Weekly devotion: How can our Faith Fuel our Actions?
The joy of receiving essential winter protection for your family - warm blankets from MERATH’s Winterisation programme, Lebanon
Lebanon’s harsh winter makes life even tougher for those in poverty. This week, we pray for MERATH’s winter assistance programme and contemplate what the Bible says about practical expressions of faith.
For many years, Lebanon has been suffering a dire economic crisis characterised by high inflation, unemployment and frequent power cuts. Combined with the aftermath of the Syrian war and the 2024 Hezbollah-Israel conflict, this has left families struggling to afford food, hygiene items and fuel. At this time of year, their situation is even more difficult due to cold weather – the mountainous areas in the north often have freezing temperatures and snow.
Our partners at Middle East Revive and Thrive (MERATH) work to help Syrian refugees, internally displaced Lebanese people and other vulnerable households to withstand the winter. They provide heating fuel, blankets, carpets, portable stoves and other items according to each family’s needs. Inspired by faith, this practical assistance makes an immediate difference to people’s standard of living.
Bible reading
‘Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.’
James 2:15-17
Thought
James reminds us that faith without action is incomplete. In MERATH’s work to distribute fuel and blankets to displaced families, we see living faith in motion – compassion that goes beyond sympathy or good intentions and addresses immediate needs. By bringing physical warmth to those in the cold, our friends in Lebanon show the warmth of Christ’s love and his understanding of the human experience.
Ask yourself: how could you turn your compassion into concrete action this week?
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
We lift before you the MERATH team who support families through the winter. We ask you to protect them and renew their spirits as they work in harsh conditions to respond to emergency needs. May their actions demonstrate your love to those they help and all who witness their service, and may we too always be ready to express our faith by action, according to our abilities.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Life in Lebanon in the wake of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict
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