Weekly devotion: Planting a Sustainable Future
Cultivated land in Rahbe, northern Lebanon
This week marks the beginning of Lent, and as many of us reflect on our faith by fasting or giving up our favourite foods, we pray for one community in Lebanon that is tackling food insecurity through sustainable agriculture.
The village of Rahbe in northern Lebanon looks out across stunning mountain scenery, where generations of small-scale farmers have worked with the land to produce food for their families and communities. But Lebanon’s economic crisis and the conflicts in neighbouring countries have increased the pressure on resources and made it harder for people to buy enough to eat. This in turn makes employment less secure for agricultural workers – who include many Syrian refugees. Through our partners at Middle East Revive and Thrive (MERATH), Embrace is helping the community of Rahbe to become more self-sufficient.
In 2022, with the help of MERATH, a Christian organisation with vast experience of community development, members of Rahbe’s Evangelical Baptist Church launched a sustainable agriculture project to help local families overcome hunger and hardship. Starting with a small area of land, they grew vegetables to distribute to the poorest households. The initial success meant they were able to expand to other uncultivated plots, and the project quite literally grew! Field crops such as wheat and barley also enable the team to grow fodder, allowing them to increase their herd of cows. The dairy is now a thriving part of the enterprise.
At least 100 households benefit directly from fresh produce, and the initiative creates much-needed local employment. Any surplus food can be sold, and the proceeds ploughed back into the work.
Please join us in praying for everyone involved in this grassroots community project as they help each other and care for their most vulnerable neighbours. We ask God to bless this work so it continues to bring sustenance and resilience to people who would otherwise face hunger in Lebanon’s turbulent economic situation.
Bible reading
‘So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labour of each. For we are God's servants, working together; you are God's field, God's building.’
1 Corinthians 3:7-9
Thought
Paul reminds us that while people work hard to plant and water, it is God who makes the earth productive and the crops strong in the sun and rain sent by his hand. Our partners at MERATH and the local Christians in Rahbe bring their faith and skills to a team effort with a common purpose – feeding those left vulnerable by society’s human-made difficulties. By working together and building community, they plant seeds of change that grow into nourishment and hope. As Lent begins, we too can reflect on how God nurtures our spiritual growth so we can help others in his name.
Ask yourself: In what ways is God inviting you to plant seeds of positive change, trusting him with the growth?
Prayer
Lord God,
Thank you for giving growth, not only to plants and animals but also to our own spirits as we strive to follow you faithfully. We thank you for the work of the Embrace-supported sustainable agriculture project in Lebanon, and ask for your blessings on every field being tended, every animal cared for, and every family receiving food and support. Bless the partnership between MERATH and the local church, and inspire us to plant and water growth-giving projects in our own communities.
Amen
Inspired by MERATH’s work?
Follow Hanna through a typical day as he supports displaced families living in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley
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