Aug 8 The Power of God’s Word
For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law and stopped trying to meet all its requirements, so that I might live for God.
–Galatians 2:9 (NLT)
LIVE OUT OF THE BOX
A poem and essay by ILMA
Whenever a believer strictly follows the law
He will find life tedious and impossible to grow
The law of love is what God wants us to follow
It frees everyone from difficulties and sorrows.
Jesus died for us so we can be free
He sacrificed his life so we can have peace
Stop being legalistic and live out of the box
Follow the road to righteousness and walk in love.
Many believers still live under laws, traditions, religious doctrines and rituals. Some have practically mixed up religion with relationship with God. No wonder they are stuck where they are. They live for themselves and claim that they love God. It is very sad to see many Christians who cannot follow Christ’s example of humility and follow the path to love, forgiveness and mercy. Jesus came to save us from sin. He sacrificed his life so we can be free from condemnation and be dead to the laws. He gave us life through love. The more we keep living in the box of the laws, we feel more condemnation.
PRAYER
Lord, show me how to live out of the box.
REFLECTION
How can you be free from the law?
Tag Archives: Poem devotional
FAITH BRINGS RIGHTEOUSNESS Poem Devotional
Aug 7 The Power of God’s Word
When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. –Romans 4:4-5 (NLT)
FAITH BRINGS RIGHTEOUSNESS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Wages are what we earn when we work for someone
Righteousness is what we receive when God gave his Son
When we choose to believe, we partake in his promises
It helps us to follow the road to uprightness.
Work on strengthening your faith
It will definitely change your fate
Believe only in the Lord
Give him praise and applaud.
There are many Christians who think that they have to work hard to earn their salvation. They work hard at doing good works to be saved. God loves us so much that even if we don’t deserve it, he still sent his one and only son to free us from the debt of sin.
The bible tells us that we are counted righteous, not because of what work we did, but because of our faith. God gave us the gift of salvation through his son’s death. He does not expect us to work for it for it will defeat the purpose of the cross. He gave us mercy and grace, all we need to do is receive it.
PRAYER
Lord, show me how to live by your grace.
REFLECTION
How much faith in God do you have?
TRANSFORMED INTO A NEW CREATION Poem Devotional
Aug 6 The Power of God’s Word
It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. –Galatians 6:15(NLT)
TRANSFORMED INTO A NEW CREATION
A poem and essay by ILMA
The moment you believe in your heavenly father
You will seek to follow him and be united with your sisters and brothers
It doesn’t matter whether you follow religious rituals
You are transformed into a new creation, that’s what’s vital.
Do not live under the law and be religious
That will only be hard work and tedious
God wants you to walk in love and follow him
It is the only way you will enter his kingdom and be redeemed.
The whole book of Galatians was written to disprove their own interpretation of the gospel and their legalistic and ritualistic ways to show others that they belong to God. Paul, the apostle was very bold in dealing with the lies that they perpetuated to deceive others into thinking that the laws they follow is what will save them. Jesus himself confronted the Pharisees and the Scribes who were very legalistic and religious. God wants a relationship with us, not rituals.
Galatians 6:15 assures us that what counts is that we are being transformed into a new creation. It is walking in love that brings us to God’s kingdom.
PRAYER
Lord, deliver me from religion.
REFLECTION
Why do you think Jesus hated religion? What does it do to us?
GOD PLEASER NOT PEOPLE PLEASER Poem Devotional
Aug 5 The Power of God’s Word
No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. It is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people. –Romans 2:29 (NLT)
GOD PLEASER NOT PEOPLE PLEASER
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you seek people’s approval in many things?
Isn’t it too confusing, frustrating and tiring?
You can’t live up to anyone’s standard
It will make you unhappy and haggard.
If you choose to become a God pleaser
Your life will be peaceful and happier
A person with a heart that seeks Christ
He becomes totally free from conflicts and fights.
Do you find yourself doing things to seek someone’s approval? I did it so many years of my life and sadly, it had enslaved me for many years. It was the cause of so many unhappy and unhealthy relationships I got into. The book of Joyce Meyer’s entitled “Approval Addiction” demystified all the wrong notions I had about seeking approval. Constantly reading God’s word made me realize the truth that I can do nothing to change God’s love for me. Believers must be God pleasers instead of people pleasers. The bible says that a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God and one who seeks to prioritize praising and pleasing God.
PRAYER
Lord, deliver me from pleasing people.
REFLECTION
Why should we focus more on pleasing God rather than people?
RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH FAITH Poem Devotional
- Aug 4 The Power of God’s Word
And Abram believed the Lord and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith. –Genesis 15:6 (NLT)
RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH FAITH
A poem and essay by ILMA
Faith means believing even when you don’t see
It is being hopeful in chaos and being free
It is continually looking forward to God’s promises
It is giving up worldliness and pursuing righteousness.
When Abraham believed, he was granted uprightness
Because of his faith, he showed others God’s goodness
It is through his faith that we are all recipients of salvation
It is through believing in God that we are granted his kingdom.
How important faith is in a Christian’s life? Faith is the foundation that makes a believer’s life solid. Without it, a believer will be prone to focus on works of the flesh, rather than allowing the spirit of God to work in their lives. Works of the flesh are things that someone pursues to gain the love of God or approval of someone. I used to do a lot of works of the flesh before I became a born again. No wonder my life became tedious and I didn’t have the joy that comes from believing.
The bible tells us that Abraham became the father of all nations because of his faith. God considered him righteous and granted him to be the father of all his people.
PRAYER
Lord, grow my faith.
REFLECTION
How can we allow the spirit to work on our faith?
CHANGE YOUR HEART Poem devotional
Aug 2 The Power of God’s Word
Therefore, change your heart and stop being stubborn. The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live.
–Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6 (NLT)
CHANGE YOUR HEART
A poem and essay by ILMA
Seek the Lord only and turn to him for everything
He listens to your prayers and can grant you anything
Therefore, change your heart and stop being stubborn
It makes your life difficult and you end up in the wrong.
The Lord your God is the only one who can change your heart
He never wants you to go astray and be apart
When you decide to follow him, your descendants will live
They will learn to love God with all their hearts and souls and be firm.
Is your heart longing for God or for the things of this world? Are you in love with the Lord that you can’t stop thinking about him or wanting to spend time with him? Do you keep your hearts pure for him and avoid corruption from this world we live in?
The bible tells us to stop being stubborn and change our hearts. God will change our hearts so that we can prioritize him and love him with all our hearts and souls and be given life.
PRAYER
Lord, keep my heart pure.
REFLECTION
Why is it important to constantly obey and seek God?
COMFORT GIVERS Poem Devotional
July 31 The Power of God’s Word
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
–2 Corinthians 1:4 (NLT)
COMFORT GIVERS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Christ died to relieve us from sin and pain
He sacrificed his own life so we can gain
God comforts us in our anguish and misery
Share the comfort to those who need it freely.
When others are troubled, we can provide help
When they are suffering, we can give aide and forget the self
When God grants us grace and mercy in when we are hurt
We are supposed to give it back to others in support.
The world has turned everyone around by seeking “self” first in everything. It has polluted our concept of love by pursuing love instead of giving it away. In God’s economy, we are required to give love. He will provide all that we need in return when we comfort others. He wants us to love one another as he loves us.
The bible tells us that God comforts us in all our troubles because he loves us. We must give back the comfort we received from God to others who need it. When they are troubled, we ought to give back the same comfort we received.
PRAYER
Lord, grant me to comfort someone today.
REFLECTION
Why does God require us to comfort others?
THE PROUD VERSUS THE RIGHTEOUS Poem Devotional
July 30 The Power of God’s Word
Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God. – Habakkuk 2:4 (NLT)
THE PROUD VERSUS THE RIGHTEOUS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Those who trust their own selves and put down others
They are never concerned with their sisters and brothers
They will do anything to please themselves and satisfy their desires
Their hearts are corrupted; they live in darkness and in all kinds of lies.
The righteous are humble and seek the Lord’s truth
They sow good deeds and so they reap the Spirit’s fruits
Even at the greatest temptation, they endure and stay faithful
At the most trying situations, they stay peaceful and hopeful.
Can you recognize an authentic believer? Their greatest virtue is humility and faithfulness. You will never hear them boast about themselves or flaunt their gifts, skills or prowess in something. They are gentle, calm and peaceful at all situations. They have learned to live in the Spirit and die to the old self.
The bible tells us to be wary of those who are proud. They only trust in themselves and live crooked lives. The righteous on the other hand are faithful to God. They trust God and do everything to follow him and please him only. They have the peace that comes from their faith.
PRAYER
Lord, deliver me from arrogance.
REFLECTION
Why is humility essential in a Christian’s life?
THE REWARD FOR TRUSTING GOD
July 28 The Power of God’s Word
You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him and you rejoice with a glorious inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. – 1 Peter 1:8-9 (NLT)
THE REWARD FOR TRUSTING GOD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you love God with all your heart, soul and mind?
Will you trust him now that you can’t see answers or find?
Will you continually love him even though you have never seen him?
The reward for being faithful is that your soul will be redeemed.
Trust is the foundation of all relationships
Without it, there will always be conflicts
Whenever you trust in the name of Jesus Christ
Your life will be peaceful and be illumined by his light.
Do you find it hard to believe something or someone you can’t actually see? Human nature wants to visually experience something before they believe. Even the apostle Thomas had to see and hold Christ’s hands before he believed that Jesus Christ was actually resurrected. It shows how limited our minds and hearts are. It takes practice to actually grow one’s faith. If we continue to make a choice to believe and trust God, we will gain inexplicable joy and enjoy have eternal life.
PRAYER
Lord, show me how to totally trust you in everything.
REFLECTION
Why do you think “trust” is an essential ingredient in relationships?
DIRECT REVELATION FROM CHRIST Poem Devotional
July 27 The Power of God’s Word
I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.–Galatians 1:12 (NLT)
A poem and essay by ILMA
Those who seek and revere Christ
Will always be illumined by his light
Those who believe and obey are granted revelations
Their connection to God strengthens because of their relations.
No human source can ever give you discernment
Only God knows and reveals to you your assignment
The moment you spend time with God habitually
He will convict you and give you revelations regularly.
Do you have a direct communication with God? Many people think that it is impossible to hear from God. I have heard God since I was two years old. Of course at that time, I didn’t know it was God who told me how to overcome my fears and how to handle the abuses I went through. I only realized it when I studied his word diligently. Most of the teachings and promises I read in the bible today, I knew them from long ago. I was astounded to read some things I already knew even before I got into reading the bible in my late twenties. We can only get direct revelations if we allow our hearts to be pure and do what God says.
PRAYER
Lord, reveal to me what you want in my life.
REFLECTION
How can you get revelations regularly?