Tag Archives: ILMA ARTS STUDIO

PROVERBS 3 HELP OR GIVE WITHOUT DELAY  

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September 11

PROVERBS 3

27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.

28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
    tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.
29 Do not plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly beside you.
30 Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm.
31 Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways,
32 for the devious person is an abomination to the Lord,
    but the upright are in his confidence.
33 The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
    but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
34 Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.
35 The wise will inherit honor, but fools getdisgrace.

                                                                – Proverbs 3:27-35

PROVERBS 3 HELP OR GIVE WITHOUT DELAY  

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When someone you know is in need of help, do not delay

If it is within your power to extend assistance, do it quickly

If we procrastinate to give help to those in need, we are indifferent

When God gives us opportunities to show love, let’s respond promptly

If we delay giving at those times that our neighbors need it badly

We are caving in to the devil’s plot to make us more unloving and selfish.

Have you ever experienced someone asking your help and you didn’t give it at once? We all have done that at one or more occasions in our lives. One of the reasons we do so is because of our sinful nature. We are all selfish by nature and we always think of ourselves first and our comforts. We do not want to be uncomfortable or inconvenienced, so we don’t respond soon enough. We justify and analyze and then we don’t do anything. Solomon gives us wisdom when to extend help or give assistance to others. He advises us to do it without delay if it is in our power to do so. Procrastinating giving that help is not heeding the Holy Spirit’s invitation to show love to others.

REFLECTION

  • How can we develop the mindset to extend help to others without delay?

PROVERBS 3 WHEN YOU HEED THE WISDOM OF YOUR WISE CREATOR

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September 10

PROVERBS 3

19 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens;
20 by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew.

21 My son, do not lose sight of these—keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck.
23 Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble.
24 If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruinof the wicked, when it comes,
26 for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.

                                                                – Proverbs 3:19-26

PROVERBS 3 WHEN YOU HEED THE WISDOM OF YOUR WISE CREATOR

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The Lord God created all things including knowledge and wisdom

It is to your benefit if you do not lose sight of his instruction

They will bring your life much benefit and blessings

It will be your protection from evil and tendencies to sin

When you pursue wisdom, you will not be afraid

For you know that your strength is the Lord himself.

Solomon continues to enumerate the benefits of seeking and pursuing wisdom. He reminds us all that it is God who is the one who established the heavens and the earth. It is his knowledge that makes all his creation come to life for the purpose he intended it to be.

One of the greatest take we can get in these following verses is that wisdom can give you strength and courage to face whatever comes our way. It gives us reassurance that the Lord is our confidence and that he will protect us from any wicked plot of the enemy. It doesn’t say that we will have no more trouble but it reassures us that we will not be overcome by evil when we pursue God’s wisdom.

REFLECTION

  • Share an incident when wisdom has saved you from sinning or being harmed by plots to hurt you or defame your character.

PROVERBS 3 WISDOM: A TREE OF LIFE

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September 9

PROVERBS 3

13 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
    and the one who gets understanding,
14 for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
    and her profit better than gold.
15 She is more precious than jewels,
    and nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand;
    in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
    and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
    those who hold her fast are called blessed.

                                                                – Proverbs 3:13-18

PROVERBS 3 WISDOM: A TREE OF LIFE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When one searches and pursues wisdom

Understanding follows and so does insight

When you have wisdom, you are richer than you think

It is more precious than jewels because it brings peace

Wisdom is a tree of life to those who pursue it

If you hold fast to it, you will not fall into sin.

Why did Solomon call wisdom a tree of life? We know that a tree brings nourishment, oxygen and beauty. When we seek to have wisdom, we begin to experience peace and discernment which makes us understand what is right and what is wrong. Those who continue to live their lives like fools will never know what is right and what is wrong. Their lives become darkened with self-seeking purposes that leads them to wickedness and unrighteousness. Instead of wanting to enrich ourselves with money, let us follow the advice of Solomon and pursue wisdom. Let us aim to have this quest for knowledge that only comes from the word of God.

REFLECTION

  • How does wisdom add value to your character and life in general?

September 8

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PROVERBS 3

9 Honor the Lord with your wealth
    and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
10 then your barns will be filled with plenty,
    and your vats will be bursting with wine.

11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline
    or be weary of his reproof,
12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
    as a father the son in whom he delights. – Proverbs 3:9-12

PROVERBS 3 THE LORD REPROVES HIS OWN

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you belong to the Lord, he treats you as his own child

He will discipline you and never allow you to be endangered

Because he loves you so much, he warns you from falling into sin

Listen to his reproof so that you will never go without blessings

Honor the Lord with all that you have been given and with your best

This will ensure your life will never have a lack and you will thrive.

A good parent disciplines their children. Reproving your children is a result of God’s love for all mankind. He gave children to parents so they can be trained in the ways of the Lord. Sadly, we watch many parents nowadays being controlled and manipulated by their own children to get what they want, instead of the other way around. No wonder we have so many juvenile delinquents. This delinquency resulted from parents not disciplining their own children. Instead of living to serve God and others, they live to get what they want and serve their own selves.

It is important though that when parents discipline their children, it is out of love and not out of control. In Ephesians 6:4, fathers are instructed not to provoke their children to anger, but to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Can you imagine if parents do not know the Lord and his laws? Children will grow up in the ways of the world where they get what they want when they want it.

REFLECTION

·       Why is discipline very essential when raising children?

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PROVERBS 2 WISDOM DELIVERS YOU FROM IMMORALITY

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PROVERBS 2 WISDOM DELIVERS YOU FROM IMMORALITY

September 6

PROVERBS 2

16 So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman,
    from the adulteresswith her smooth words,
17 who forsakes the companion of her youth
    and forgets the covenant of her God;
18 for her house sinks down to death,
    and her paths to the departed;
19 none who go to her come back,
    nor do they regain the paths of life.
20 So you will walk in the way of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will inhabit the land,
    and those with integrity will remain in it,
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
    and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.– Proverbs 2:16-22

PROVERBS 2 WISDOM DELIVERS YOU FROM IMMORALITY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you heed the truth that only comes from the word of God

You will be delivered from any immorality who will deceive you

The truth will always expose any evildoing that will come your way

It will ensure your path will be the way of the upright and just

Why would Solomon caution young men from the forbidden women? These women represent seductresses and anyone who follows immorality. We could still get some wisdom from taking this wise saying even if we are not young men. This could be good advice for those who are new in the faith. They ought to be in the word of God so that they can be wary of these traps that Satan uses to lure us from false teachings and from following the corrupt ways of the world.

REFLECTION

  • How should believers take this advice in terms of being warned staying away from immoral women or persons?

PROVERBS 2 WISDOM PROTECTS US FROM EVIL

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September 5

PROVERBS 2

Then you will understand righteousness and justice
    and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 discretion will watch over you,
    understanding will guard you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
    from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
    to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who rejoice in doing evil
    and delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose paths are crooked,
    and who are devious in their ways. – Proverbs 2:9-15

PROVERBS 2 WISDOM PROTECTS US FROM EVIL

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Whenever we seek wisdom from God’s truth

It leads us to discern and understand what is true

The absolute source of wisdom is the Lord God himself

He gives us his word so we can embrace light and forsake darkness

When we seek God’s word, we begin to see the lures of the devil

It protects us from being ensnared and helps us see the enemy’s tactics.

Many people sin because they have not pursued wisdom. By nature, we are sinful and corrupt. We cannot change our tendencies to sin by relying on our own understanding. In the past, when I didn’t truly know the Lord, I used to think that I could pursue human knowledge and solve all my problems myself. I didn’t understand that the source of knowledge was God himself. I got entangled with the darkness of this world and believed all the lies that the systems of this world offered. Culture, traditions and generational beliefs became my go to. It wasn’t until the Lord gave me that desire to hunger for his word, that all the lies I was born into got exposed through his truth. I was freed.

REFLECTION

  • Share an incident where wisdom saved you from sin.

PROVERBS 2 ON TREASURING GOD’S WORD AND HIS LAWS

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September 4

PROVERBS 2

My son, if you receive my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight
    and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice
    and watching over the way of his saints. – Proverbs 2:1-8

PROVERBS 2 ON TREASURING GOD’S WORD AND HIS LAWS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When one accepts the laws of the Lord and follows it

They are inclined to be attentive to wisdom and insights

If you search for “understanding” like it is a hidden treasure

Then you will come to know God and begin to fear him.

Treasuring God’s word and his laws brings promises. In verse 5, the promise of understanding the fear of the Lord and finding the knowledge of God is one of those benefits that a truth seeker will receive. In verse 6, God promises wisdom in such a way that they will be able to speak wisely and understand his truth. In verse 7, his promise to enrich the righteous with lots of sound wisdom and integrity. In verse 8, God promises protection and justice and guidance to all those who live uprightly. So, how come some Christians fail to treasure God’s word and his laws as if it were a prized possession? We live in a corrupt world where we are in constant battle with our own flesh and the devil.

REFLECTION

  • Share the ways you manifest treasuring God’s laws and his word.

PROVERBS 1 WHEN ONE HATES KNOWLEDGE

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September 3

PROVERBS 1

27 when terror strikes you like a storm
    and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
    when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
    they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
    and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof,
31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
    and have their fill of their own devices.
32 For the simple are killed by their turning away,
    and the complacency of fools destroys them;
33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
    and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”– Proverbs 1:27-33

PROVERBS 1 WHEN ONE HATES KNOWLEDGE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When one defies wisdom and embraces the ways of the wicked

Anxiety and distress are not far from their lives; it imprisons them

Because they hate knowledge and did not choose to revere the Lord

They won’t have fruitful lives but will be destroyed by the ways of the world.

In this book of Proverbs, Solomon continues to warn us of the consequences of not heeding the call of wisdom in our lives. He mentions that anxiety and distress will be constant visitors in those who do not heed such wise counsel. As a result of hating knowledge and not fearing the Lord, they will be left on their own foolishness and be destroyed by such rebellion against wisdom. Verse 32 points out that those who do not heed wisdom will be killed and those who are complacent will be destroyed. It sounds harsh but it is true that the foolish will never produce any good outcome because they refuse to see the good. On the other hand, the wise will be secure and safe.

REFLECTION

  • Share someone you know who defied knowledge and its outcome in their lives.

PROVERBS 1 ON OBEYING YOUR PARENTS

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Sept 1

PROVERBS 1

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
9 for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
let us ambush the innocent without reason;
12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder;
14 throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse”—
15 my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths,
16 for their feet run to evil,  and they make haste to shed blood.
17 For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird,
18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives.
19 Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;

 it takes away the life of its possessors. – Proverbs 1:8-19

PROVERBS 1 ON OBEYING YOUR PARENTS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The Lord God assigned parents to give you life

He chose your father and mother according to his plan

Obey your father’s instruction and neglect not your mother’s teaching

If you follow their guidance and honor them, you will live a long life.

The only command with a promise is the fifth commandment stated in Exodus 20:12. Why do you think God commands us to obey and honor our parents? What if they are neglectful and abusive or unhealthy? When God assigned parents to us, he already knew what to become of us. “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. ‘”-Jeremiah 29:11. You may wonder why God allows bad things to happen to a child when parents are not responsible and not bringing up their children in love. God knows all this and he can change the hearts of anyone or use the bad things for good. Verse 9 says they are graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.

REFLECTION

·       Why do you think God wants us to obey and honor our parents?

PROVERBS 1 THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM

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August 31

PROVERBS 1

The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

2 To know wisdom and instruction,
    to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing,
    in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to the simple,
    knowledge and discretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
    and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying,
    the words of the wise and their riddles.

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction.

                                                         – Proverbs 1:1-7

PROVERBS 1 THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Every form of knowledge and wisdom is from the Lord

No one can claim that they are wise when they don’t know God

God is the giver of life and only though him can we receive wisdom

Without the fear of the Lord, we will be foolish, ignorant and dumb.

In our current information age, many people assume that gathering and having information is enough for them to navigate this corrupt world. Sadly, this is a big lie. Having information isn’t the same as knowledge and wisdom. In the book of James, he mentions that we cannot just be hearers of the word, but we must also be doers of the word too. What good is it to have knowledge and not put it into use?

In the book of Proverbs, Solomon gives us the source of wisdom. It is the fear of the Lord that begins wisdom. In other words, those who do not know God may never experience wisdom. They may have head knowledge of something, but they do not know absolute truth which only comes from believing that God is the source of all things. He is wisdom himself, so, if we acknowledge and believe and serve him, we automatically become wise.

REFLECTION

  • What do you think is the difference between being intelligent and being wise?