Module 1 - Economic Empowerment

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1Devotional Module 1ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENTDEVOTIONAL 1: CONSERVING3CREATION’S FRUITFULNESS(Sustainable Agriculture)The world created by God is bountiful, but it can only be fruitful in the long term witheffective management. Malaysian CARE partners with Orang Asli and Orang Asalcommunities to set up agriculture projects so that they can be self-sufficient in their landswhile avoiding the ecological destruction that often results from commercial farmingtechniques. By providing sustainable agriculture research and training for the indigenouspeople of Malaysia, they can earn a decent living while maintaining the earth’s biodiversitythrough their care for the land and forests.‘How many are your works Oh Lord! Inwisdom you have madethem all; the earth is full of your creatures’(Psalm 104:24).Read Ezekiel 34:17–19What 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), 20184
Devotional Module 1ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENTBecause 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 (Psalm23), the earth belongs to God alone (Psalm 24:1). His are gifts we do not own. His are giftsthat 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 ownerof all things!Read Deuteronomy 20:19–20What 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 environmentsuffers too. In those days, trees were cut down and used to attack enemy cities. God knewthat in times of war his people needed to be able to use trees to defend themselves or attacktheir enemies, so he didn’t prohibit cutting them down altogether. Instead he tried to limitthe damage by instructing his people not to cut down the fruit trees. Why? Because it was notin their future interests. No fruit trees meant no fruit, which means less food and morehungry people. Here is plain teaching that even in times of great need, we must also be wiseabout 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 begreedy (Matthew 6:33)?Can you think of how development in your local area has resulted in negativeconsequences? (e.g. landslides, floods, crop production, pollution)How could people have responded differently, in a way that met both the immediate needsand provided for the long term?5
Page 1 and 2: why care?a devotional series byMODU
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Module 1 - Economic Empowerment

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