Page 4 - 08 November 2024

PAGE 4 · THE REPORTER 8 NOVEMBER 2024

opportunities for econo-
mically diverse friendships?
A prayer to make:
Fa t h e r G o d , d i v e r s e
friendships can be hard.
Please guide me to ways
Ican open up diverse and
might know the kindness of We are anointed to bring wasn't the handouts of reciprocal friendships.
God. Amen.
good news to the poor. NGOs coming into the
A prayer to make: There are two parts to this community. Further Study:
good news. The part we
O Lord, would You give me a often think of is the good Whilst people did need Deuteronomy 15:7- 8: If
deeper revelation of my role economic assistance, they anyone is poor among your
news of eternal salvation
in Your redemptive story and also needed reciprocity. fellow Israelites in any of the
help me to share the hope through Jesus. But the other They were not powerless towns of the land that the
part, less often referred to, is
This is the first day of the authority and filled with with others today. Amen. the good news for the here people with nothing to offer. LORD your God is giving
daily devotions written by power. How then shall we Further study and now. Looking to Jesus, T h e y w e r e r e s i l i e n t you, do not be hard-hearted
Sarah Portal, a new theme, use this power? I recently we see that He did not only individuals who knew how to or tight-fisted towards them.
looking at Isaiah 61. In this overheard my friend telling Isaiah 61:1: The Spirit of the offer the poor the hope of look after one another. Rather, be open-handed and
passage of Scripture, Isaiah his four-year-old daughter, Sovereign LORD is on me, eternal salvation, but He also They had friendship to offer freely lend them whatever
casts the prophetic vision of who was being a little rough because the LORD has met them in their need in this and wisdom from life they need.
an anointed one who would w i t h a n o t h e r c h i l d , anointed me to proclaim life. In John 5:7, we read of experiences that the Proverbs 14:31: Whoever
renew the world. 'Remember, you are strong, good news to the poor. He Jesus healing a paralysed privileged could only oppresses the poor shows
my child. And what is has sent me to bind up the imagine. Good news to our contempt for their Maker,
This chapter was written to broken-hearted, to proclaim man who had no one to take
God's people who had strength used for?' His little freedom for the captives and him to the pool to be healed. new friends was being but whoever is kind to the
girl replied, 'Kindness,
returned from exile in release from darkness for His need was to walk, and valued as human beings and needy honours God.
B a b y l o n , a n d t h e Daddy.' To me, this the prisoners... Jesus met him in that need. welcome at the table. In Luke 6:21 22: Blessed are
generations that would encapsulates Isaiah 61 and On another occasion, Jesus choosing friendship with the you who hunger now, for you
follow. It is a message of what it means for us. I Samuel 16:13 So Samuel delivered a demonised man, poor, we not only brought will be satisfied. Blessed are
challenge and of hope that is We have been anointed, took the horn of oil and tied up in a cemetery, giving the good news of the gospel, you who weep now, for you
so central to the gospel; bestowed with power, and anointed him in the him back his full freedom. but we also received it. I will laugh. Blessed are you
indeed, here we find the very power is strength. presence of his brothers, The man's need was wonder if perhaps the reason when people hate you, when
words with which Jesus and from that day on the deliverance and dignity. God chooses to partner with they exclude you and insult
opened His public ministry. And what shall our strength Spirit of the Lord came us is because as we go, we you and reject your name as
Isaiah 61 does not only usher be used for? Well, if we look powerfully upon David. How, then, shall we bring receive the very thing we are evil, because of the Son of
in the Messiah, it also at the life of Jesus, we can Samuel then went to good news to the poor? We hoping to share with others: Man.
highlights the important role resolutely confirm that the Ramah. know what this good news is the good news.
of the people of God in His answer is 'kindness'. We are Psalm 23:5 You prepare a for them in the eternal, but John 5:7: 'Sir,' the invalid
replied, 'I have no one to help
redemptive plan for the then given very specific table before me in the do we know, as Jesus knew, An action to take: me into the pool when the
world. direction as to whom we presence of my enemies. what the good news is for Is your life currently enriched
should be sharing this them in the here and now? water is stirred. While I am
That means you and me. We kindness. In the next week, You anoint my head with oil; Are we friends with the poor? by the voices of the poor? If trying to get in, someone
are anointed to partner with we will look at the ways in my cup overflows. Do we make space in our not, are there steps you else goes down ahead of
which Isaiah 61 directs us to lives for those from different could take to create me.'
God in His redemptive plan. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22:
In the same way that Samuel partner with God, and look at Now it is God who makes economic backgrounds to
anointed David for his calling the examples Jesus set for both us and you stand firm in find out what good news is
as king, bestowing on him us in living this out in relation Christ. He anointed us, set for them?
authority, and in the same to people we meet. His seal of ownership on us, My husband and I asked
way God anointed Jesus with An action to take: and put His Spirit in our ourselves this question many
the Holy Spirit, filling Him Perhaps today you could hearts as a deposit, years ago and, as a result,
with power, so we too are reach out to someone guaranteeing what is to relocated to an area with
anointed. come.
around you and share your significant levels of poverty
We have been given strength with them, that they Also Luke 4:14-30 so that we could have
opportunities to build
friendships with the poor. As
Do you know the names of God?
1. Elohim. Elohim means “God of Creation” and describes the all-powerful nature of we got to know our
God, who is self-existing outside of time and space. This name is used over 2500 times neighbours and became
to describe the sovereign God of all creation. friends, we were able to see
that good news to them