November 23
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UNTAMABLE TONGUE
A poem by ILMA
We all make many mistakes and we have no control over our tongues
For if we could govern it, we would be perfect and we will manage our lives well
We can make a large horse go wherever we want with a small bit in its mouth
A small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go
Even through strong winds in the storm, he guides it’s direction.
In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches
But like a tiny spark, it can say something and can set a great forest on fire
Among all the parts of the body, the tongue is like a flame
It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting our entire body
It can set our whole lives on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish,
But no one can tame the tongue; It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison
Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses others
And so, blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth
Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!
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MEMORY VERSE
People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. – James 3:7-8
Read: James 3:1-12
The book of James reminds us of the uncontrollable tongue. It likens the tongue to a great forest on fire that can only be started even by a tiny spark. What comes out of our mouths is the one that defiles us and not what we put in it. We can only control it if the Holy Spirit live in us and we surrender our mouths to Him.
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REFLECTION
• How can we teach ourselves to control our mouth?
• Why do we need to watch what comes out of our mouth and always examine our hearts to keep pure?
Tag Archives: tongue
HOLD YOUR TONGUE poem devotional
November 30
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I said to myself, “I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me. – Psalm 39:1(NLT)
HOLD YOUR TONGUE
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you are with ungodly people
Watch what do you and be careful
Do not sin by carelessly saying things
Guard your mouth so you won’t sin.
Do not let any lie come out of it
Select your words, guided by God’s Spirit
Learn to speak less and listen more
Declare only what is in God’s word.
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Have you ever said something that you wished you could have taken back? The enemy uses our tongue to speak evil. In James, he calls the tongue as the smallest thing but the hardest to tame. He explains how the tongue can actually praise the Lord and also later, the same tongue could speak all kinds of evil. God is still working on me on this matter. I am quick to react at times and then from my mouth came out words that were not filtered by God’s truth. The bible warns us to be careful what we do and say especially in front of unbelievers. As a Christian, we ought to be the light for Christ, when we say and do things that Jesus will never do, we are confusing those who do not know him and not shining for him.
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PRAYER
Lord, rend my tongue especially when I am hungry, angry, lonely and tired.
REFLECTION
How can you learn to tame your tongue?
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
TONGUE OF THE WISE Poem Devotional
July 23
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The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness. – Proverbs 15:2(NLT)
TONGUE OF THE WISE
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you use your tongue to speak the truth?
Have you allowed God’s word to take root?
The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing
The mouth of a fool belches out many forms of lying.
Use your mouth only to utter only what will encourage
To dwell on the negative will make others discouraged
The wise will make your life better and not bitter
The fool will find a way to always criticize and belittle.
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Have you ever been with an emotional vampire? They are those who suck out the energy off you. They drain your positive outlook and progress. They usually focus on the negative and find fault and someone to blame. They do not take responsibility for any mistake or fault they have. Instead, they project all their weaknesses on others because they are not brave enough to admit their imperfections. I have had relationships with a few emotional vampires and it was really tiring to be around these people. No matter how optimistic you are, they will find a way to dampen it. I used to be affected by these kind of people, but when I learned to set boundaries on them, I learned not to engage in their foolishness. The wise always encourages.
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PRAYER
Lord, deliver me from negative people.
REFLECTION
Why must we avoid critical and pessimistic people?
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
KEY TO LONGEVITY & PROSPERITY Poem Devotional
March 24________________________________________
Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! -Psalm 34:12-13 (NLT)
KEY TO LONGEVITY & PROSPERITY
A poem and essay by ILMA
Does anyone want to live a long and prosperous life?
Make sure you feed on Scriptures and stay in God’s light
Meditate on his truth day and night and follow it
Only then will you reap the fruits of his Spirit.
Keep your tongue from telling lies and speaking evil
It is the best way you can do warfare with the devil
You have authority over the schemes of the enemy
Exercise it by declaring Jesus as your one and only.
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There are many books, blogs, videos and seminars that talk about how you can live longer and be wealthy. We are bombarded today with social media explosions on wealth, power, and longevity. What does God say about all the world’s way of having long life and being prosperous?
The bible talks about a different kind of prosperity. In God’s economy, being wealthy doesn’t only mean you have all the comforts and luxuries in life to yourself. Everything comes from God and is given to us so we can be stewards of his kingdom. We cannot claim ownership on anything on earth. We need to be thankful and follow his ways, keeping ourselves from speaking evil and telling lies.
PRAYER
Lord, reveal to me each lie and evil thought that comes to mind.
REFLECTION
Why is it important to hold captive our thoughts and have it obey God?
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
WARNING ABOUT THE TONGUE Poem Devotional
January 15________________________________________
People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and fish but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. -James 3:7-8 (NLT)
WARNING ABOUT THE TONGUE
A poem and essay by ILMA
The tongue accepts the food that nourishes the body
It can also be used to hurt somebody
The tongue is the hardest thing to tame
Even the holiest person can also blame.
The tongue is evil, full of deadly poison
It cannot be controlled even by human reason
Be careful what this restless thing will say
Control it or be sorry if it always gets its way.
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According to an article by Alina Bradford in Live Science, sticking out your tongue is considered unacceptable behavior in many cultures, but it is a sign of respect in others. In Tibet, sticking out the tongue is a greeting. When two people meet, they stick out their tongues at each other. Among the Maori people of New Zealand, sticking out the tongue is part of a war chant and is meant to intimidate the enemy. If a Maori woman sticks out her tongue, it is a sign of defiance.
The tongue has its bodily functions but the bible says that it is a restless evil full of deadly poison. It is very hard to tame. We can tame animals but no one can tame the tongue.
PRAYER
Lord, grant me self control to tame my tongue.
REFLECTION
Relate the worst time that your tongue ever got you in trouble?
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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
A FLAME OF FIRE Poem Devotional
January 14________________________________________
And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. – James 3:6(NLT)
A FLAME OF FIRE
A poem and essay by ILMA
The mouth spits out words that can hurt or help
It can serve the worst master which is the “self”
The tongue is a flame of fire; it corrupts the body
It can set your whole life on fire or can damage anybody.
Do not take for granted what this little tongue can do
It has ruined many people and their relationships too
The tongue is set on fire by hell itself, so watch out
This little flame of fire can be enormous and burst out.
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The most pained, angry or dysfunctional people usually have been a victim of the tongue. They have heard a hurting word in the past that contributed to what they have become. “Hurt people hurt people” is a phrase we commonly hear when we witness a wicked person who unstoppably brings pain to others. These pained people go through life without knowing how to cope with those lies they heard about themselves. Most of these lies or words spoken to them bring them shame and guilt which debilitate their lives. The bible says that the tongue is a flame of fire that can destroy because it comes from hell itself.
PRAYER
Lord, please guard my mouth to only say kind words.
REFLECTION
What kind of words escape your mouth?
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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
CONTROLLING THE TONGUE Poem Devotional
January 13________________________________________
For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every way. -James 3:2(NLT)
CONTROLLING THE TONGUE
A poem and essay by ILMA
What comes out of your mouth repeatedly?
Do you speak God’s words or just reason out consistently?
For if one could control the tongue, we would be perfect
If we commit our lips to God’s word, we won’t be a wreck.
The tongue is a strong force that cannot be tamed easily
It is only with God’s help that we can have victory
When you control it, you can navigate through life
When you don’t, it will make you lost and lose insight.
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What was the last thing you said to someone today? Was it an encouragement or a criticism that you just let out? One of my weaknesses is the ability to control what comes out of my mouth. Because I am not quick to listen, but fast to speak instead, I often end up saying something that I wish I could have refrained from saying. We can’t take back what has come out of our mouths. I am sure that if we submit our lips to God, we will be able to say only things that God would want us to say.
The bible tells us that controlling the tongue is imperative in order for us to be able to control ourselves. Without guiding it, we will cause pain.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to refrain from saying unkind things.
REFLECTION
Why do you think controlling our tongue is integral in spiritual maturity.
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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