow allowed myself to be victimized over and over again. When the Lord revealed to me the stronghold of violence in my life and healed me from the pain, I learned to receive his mercy. I was very easily offended before I became a born again Christian. I saw things in the filter of the abuses I went through.
The bible tells us that we need to make allowances for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends us. Paul reminds us to meditate on how God forgave our sins so we can emulate his generosity to grant mercy right away.
________________________________________
PRAYER
Lord, grant me a heart that easily forgives.
REFLECTION
Why is forgiveness essential in relationships?
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

GOD’S FORGIVENESS Poem Devotional

Posted on by

November 10
________________________________________
Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. – Psalm 130:3-4(NLT)
GOD’S FORGIVENESS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Can you ever understand God’s forgiveness?
No matter how much we sin, his mercy is endless
He doesn’t keep a record of wrongs like we do
He longs for us to keep our hearts always pure.
He gives us grace despite our wickedness
He is worthy to be praised for his faithfulness
His forgiveness is generous and boundless
Why do you take for granted such forgiveness?
________________________________________
Have you ever met anyone who would totally forgive you without keeping a record of what you did? The saying “Forgive and forget” is easier said than done. Some people say they forgive but cannot forget. How does the Lord forgive? In Micah 7:18-19, we are given a clear picture of how God overlooks the sins of his people. He doesn’t stay angry forever because he delights in showing his unfailing love. He shows us compassion and tramples our sins under his feet and throws them into the depths of the ocean. He is patient with us, understanding and easily gives mercy if we confess and repent of our sins. Isn’t he worthy of being given that reverence and praise for such generosity to allow us to start new all the time? His mercy is fresh each morning.
________________________________________
PRAYER
Lord, teach me how to forgive like you do.
REFLECTION
What hinders us from granting forgiveness to someone?
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

BE COMPASSIONATE & FORGIVE Poem Devotional

Posted on by

003

August 23
________________________________________
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. – Colossians 3:13(NLT)
BE COMPASSIONATE & FORGIVE
A poem and essay by ILMA
When someone hurts or offends you seriously
Be compassionate, don’t take offense, forgive quickly
When you grant forgiveness, you will also be given mercy
The Lord wants you to make allowances wholeheartedly.
Do not allow the spirit of offense to consume you
Turn from your old self, Christ has made you new
Forgive infinitely and you will receive eternal salvation
He ransomed you and made it possible to gain redemption.
________________________________________
Are you easily offended by other’s faults? I used to easily react and question the motives of people. Because of my traumatic past, it is really hard not to protect myself from possible harm or offensive attacks by others. It made me on guard about people’s purpose for inflicting pain on me. It was a life full of defense. I didn’t realize that I lived a life of fear and control. I wanted to make sure that no one is going to hurt me again and that I am always ready in case they do. It robbed me of my peace and good relationships with others.
The bible tells us that we have to make allowances for other people’s faults and shortcomings. We are reminded how much the Father forgave us all from our sins through Jesus.
________________________________________
PRAYER
Lord, help me to be generous with forgiveness.
REFLECTION
What do you think will happen if you stay upset and unforgiving to someone?
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

ON RECEIVING MERCY Poem Devotional

Posted on by

IMG_2199

July 1
________________________________________
People who conceal their sins will not prosper but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. – Proverbs 28:13(NLT)
ON RECEIVING MERCY
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you easily grant forgiveness to those who wrong you?
God wants us to change our hearts and have our minds renewed
People who hide their sins will not prosper and move forward
They will have a hard time receiving mercy and reap God’s rewards.
Confess your sins and turn from them so you can be forgiven
You’ll be granted mercy if you remember to heed his voice and listen
He is faithful to absolve you from sin if you follow his lead
Ask and plead for mercy so he can grant your every need.
________________________________________
One of the blocks of peace and joy is a lack of repentance. I would like to compare it to wearing clothes that have been soiled with dirt. When someone has spilled a drink on you, it is only logical to clean yourself up right away or you would be walking around with the stain in your clothes. Like sin, we usually don’t realize that we wear it on our sleeves. It shows in our demeanor and can even manifest in our bodies. We are summoned to confess our sins and turn from it so we can prosper. People who conceal their sins are blocked from receiving mercy and their dreams to come true.
PRAYER
Lord, give me a heart that is quick to repent.
REFLECTION
How has sin blocked you from moving towards your dreams or goals?
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

JUST AS GOD THROUGH CHRIST Poem Devotional

Posted on by

winter 2013 landscapes 026

February 3________________________________________
Be kind to each other, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. -Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)
JUST AS GOD THROUGH CHRIST
A poem and essay by ILMA
How do you treat one another?
Do you show kindness to your sisters and brothers?
Do you easily forgive them when they do wrong?
Just as God through Christ taught you to be strong
He wants you to be tender-hearted and humble
He was never self-righteous when someone stumbles
He doesn’t point fingers at someone to blame
He always ran to God and call on his name.
________________________________________
I saw the movie WWJD (What would Jesus do?) on Netflix a few years ago. It was amazing how that question could affect the way you would do something to someone or deal with a situation. One of the characters in the movie was trashing and vandalizing on a church property and was destroying the WWJD wood carving on top of the main door. This boy was so angry and frustrated at what he was going through. As a consequence, to his mischief making, he was asked to work with the man who carved those letter WWJD in his workshop, who was a very loving and forgiving and tender-hearted man. He learned later on the real essence of the WWJD question.
God commands us to love another as he loves us. He wants us to show love and mercy to each other.
PRAYER
Lord, show me how to be like you in all circumstance.
REFLECTION
Relate a time when you did what Jesus would have done in a situation.
________________________________________
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

FORGIVE MUCH Poem Devotional

Posted on by

stormy clouds 2012 094

December 9                                                                        The Power of God’s Word
I tell you, her sins-and they are many-have been forgiven so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.
– Luke 7:47 (NLT)
FORGIVE MUCH
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you keep a record of wrongs?
Don’t stay in “unforgiveness” for long
It brings resentment, anger and bitterness
It makes you further away from God’s forgiveness.
God wants us to forgive much for it shows great love
When we don’t forgive, we hurt our Father up above
Forgiveness releases joy, peace and prosperity
Give it up so you can have serenity?
There is so much havoc that unforgiveness can do to someone’s life. It can ruin your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health. When you don’t forgive, you go through life with so much resentment, anger and bitterness. These are all poisons in your mind, body and spirit that will eventually get you down. I read some articles that say that a lot of cancer patients have unforgiveness that they clung to.
The bible tells us that when we forgive more, we are actually showing love. When we forgive less, we are exhibiting less love. Luke talks about the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume. The Pharisee was condemning this woman and told Jesus that she was a sinner. Jesus forgave her many sins.
PRAYER
Lord let me have a forgiving heart.
REFLECTION
Who haven’t you forgiven in your life?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s Poem Devotionals, or go to www.ilmaarts.com or to receive emails of the poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com