Module 1 - Economic Empowerment

why care?
a devotional series by
MODULE 1
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

Devotional Module 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
01 Introduction .................................................................
1
02
Integral Mission...........................................................
1
03
Devotional
Theme Verse for 2022: Isaiah 43:19...................................
2
04
Devotional 1
Economic Empowerment:
Conserving Creation’s Fruitfulness ...................................
4
05 Devotional 2
Economic Empowerment:
Financial Literacy & Income Generation............................
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06 Devotional 3
Economic Empowerment:
The Right to Property (Land Rights)....................................
07 Lectio Divina
Elisha Helps a Poor Widow: 2 Kings 4:1-7............................
08 How to lead Lectio and Visio Divina..........................
10
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Acknowledgement......................................................... 16

Devotional Module 1
INTRODUCTION
Why do we do what we do? That is what the devotional aims to answer. As a
Christian social concern agency, Malaysian CARE draws inspiration and strength
from the Bible to guide its work in its 40-year existence. Our vision, to be the visible
expression of the wholistic mission of Christ to the poor and needy, is rooted in the
foundation of our faith. Therefore, these devotionals are one way for us to learn the
values of Jesus and how our faith relates to society.
By studying Scripture, we can understand our role in empowering communities, as
we work together as one body of Christ in finding hope during times of despair.
The devotionals are based on the four key empowerment areas of Malaysian CARE.
They are not meant to be exhaustive but to give a brief overview of the work.
Economic Empowerment
Child Empowerment
Youth Empowerment
Social Empowerment
You are encouraged to use the devotionals once a week for three weeks followed by a
week of Lectio or Visio Divina.
INTEGRAL MISSION
Integral mission or wholistic transformation is the proclamation and demonstration
of the gospel. As in the life of Jesus, being, doing and saying are at the heart of our
integral task. We get a clear picture of what this means when Jesus sent out the
twelve disciples. At the core of his instructions was a two-fold mission:
“As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise
the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.” (Matthew 10:7-8).
Word and works are meant to be together. We are told that he died, not just for the
forgiveness of sins, but for the redeeming of the entire creation, to reconcile to
himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, and bring all things
together under him. The work of Christ on the cross has far-reaching social and
cosmic consequences (Rom 8:19-22, Col 1:20, Eph 1:9-10). God by his grace has given
local churches the task of integral mission. Therefore the future of integral mission
is in planting and enabling local churches to transform the communities of which
they are part of. Churches as caring and inclusive communities are at the heart of
what it means to do integral mission.
1
1Adapted from Integral Mission: Biblical Foundations (Melba Maggay) and the Micah Network Declaration on
Integral Mission
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DEVOTIONAL ON MALAYSIAN
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CARE’S THEME VERSE 2022
“See I am Doing A New Thing!” (Isaiah 43:19)
Read Isaiah 43:16-21
This passage from the book of Isaiah was written when Judah was suffering under
Babylonian rule. Physically, economically, culturally, and religiously, the people felt the
might of Babylon, and it seems that one of the tasks of the prophet Isaiah was to rebuild
the people’s understanding of themselves as God’s own people and to reassure them
that their God was fully capable of taking on the Babylonian superpower in order to
save them. We see this reflected in verse 16 as God is described as the Lord “who made
a way through the sea, drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements…
never to rise again.”
The similarities between Isaiah 43:16-17 and the description of the miraculous rescue of
the people at the sea in Exodus 14 and 15 strongly suggest that the prophet is invoking
their cultural memory of that dramatic story of redemption from Egypt.
However it wasn’t enough to remember the good old days but to focus on building a
future. Isaiah 43 compels us to view our experience of God’s grace in the past as a
springboard so that we view neither present nor future with fear, but with expectation.
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?"
2 This bible study is adapted from Commentary on Isaiah 43:16-21 by Callie Plunket-Brewton
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Devotional Module 1
DEVOTIONAL ON MALAYSIAN
CARE’S THEME VERSE 2022
In a seemingly hopeless situation, the prophet calls on the people not to lose heart but
to look with anticipation for the signs of God’s approaching redemption, for the “new
thing” that is coming. Even the wild animals that live there are amazed at the
marvelous deeds of this God who “gives water in the wilderness.” (v 20).
I am reminded of the poem “A Homecoming” by Wendell Berry:
"…In the trust of old love, cultivation shows
a dark and graceful wilderness
at its heart. Wild
in that wilderness, we roam
the distance of our faith;
safe beyond the bounds
of what we know. O love,
open. Show me
my country. Take me home."
“Safe beyond the bounds of what we know” is as apt a description of a faith journey as
any I have heard. In times of uncertainty and fear, Isaiah 43 urges us to be alert for the
signs of God’s continued presence, working to sustain and redeem it even to this day.
2
Discussion questions:
Observe - What new things do you see God doing around you?
Reflect - What does this new thing mean to you?
Practice - How can it apply to your life and ministry?
Prayer Points:
Yourself - Pray for hope and resilience
People around you - Pray for those affected by the pandemic that they will be
comforted
Nation - Pray for our leaders to uphold justice and good governance
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Devotional Module 1
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
DEVOTIONAL 1: CONSERVING
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CREATION’S FRUITFULNESS
(Sustainable Agriculture)
The world created by God is bountiful, but it can only be fruitful in the long term with
effective management. Malaysian CARE partners with Orang Asli and Orang Asal
communities to set up agriculture projects so that they can be self-sufficient in their lands
while avoiding the ecological destruction that often results from commercial farming
techniques. By providing sustainable agriculture research and training for the indigenous
people of Malaysia, they can earn a decent living while maintaining the earth’s biodiversity
through their care for the land and forests.
‘How many are your works Oh Lord! In
wisdom you have made
them all; the earth is full of your creatures’
(Psalm 104:24).
Read Ezekiel 34:17–19
What does this passage reveal about how we should treat God’s creation?
How should we consider the needs of other people and other creatures?
3 Adapted from Tearfund’s Jubilee: 50 Bible Studies on Poverty & Justice (Study 49), 2018
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ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
Because God made all things and holds all things together through Jesus (Colossians 1:15–
20), everything belongs to him. While God leads us to green pastures and pure water (Psalm
23), the earth belongs to God alone (Psalm 24:1). His are gifts we do not own. His are gifts
that must never be taken from us or the other creatures!
Keeping our places fruitful for all God’s creatures brings praise to God, the creator and owner
of all things!
Read Deuteronomy 20:19–20
What commands are given here about the use of trees during war?
In war, the rules of life change. People can forget to love in the same way. The environment
suffers too. In those days, trees were cut down and used to attack enemy cities. God knew
that in times of war his people needed to be able to use trees to defend themselves or attack
their enemies, so he didn’t prohibit cutting them down altogether. Instead he tried to limit
the damage by instructing his people not to cut down the fruit trees. Why? Because it was not
in their future interests. No fruit trees meant no fruit, which means less food and more
hungry people. Here is plain teaching that even in times of great need, we must also be wise
about how we steward the environment.
Discussion Questions:
What are we doing to care for creation and God’s creatures? Do we resist the desire to be
greedy (Matthew 6:33)?
Can you think of how development in your local area has resulted in negative
consequences? (e.g. landslides, floods, crop production, pollution)
How could people have responded differently, in a way that met both the immediate needs
and provided for the long term?
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Devotional Module 1
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
Prayer Points:
Pray that the sustainable agriculture courses run by Malaysian CARE would be wellreceived
and have good results that will encourage more indigenous people to adopt
these techniques.
Pray for indigenous communities to have creativity and confidence in working the land
amidst the climate change resulting from human activity.
Closing Prayer
4
May the God of truth –
open our ears and eyes
to the wind whistling through the trees.
May the God of justice –
open our minds to the flowing actions of the waters
from refreshing rain, to gentle brook,
from mighty river, to raging sea
May the God of love –
open our hearts
to the cries of his creation groaning for redemption
And enable us. . . to pursue Jesus
With truth, justice, and love.
Amen.
4 Adapted from “Benediction” by Brooke Prentis - Common Grace Australia
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ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
DEVOTIONAL 2: FINANCIAL
LITERACY & INCOME GENERATION
5
While Malaysia aims to become a high income country in the next few years, many people
living in Malaysia are still struggling to make ends meet on a daily basis. Economic
downturns, inflation, and ill-health affect the poor more than anyone else as they do not have
enough savings and investments to help them stay afloat in difficult times. Malaysian CARE
has developed the Financial Literacy Programme and the Koperasi Sengoi Pribumi Perak cooperative
to help poor communities save and spend wisely so they can move out of poverty
and economic vulnerability. This programme has been implemented by churches and
partners across East and West Malaysia, empowering people by giving them a “hand up”
instead of a handout.
5 Adapted from Tearfund, Footsteps Magazine no.26, 1996
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Devotional Module 1
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
Read 2 Thessalonians 3:6–13.
The apostle Paul was deeply troubled by a report that some members of the church at
Thessalonica were idle without doing any work, but were active in a wrong way, for example, by
interfering in other people’s business (v 11). This created a bad influence in the community
which eventually had to take on the burden of providing for such idlers (v 8-9). So Paul, using
himself and his friends as models, encourages the Thessalonians to work together in order to
generate income and live on their own earnings (v 12). Let us look at the characteristics of Paul
as a model for ourselves:
Although Paul, as an apostle, had authority to receive income from the churches he had
established (v 9), he instead chose to set an example of supporting himself by hard work.
Paul generated income by doing the work in which he had skill and experience. He had been
trained in the trade of tent making (leatherwork in making tents) and so he continued with
this trade in Corinth (Acts 18:3). We also need to recognise our own skills and talents and
use them to provide our income.
Paul worked together with others familiar with the same trade. He joined the couple, Aquila
and Priscilla, with the same profession and worked with them (Acts 18:1–3, 2 Thess 3:9 ‘we
worked night and day’).
Paul’s work supported both himself and his companions (Acts 20:34). He also had a deep
concern for the poor and needy. He encouraged the Ephesians to work so they could give to
those in need (Eph 4:28). He had motivated the Gentile churches to make contributions to
the poor in Jerusalem (Rom 15:26–27). Therefore we, as God’s people, are called to work
hard by using our skills, and to generate income both individually and collectively so that we
can support ourselves and those in need, whether our Christian workers or the poor.
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Devotional Module 1
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
It will be impossible to support ourselves, our families, the church and our community unless
we develop the habit of ‘saving’ a small amount regularly out of what we earn. Otherwise our
hard work may be in vain. If Joseph had not stored up food during the seven years of plenty, he
and his people, both in Egypt and Canaan, could hardly have survived the time of famine
(Genesis 41:33–57). Co-operative efforts with an attitude of ‘saving’ can build a prosperous
community. It is for this reason that Malaysian CARE has set up a cooperative for the Orang
Asli through which they can save money for the future as well as take loans for incomegeneration
projects. Generating income and taking steps to manage our resources well can ease
the burden of economic injustice and inequality.
Discussion Questions:
What skills do we have? How can we use them to empower others to lead a self-supporting
life?
Who are the needy in our community? How can we help them, both as individuals and as a
group?
How can we use both our individual and our collective church income to be more effective
in reaching out to our local communities?
Prayer Points:
Pray for churches to be empowered to move beyond welfare approaches in addressing
poverty and towards a more holistic approach of partnership and empowerment.
Pray for families who face multiple vulnerabilities (e.g. single parents, migrants, unsafe
neighbourhoods, disabilities) that they would recognise their God-given dignity as persons
made in his image and be able to use their skills to support themselves.
Pray for structural change to reduce income inequality, unfair working conditions for lowincome
workers, and for Christian employers to lead the way in restoring justice for the
oppressed.
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Devotional Module 1
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
DEVOTIONAL 3: LAND RIGHTS
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One of the biggest challenges the indigenous people in Malaysia are facing today is the loss of
their land and livelihoods to encroachment or outright dispossession. The cultural territories of
the Orang Asli (Peninsular Malaysia) and Orang Asal (East Malaysia) are not recognised and
protected. In response, Malaysian CARE is working with indigenous people, raising awareness
about the need to protect native customary land and equipping them to work towards legal
recognition of their land.
Throughout the Scriptures, God reveals his design for true human flourishing, and how it is to
be worked out in community. We also consider how we, as followers of Christ, can learn from
his example in taking steps forward to extend the shalom of God’s true prosperity into our
communities. Over time, we have lost the idea that land and universe belongs, not to ourselves,
but to another, to God. God created all lands, all peoples, all that is; and God sustains all lands,
all peoples, and all that is.
Read Genesis 1:26, 28-30
6
This Bible study is adapted from “God’s Heart for Indigenous people”, a church resource by Australians
Together and “Australia –whose land? A call for recompense” by Peter Adam, Ridley Melbourne
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ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
Watch the video “Orang Asli and their Land”
https://tinyurl.com/OAland (5:15)
‘From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth;
and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their
lands.’ (Acts 17:26)
So all lands belong to God, and he distributed them to many nations, setting the time and places
where they would live. The land is God’s land. To respect and honour God is to know that he
made Malaysia, and to treat the existing indigenous peoples who were here before us with the
same respect as we would expect for ourselves too.
Even though we may not have directly done this ourselves, we can repent on behalf of our
nation. Without realising, we could have indirectly benefited from the wrongs done to
indigenous people for example, using palm oil from plantations on indigenous land or cheap
electricity from dams that have destroyed their homes. The indigenous people of Peninsular
Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak continue to face hardship and encroachment from the
government and big businesses without just compensation. Their customs, traditions and
ownership of ancestral land are ignored and suppressed in favour of financial profit, little of
which adequately makes its way back to the native inhabitants of the land.
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Devotional Module 1
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
“Some say that we here don’t know how to read maps.
But our elders don’t really need to.
From this durian tree to that durian tree, from this river
to that river, see! Our kampung!”
While the history of immigration and native customary rights maybe too complex to be dealt
with in one seating, we know that loving our neighbours includes respecting their right to live
in a safe and habitable environment.
Discussion Questions:
What does the original design of Eden tell us about God’s plan for human flourishing?
How does the current status of the indigenous people in Malaysia compare to God’s design
of shalom?
How does the example of Christ point us to the kind of posture we should take as his
followers? (e.g. Phil 2:3-7)
Prayer Points:
Pray for the land protection network of the Koperasi Sengoi Pribumi Perak (supported by
Malaysian CARE) to continue to flourish and be effective in helping the Orang Asli to
safeguard their land and way of life.
Pray for the authorities and courts to uphold the rights of the Orang Asli to dwell in their
native customary land.
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Devotional Module 1
LECTIO DIVINA #1: ELISHA HELPS A
POOR WIDOW (2 KINGS 4:1-7)
REFER TO THE GUIDELINES ‘HOW TO LEAD LECTIO DIVINA’ ON PAGE 14
The Widow’s Olive Oil
1 The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out
to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that
he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my
two boys as his slaves.”
2 Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you
have in your house?”
“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small
jar of olive oil.”
3 Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty
jars. Don’t ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door
behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is
filled, put it to one side.”
5 She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They
brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars
were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”
But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped
flowing.
7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil
and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”
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Devotional Module 1
HOW TO LEAD LECTIO DIVINA
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Lectio Divina is an Early Church practice of scriptural reading,
meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God
and to increase knowledge of God's word. We slow down. We read a
short passage more than once. We chew it over slowly and carefully.
We savour it. Scripture begins to speak to us in a new way. It speaks
to us personally, and aids that union we have with God through
Christ who is himself the Living Word.
So, lectio is not Bible study or even an alternative to Bible study but
something radically different. The practice understands Scripture as
a meeting place for a personal encounter with the Living God. It is a
practice we come to with the desire to be changed at all sorts of
levels. Through it we allow ourselves to be formed in the likeness of
Christ; it is about formation rather than instruction.
Traditionally, Lectio Divina consist of four elements: read, meditate,
pray, and contemplate. If you are doing it in a group, sharing is
welcomed but not compulsory. When undertaken in a group setting
lectio is about listening to the experience of others and how that
might inform your experience. It is not a discussion and no one
comments on what another person shares.
7 Adapted from web resources by Lausanne Europe, the Calvin Institute of Christian worship and
Anglican Communion.
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Devotional Module 1
HOW TO LEAD LECTIO DIVINA
A facilitator should be assigned to give verbal prompts to guide the group through these steps.
Prepare: Pray to quieten yourself and ask God to speak to you. The facilitator may then start
with an opening prayer.
Steps (approximately 30 minutes):
1. One individual reads the passage slowly.
2. Each person identifies the word or phrase that catches their attention (1 minute)
3. Each shares the word or phrase around the group (3-5 minutes, no discussion)
4. Another person reads the passage slowly from another translation, if possible.
5. Each person identifies where this passage touches their life today (1 minute)
6. Each shares (3-5 minutes, no discussion)
7. Passage is read a third time by another reader and in a different translation if possible,
or even another language.
8. Each person names or writes: “From what I’ve heard and shared, what do I believe God
wants me to do or be? Is God inviting me to change in any way? (5 minutes)
9. Each shares their answer (5-10 minutes in total, no discussion)
10. Each prays for the person on their right, naming what was shared. (5 minutes)
11. Close with the Lord’s Prayer and silence.
Unless otherwise stated, scripture quotations are taken from The Holy
Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011
by Biblica, Inc. TM Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Malaysian CARE acknowledges that materials for this devotional has been
adapted from various resources as indicated in the footnotes. This
devotional is intended for private usage and not for commercial purposes.
The cover photo was taken by Frederick Foo at Ladang CARE.
Please contact communications@malaysiancare.org for any questions or
clarifications pertaining to this devotional series.
mail@malaysiancare.org
@msiancare
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