August 17
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PSALM 17 O LORD, YOU HAVE TRIED MY HEART AND HAVE TESTED ME
Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit! 2 From your presence let my vindication come! Let your eyes behold the right! 3 You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. 4 With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips. I have avoided the ways of the violent.5 My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped. 6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words.7 Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand. 8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, 9 from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me.10 They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly. 11 They have now surrounded our steps; they set their eyes to cast us to the ground. 12 He is like a lion eager to tear, as a young lion lurking in ambush.13 Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,14 from men by your hand, O LORD, from men of the world whose portion is in this life. You fill their womb with treasure: they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants. 15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness. – Psalm 17:1-15
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
O Lord, hear my plea, I have kept my mouth from lies and deceit
Please test my heart for I have followed your will and have done what’s right
You know everything about me, my thoughts, action, words and heart
Keep me in your gracious love so I will never stray from you or depart
I am not always strong especially when the enemy prowls like a lion
I get ambushed when I am weak; help me get on your path and obey
Deliver me from the unrighteous and let your word be the sword of my spirit
I look forward to behold your righteous face, you give me hope I embrace it
Keep your children from all the corruption in this world, sanctify them
Grant us grace and an abundance of your constant mercy and love.
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REFLECTION
• Do you come to God to ask him to examine your heart and test you?
• Why do you think some people resist being tested by God?
Tag Archives: ILMA ARTS ST UDIO
RUN AIMFULLY TO WIN THE RACE ILMA’S VLOG
July 30
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RUN AIMFULLY TO WIN THE RACE
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. So, they do it to obtain a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way as not to run aimlessly; I box in such a way, as to avoid hitting air; 27 but I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
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According to quora.com, during the life and times of Jesus Christ, (c. A.D. 1 – A.D. 34,) the sports that were played by citizens of the Roman Empire were like today’s sports in that they were also played professionally. The kinds of sports that were played by men during the life of Christ were as follows: dice rolling, foot-racing, archery, boxing, wrestling, an early variation of soccer, javelin throwing, discus throwing, and the high-jump. The women of the empire participated in athletics as well, namely, competitive dancing competitions. No wonder that Paul gave an illustration of a sporting event like a race in this letter to the Corinthian believers.
In verse 24, Paul reminds them that despite the many participants in the race, in the end, only one wins the prize. So, he advised the believers to run to win. Training is involved in any preparation for the race. Self-control and discipline are very much needed to prepare oneself to compete and be fit to finish the game. Self-control is defined by Merriam Webster dictionary as restraint exercised over one’s own impulses, emotions or actions. Discipline on the other hand is defined as an orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern or behavior. In verse 26, Paul he points out the importance of aiming or setting a goal to oneself so they do not run without aiming. When I was in my country of origin, turned my love for cycling into an almost professional level. I biked 60 kilometers daily to keep fit and enjoy the exhilaration of biking. On weekends, I cycled with a club of over 50 men and I was the only woman cyclist. I did this for almost a decade and got offered to be trained to compete internationally but I had a teaching career and was raising a son then. The love for the sports and the discipline I persevered to pursue reaped fruits of health benefits and gave me endurance. Paul was likening the race to our Christian walk to eternity. We train ourselves to make our bodies slave to our purpose so that we will not be disqualified to finish the race. Living life is like a race, you face all kinds of obstacles that need to be completed.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it important to be purposeful and disciplined in serving our Lord Jesus?
WATCH OUT THAT YOU DON’T FALL AWAY FROM THE FAITH
April 5
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WATCH OUT THAT YOU DON’T FALL AWAY FROM THE FAITH
But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, 3 who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; 5 for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer. – 1 Timothy 4:1-5
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In this letter to Timothy, Paul cautions the believers to be prepared as some of them may be caught in the trap of the evil one causing them to fall away from their faith. He explains that this happens when believers begin to pay attention to deceiving spirits and teachings of demons. In verse 2 Paul identifies how these demonic teachings are cunningly introduced in subtle lies that gets into a person’s heart or conscience.
Before being saved and born again, I used to love religion and philosophy. I pursued with passion this love for knowledge. In hind sight, this obsession with was actually the reason why my salvation was delayed for many decades. I was made to believe that intelligence and wise sayings of the philosophers were truth. These lies got ingrained in my heart and believed these false teachings for many years. What a twisted way at looking at truth! Human words and beliefs are not absolute truths. God’s word is the absolute truth. The seemingly attractive play of words captured me in the trap of philosophical beliefs that are futile. It only led me to deeper darkness, confusion and sin. The rules of religion enslaved me to think that I can do something to contribute to what has already been done by the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. When someone departs from the faith, they have actually believed lies that are contrary to the truth of the truth. They begin to live compromised lives that are mixed with the world beliefs. Guzik comments about speaking lies in hypocrisy: “This certainly points to the ones who willingly embrace falsehood to justify their sin or pride; but it also refers to those who claim to teach the Bible, while just using it to support their own ideas or agendas.” In verse 4, Paul reminds the Gentile believers that everything good is created by God and there’s no need to follow rules and regulations how to consume certain foods or not. In verse 5, he admonishes them to say a prayer of thanksgiving for the provision God has given them.
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REFLECTION
• What should every believer be warned about regarding these passages?