Tag Archives: rejoice

WHEN YOU DELIGHT IN GOD Poem Devotional

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October 10________________________________________
Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires. – Psalm 37:4 (NLT)
WHEN YOU DELIGHT IN GOD
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you delight in the Lord constantly
He will appreciate and reward you faithfully
Ask your wishes and desires enthusiastically
He won’t deprive you; he’ll give it generously.
Don’t ever be complacent in desiring Christ
He loves someone always full of life
Give your all to worship and praise
Rejoice, be glad and most of all, be amazed.
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Do you remember how excited you were when you first met your spouse? You couldn’t eat or sleep and you constantly were thinking of him or her. Sometimes a smile is kept pasted on your lips as you remember that moment you just spent together. You can’t have enough of one another. That is exactly how God wants us to feel for him. He wants us to take delight and rejoice because he loves us so much. He wants to make you happy and is willing to grant you whatever you ask in his name.
When you delight in the Lord, you will always have that zest for life and a thankful attitude. It is a proof that you are growing since one of the Sprit’s fruit is Joy. It keeps you strong to resist temptation when you rejoice in God’s love and his presence in your life.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your desire to be with me.
REFLECTION
How often do you desire to be with Jesus? What are some of your desires that hinder your spiritual 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

REJOICE AT HIS BIRTH Poem Devotional

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December 3
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You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. -Luke 1:14(NLT)
REJOICE AT HIS BIRTH
A poem and essay by ILMA
When God sent his Son on earth
He wants us to rejoice in his birth
It is the manifestation of his great love
The baby Jesus was sent from up above.
Rejoice, rejoice, for we are set free
He brought light so we can be able to see
He removes all our guilt and shame
Just call on his most powerful name.
There is no darkness in him
He brings to light all our sins
Be glad that he was born
Give up all forms of scorn.
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Consumerism and traditions have destroyed the real essence of Christmas. We have completely lost focus on the true meaning of it. It was spun to worldly pursuits and people pleasing. What happened to the “give love” instead of “give me what I want?” In this selfie generation, each person thinks of what they can get instead of what they can give. Even in the giving, shouldn’t we ask ourselves what the motives behind it are?
Christmas is about rejoicing at the birth of the promised one who could free us from our prisons of greed, envy, jealousy, anger, lust, pride, independence, idolatry, disobedience, rebellion, stubbornness and all other sins. It is to remember how we shout be rejoicing and spreading God’s good news of salvation.
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PRAYER
Lord, keep me focused on the reason for Christ’s birth.
REFLECTION
How can we protect our hearts from corruption of the true meaning of Christmas?
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

GREAT JOY IN CHRIST

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September 19
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Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. – Psalm 119:1(NLT)
RESULT OF OBEDIENCE
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you follow the Lord’s commands
You will not be overwhelmed by life’s demands
Those who live a life of integrity
They will have joy even in adversity.
When you follow the ways of Jesus Christ
There is peace that will envelope your life
Follow the instructions of the Lord
It will please him and bring him laud.
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Baker’s Evangelical dictionary defines “joy” as happiness over an unanticipated or present good. It is “sama” in Hebrew and covers a wide range of human experiences from sexual love, to marriage, to birth of children, the gathering of harvest, military victory or drinking wine. On the spiritual level it refers to the extreme happiness with which the believer contemplates salvation and the bliss of the afterlife.
Do you have joy in your heart? How do we know if we have it? I used to think that I have the joy of the Lord, but I only had fleeting happiness when I achieve the goal I set for myself. As the spiritual joy was mentioned in the definition by the Evangelical dictionary, it is an extreme happiness that is expecting always the bliss of eternal life which will be granted to those who love the Lord. When you follow God’s word, you will experience joy.
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PRAYER
Lord, grant me the gift of joy. You promised it as one of your Spirit’s fruits.
REFLECTION
How can we gauge that we have the joy of the Lord?
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

SHOUT! YOUR GOD IS COMING

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June 28
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Shout, and do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, “Your God is coming!” Yes, the Sovereign LORD is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. – Isaiah 40:9-10(NLT)
SHOUT! YOUR GOD IS COMING
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you expecting the biggest event in all history?
Shout and don’t be afraid to tell Christ’s story
Your God is coming, yes, he comes with power
Are you telling everyone to prepare for the hour
He will rule all over this world he has created
He will bring all the rewards to all his anointed
Are you screaming out loud to praise and honor him?
Preach the good news so all can overcome sin?
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When I became a born again Christian, I was very selective with the people who taught and preached the gospel. I thank God for social media and the internet. I know some people think that we can get all kinds of junk and false information online, but we can also hear the gospel being spread all over the world. What powerful vehicle to touch people’s hearts! I used to be biased with “preachy” sounding pastors or teachers. I realized that God anointed some to boldly and shout out the gospel and the coming of the Lord so many people will be saved before he comes back. Speaking out loud is powerful.
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PRAYER
Lord, give me boldness, never to be timid to declare the good news.
REFLECTION
Why do you think that shouting out loud is powerful?
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

OVERFLOWING JOY Poem Devotional

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IMG_8723June 19________________________________________
When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! – John 15:10-11(NLT)
OVERFLOWING JOY
A poem and essay by ILMA
Joy doesn’t come from good things happening in your life
It isn’t from getting what you want or being free from strife
When you obey God’s commands and remain in his love
You are going to experience overflowing joy from up above.
The joy that comes from the world is temporary and fleeting
To those whose faith is anchored on God, joy is overflowing
Remain in His love and you will have an abundance of joy
Depart from the Lord and you will be discontented then fall.
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Many people interchange happiness with joy. I think that they work equally together. How long the state of joy or the feeling of happiness last depends on their faith. It is easy to be happy when things go your way, but it is also possible to have joy despite all the trials and suffering you experience. Joy is one of the things that the enemy steals from us. He knows that if we don’t have it, it will be easy to get us in prison to discontent. The bible tells us to remain in the Lord so we will have joy overflowing.
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PRAYER
Thank you for the joy that you grant to all your people.
REFLECTION
How can we focus more on rejoicing rather than just being happy?
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

ENJOY YOUR LIFE

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May 28________________________________________
So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. – Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 (NLT)
ENJOY YOUR LIFE
A poem and essay by ILMA
No matter what your situations in life
Be thankful and look at all things bright
Appreciate your life despite circumstances
He strengthens you to face all challenges.
There is nothing better than to be happy
Focus on the true God who loves you unconditionally
Enjoy the even the trials for it builds your character
Later on you will reap the fruits of all your labor.
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So many people do not know how to enjoy their life. They get stuck with the circumstances they are into. One of the things that the Lord has given us is the capacity to enjoy whatever comes our way. Philippians 4:11-13 talks about the secret of contentment which lies in thanking the Lord for all things. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Only by believing in him will we understand the true meaning of happiness. I remember during the most adverse situations, I am still able to thank the Lord for his provision and look beyond the difficulties. I am sure that without his spirit, I will never discern this. There is nothing better than to enjoy all God’s blessings.
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PRAYER
Lord, give me the grace to be thankful despite adversities.
REFLECTION
How can thanksgiving make us enjoy our life?
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

REJOICE AND BE GLAD Poem Devotional

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April 5________________________________________
This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. -Psalm 118:24(NLT)
REJOICE AND BE GLAD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you grateful for all the things you have?
God provides for our needs; so rejoice and be glad
He brings us the sunshine so we can be warm
He gave us the rain to grow crops in our farm.
He brought people to love us so we can feel special
He wants us to know that he will always be loyal
Rejoice and be glad that he gave us this day
Enjoy and live it to the fullest everyday
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I have been with so many people who do not know how to enjoy their lives. Their pessimism can affect others around them and I admit that I became joyless for many years. Somehow, the Holy Spirit took hold of my heart early when I was in my teens and whispered to me to enjoy life despite all the pain I was going through. This led me to become hungry for knowledge. I learned to channel all my energies to sports, the performing arts and reading books. I discovered that pursuing and training myself with things that interests me took my mind off all the suffering. I began to enjoy life from all that God gave me. So I learned to rejoice and be glad.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for each day, help me enjoy it and rejoice.
REFLECTION
How can you maintain joy in our lives on a regular basis?
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

REJOICE! Poem Devotional

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March 23________________________________________
My heart rejoices in the Lord! My Lord has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me. -1 Samuel 2:1(NLT)
REJOICE!
A poem and essay by ILMA
It was pitch black and cold in the abyss
I felt so scared and can’t find bliss
The silence was deadening
The isolation was frightening.
Then I heard a voice deep inside me
Saying “I love you, I will set you free!”
I saw a light amidst this darkness
I rejoice from being rescued from loneliness.
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There have been many years of my life that I lived in so much darkness. Because of wrong choices, wrong company and disobedience to God, I reaped the consequences and brought havoc in my life. I was enslaved by the fear of rejection and abandonment and tried to cope with all my traumas by performing and proving that I have worth because the enemy had made me believe I was worthless and unworthy to be loved. I thank God that four years ago, he literally pulled me out of this chasm of darkness and brought me into the light through his word. When the lies were brought out, I felt liberated inside.
The bible tells us that we must rejoice because the Lord makes us strong and he will take care of us. He will always be there to rescue us, so continue to rejoice.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to focus on your light in the midst of darkness.
REFLECTION
What have you fallen into in the past that God rescued you from?
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

BLESSING IN DISGUISE Poem Devotional

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October 22________________________________________
So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold-though your faith is more precious than real gold.
-1Peter 1:6-7 (NLT)
BLESSING IN DISGUISE
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you go through many trials and difficulties
Don’t despair! It purifies you and leads you to victory
These hardships will show your genuine faith
It tests how much you can endure and change your fate.
So, be truly glad when your faith is tested
It means that God is refining the people he created
He is preparing you for a bigger task and calling
Don’t forget to thank him for the disguised blessing.________________________________________
Blessing in disguise is and idiom which means a bad thing at first but later on turns out to be good. Remember that the God will never give us anything that is beyond what we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13). I had so much pain and traumas as a child. It came to a point of desperation and wanted to end my agony at age 14. I didn’t understand until in my early 50s what God was doing to prepare me for this ministry to spread his word. I am truly glad that he made me endure all the pain. It was a test of my faith.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for all the blessings in disguise.
REFLECTION
What blessings do you enjoy now that was a result of all your trials?
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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